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Supreme Court Rejects Cooper Motion On Election Board Ruling
The North Carolina Supreme Court has upheld a lower-court order tossing out a small portion of a state law creating a combined elections and ethics board.
Tuesday's ruling by the justices denied a request by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to get the entire law struck down. Cooper disagreed with a three-judge panel that determined a Supreme Court decision from January about the board's constitutionality produced a narrow result.
The Supreme Court ruling confirms that a board composed of four Democrats and four Republicans was voided. The Republican-led legislature adjusted that portion of the law last month to create a ninth member belonging to neither major party. Those tweaks take effect Friday.
Cooper also filed a lawsuit Tuesday that seeks to block that adjustment and the combined board from being chosen.
GOP Now Wants Federal Prosecutors To Probe Pipeline Deal
North Carolina Republicans continue to attack Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper over a $58-million agreement his office reached with utilities poised to build the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.
State Republican Party leaders asked Tuesday for a federal investigation of whether Cooper broke the law with the memorandum of understanding, calling it possible extortion.
The memo said the money would have gone to environmental mitigation, economic development and renewable energy. Republicans say the agreement is fishy because it was announced the same day state regulators approved a key permit.
Cooper and a top environmental regulator say the permit and future payments had no connection.
Retooled North Carolina Oil And Gas Panel Holding First Meeting
A retooled state panel directed to regulate North Carolina's nascent fracking industry is finally holding its first meeting.
Members of the state Oil and Gas Commission planned to gather Wednesday in a government building in downtown Raleigh to learn about their new jobs and pick its leaders.
The commission is supposed to establish where oil and natural gas drilling can occur and enforce rules the panel creates.
Commission meetings got delayed several months ago after it became unclear how many members could attend or how many actually had been appointed. Delays also were related to the members' state ethics filings.
Gambling Vendor Exec Next To Lead North Carolina Lottery
A top executive at a gambling operations vendor is the next executive director of the North Carolina Education Lottery.
The lottery commission voted Tuesday to hire Mark Michalko. He will succeed Alice Garland, who announced last fall she would retire at the end of March.
Michalko is currently a vice president for International Game Technology's overseas operations, and previously worked for the Ohio and California lotteries. He'll make $212,000 annually.
The lottery is facing challenges with its latest game, called Carolina Keno. Legislators have been pushing back against overtures to expand online sales.
North Carolina Sheriff's Deputies Kill Man Who Fired At Them
A North Carolina sheriff's deputy has shot and killed a man who fired on him and other deputies as they responded to a call about a domestic dispute.
The Davidson County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that a woman told deputies late Monday she was assaulted by 61-year-old Briscoe Tim Woodell.
The news release said Woodell threatened to shoot deputies. A special response team and hostage negotiators were called in, and after a brief standoff, Woodell came out of a barn on his property and shot at the deputies.
Emergency personnel treated Woodell, but he died en route to the hospital.
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