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North Carolina 2020 Congressional Districts Go Before Court
North Carolina judges are listening to a request to order a new state congressional map for next year's elections even before a trial is held on whether district lines were drawn by Republicans with extreme intent to favor the GOP.
A three-judge panel set a hearing for Thursday to consider the legal motion by Democratic and independent voters who sued to overturn the map. Their lawyers say evidence is overwhelming that partisan gerrymandering occurred when boundaries for 13 U.S. House districts were drawn in 2016.
Republican legislators say ordering a remap would create electoral disorder for races set to begin with candidate filing in December and primaries in March.
Experience-Based Increases For NC Teachers In Senate Bill
North Carolina teachers would get their usual experience-based pay increase but little else in legislation that Senate Republicans are now advancing as the GOP and Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper remain at odds over the state budget.
A Senate committee approved a measure on Wednesday that addresses teacher and principal pay. The state budget Cooper vetoed in June would have raised teacher pay on average by nearly 4% over two years. Cooper seeks twice that increase.
In Wednesday's measure, teachers simply would get the pay on the current salary scale reflecting their additional year of experience.
Dire Prison Conditions Described 2 Years After NC Slayings
North Carolina officials are warning that conditions in dozens of prisons are as dire as they've ever been as low pay and more violent inmates are pushing more guards to leave, making surroundings riskier for those remaining.
State Prisons Commissioner Todd Ishee said Wednesday a correction officer who escaped serious injury after being stabbed in the head earlier this month is among the average of two prison employees being assaulted every day.
Ishee says about a quarter of the corrections officers needed to run the state's prisons have left jobs vacant. Mandatory overtime on top of 12-hour days means some guards are only getting a couple of days off per month.
A prison reform advisory board recommended improving pay and benefits for guards so they're comparable with outside law officers.
Holley Named To Fill UNC Board Of Governors Vacancy
A state government lobbyist will fill a seat on the University of North Carolina system's governing board that became vacant when a member got appointed to the General Assembly.
The state House voted unanimously on Wednesday for Reginald Holley of Brunswick County to join the UNC Board of Governors.
Holley leads The Longmire Group in Raleigh. He's served on the board of the UNC-Chapel Hill school of the environment and previously worked for then-U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole.
Stuffed Monkey In Winston-Salem Police Cruiser Called Racist; Police Respond
The Winston-Salem Police Department is offering an apology and explanation behind a stuffed animal in a patrol car. This comes after accusations of racism appeared on social media.
A video began circulating on Monday morning. It shows a stuffed animal monkey wearing a rastacap in the back window of a Winston-Salem Police Department cruiser. There was also a white officer in the car.
In a statement, Chief Catrina Thompson apologized to community members who may have found this offensive and says she takes the matter very seriously.
Chief Thompson says that there are a variety of stuffed animals in all police cars, a practice dating back over 20 years. The toys are donated and are there to calm children experiencing trauma from violent situations or accidents. They are kept in an easily accessible location in the car.
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