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House Leader: NC Budget On Track For Votes Next Week
At least one chamber in the General Assembly is optimistic that a final North Carolina state budget is just around the corner.
House Speaker Tim Moore told colleagues that budget negotiations remain on track so lawmakers could vote on the negotiated two-year spending plan early next week.
Any final plan would need two affirmative votes by both the Republican-controlled House and Senate before it goes to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.
Gov. Cooper, Other Democrats Press For New Maps Quickly
North Carolina Democrats continue to press legislative leaders to redraw the state's General Assembly maps that courts have ruled are unconstitutional.
The effort follows a U.S. Supreme Court decision last week that agreed with a lower court that nearly 30 state districts illegally pack black voters into districts.
Gov. Cooper said Monday he wants new maps drawn this month and elections under those maps held before next year's legislative session. The voters who challenged the current boundaries want elections under new maps this fall.
Child Protection, Social Services Changes Given Senate OK
An updated plan to overhaul and improve North Carolina's child welfare and social services system doesn't go as far as an earlier proposal that would have forced counties to regionalize programs over time.
The Senate voted unanimously Monday for the measure.
The bill also requires a social worker to observe a child who has been removed from a home at least twice with his or her parent before recommending a return of physical custody. This proposal follows the death of a Moore County toddler.
Winston-Salem Considers Raising Car Fees
Winton-Salem officials are considering raising a motor vehicle fee to help pay for street repairs.
The city currently charges $15 per vehicle. The Winston-Salem Journal reports that the City Council is considering raising the fee to $30 in hopes of generating another $2 million to help repair city streets.
The proposal is being discussed as part of the city budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year, which begins July 1st.
The fee hike was part of Monday's budget discussions by members of the city's Finance Committee. Council members also considered incentives for police officers and a fare hike for the city's Trans-AID system.
School Leader Faces DWI Charge After Cars Hit At Graduation
An assistant principal at a North Carolina high school was charged with driving while impaired after he banged into two parked cars outside of the school's graduation ceremony.
Police in Hickory released a report Monday that said 46-year-old Jonathan Andrew Stiles was arrested in the parking lot of Catawba Valley Community College and charged with DWI. He was arrested Saturday afternoon just as graduation ceremonies for Bunker Hill High School in Claremont were beginning at the Hickory college.
Family: Slain NC Soldier Sought Challenges
Family members are remembering a North Carolina soldier as an adventurous soul who loved the military and re-enlisted last year.
The Pentagon announced Monday that Cpl. Dillon Baldridge of Youngsville, North Carolina, was one of three 101st Airborne Division members who were fatally shot in Afghanistan this weekend.
The 22-year-old Baldridge's aunt said the trained sniper had re-enlisted before deploying to Afghanistan late last year. Melissa Strickland of Blowing Rock says Baldridge loved adventure, challenging himself and finding ways to make himself better.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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