Tag: Roy Cooper

Green: Taxpayers’ $3 Billion Supplying Clean Ports Program

The Center Square
NC Port

The Biden administration’s choice for zero-emissions operations in America’s ports was boosted Wednesday with the opening of applications for $3 billion from taxpayers in the Clean Ports Program.

Equipment and infrastructure needs can be met that “reduce mobile source emissions at U.S. ports,” a release from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says. EPA Administrator Michael Regan was in Wilmington, N.C., alongside Gov. Roy Cooper, whose administration he previously worked in, to make the announcement.

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North Carolina Governor Signs Amendment to 12 Week Abortion Ban into Law

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Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina signed an amendment to the state’s 12-week abortion ban into law late Thursday evening.

The legislation is currently under review by a federal judge after a lawsuit was filed by Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, who argued that the law was vague and potentially violated women’s constitutional rights, according to CNN. Republicans introduced and passed an amendment Tuesday to the bill to clarify some of the language, which Roy signed before the new abortion law takes effect on July 1.

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North Carolina Lawmakers Override Governor’s Veto of 12-Week Abortion Ban

Just the News

North Carolina lawmakers on Tuesday overrode the veto of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to enshrine into law a ban on most abortions in the state after 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Both chambers of the legislature have Republican supermajorities, though the governor had hoped at least one Republican lawmaker would vote to uphold his veto and traveled the state last week to convince a lawmaker to take that stance, the Associated Press reported.

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North Carolina’s Veto-Proof Republican-Led Senate Passes 12-Week Abortion Bill

Susan Berry, PhD

The Democrat governor of North Carolina has vowed to veto a 12-week bill that would ban some abortions after the veto-proof Republican-controlled Senate approved the measure Thursday night.

On CNN Thursday, Gov. Roy Cooper (D) begged one Republican from each chamber of the North Carolina legislature to uphold his veto of Senate Bill 20, known as the “Care for Women, Children, and Families Act,” a measure he called a “disastrous abortion ban.”

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North Carolina to Have GOP Supermajority in Legislature as Democrat Expected to Switch Parties

Just the News

North Carolina Republicans are slated to have a supermajority in the General Assembly if state Rep. Tricia Cotham, a Charlotte Democrat, switches parties as expected Wednesday.

Cotham is slated to announce her decision to join the GOP during a press conference, according to Axios. Republicans are one seat away from having the supermajority, and the switch would give the party more power to override any vetos from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

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Kemp Leads GOP Gubernatorial Group in Response Against Tax Proposals

Addison Basurto

Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp and South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster led Republican governors in a response today in opposition to the $740 billion spending proposal to fix inflation.

“The Democrats’ solution to a 40-year high inflation is passing another reckless tax and spending spree to the tune of $74 billion, affecting Americans in every tax bracket,” the Republican gubernatorial coalition said in a statement Thursday.

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Burt Jones Challenges Stacey Abrams on Music Midtown Cancellation

Addison Basurto

Burt Jones, Republican nominee for lieutenant governor of Georgia, took exception to the assertion by Stacey Abrams that Governor Kemp is more concerned with “protecting dangerous people” than the economy of the state by affirming the right for Peach State citizens to bear arms with the signing of the constitutional carry law.

“Music Midtown is the new All Star Game. It’s still illegal for criminals to carry guns, and Georgia continues to see record voter turnout. Notice a trend? Her name is Stacey Abrams–and she’s still being dishonest with Georgia voters,” Jones tweeted on Tuesday.

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Stacey Abrams Refers to Georgia’s Voter Integrity Law as ‘Jim Crow 2.0’

Chris Butler

Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams and others said at a Thursday night town hall that Republicans nationwide are passing voter integrity bills to prevent black people from voting. During this virtual town hall, Abrams told audience members to pressure the U.S. Senate to pass the For the People Act. Some people also refer to the bill as H.R. 1. The For the People Act, if enacted into law, would nationalize federal elections. The proposed law would require that states automatically register residents to vote and also require absentee ballot drop boxes. The For the People Act would also eliminate state restrictions on mail-in voting, require same-day voter registration, and gut state voter identification laws.

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Rains Trigger Floods Across Virginia and North Carolina, Killing Three

Eric Burk

After heavy rain Thursday, Virginia and North Carolina experienced flooding, leading to three deaths in North Carolina. In Farmville, Virginia, authorities rescued boaters on the flooded Appomattox River, according to WWBT.  The Hampton Roads and Suffolk regions experienced flooding closing local roads, while fire crews had to retrieve boats that slipped their moorings due to flooding at the Smith Mountain Lake near Roanoke. Drivers had to be rescued near Salem and Roanoke.

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Tennessee House Passes Resolution Inviting RNC to Host Convention in Nashville

Anthony Gockowski

The Tennessee House passed a resolution Thursday inviting the Republican National Committee to host its August convention in Nashville.

The resolution was passed after President Donald Trump announced earlier this week that he would be pulling the convention from Charlotte, North Carolina, whose Democratic governor refused to guarantee a full-scale convention amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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GOP Considering Nashville for August Convention, Trump Pulls from North Carolina

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Bill Lee confirmed Tuesday afternoon that GOP leaders are considering Nashville as an alternative site for August’s Republican National Convention just hours before President Donald Trump announced that he will be pulling the convention from North Carolina.

Lee’s office told WTVF that officials with the Republican National Committee will be visiting Nashville Thursday to tour the city.

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Commentary: Rigid Lockdowns vs. Relative Freedom

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In North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper has adopted the policy premise that anything done in the name of safety from the coronavirus trumps all other interests, including economic, religious, or other health considerations. Despite comparatively low numbers in the Tar Heel state, the ninth most populous state in the United States, and with no evidence of the healthcare system being overwhelmed, North Carolina has been in full lockdown for over a month.

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North Carolina Governor Under Fire for Proposing Freezing School Voucher Program

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by Joshua Nelson   A billboard campaign in North Carolina is taking aim at Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper after his announcement proposing freezing a scholarship program that has benefited minority students—more than 30 percent of which are African-American. The billboard says the governor is “failing when it comes to helping minority students” and encourages residents to call Cooper to reverse his decision. A group called the Job Creators Network launched the campaign on May 15 following Cooper’s recent budget proposal that included halting the North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship Program, a state voucher system that gives up to $4,200 to children from low-income households to attend a private school of their choice. The Job Creators Network is a nonpartisan organization that educates business owners, entrepreneurs, and employees on government policies they deem harmful to “Main Street America.” As a former benefactor of a school voucher program, Alfredo Ortiz, president and CEO of the group, has been outspoken against Cooper’s decision. “One of our members who lives in North Carolina made me aware of [Cooper’s decision],” Ortiz said in an interview with The Daily Signal. “And again, because it is the kind of a personal thing with something like this where scholarships…

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North Carolina Governor Vetoes Born-Alive Bill

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by Grace Carr   Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed a born-alive bill Thursday that sought to explicitly direct physicians to provide care for infants who survive abortion procedures. Cooper vetoed SB359, also known as the “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act,” which passed the state legislature Tuesday. The state Senate first passed the bill Monday and the House passed the bill in a 65-46 vote Tuesday, according to The News & Observer. “Any infant born alive after an abortion or within a hospital, clinic, or other facility has the same claim to the protection of the law that would arise for any newborn, or for any person who comes to a hospital, clinic, or other facility for screening and treatment or otherwise becomes a patient within its care,” according to the legislation. Physicians who violate the bill would be charged with a Class D felony and fined up to $250,000. Cooper’s spokesman, Ford Porter, criticized the bill ahead of the governor’s Thursday veto. “This unnecessary legislation would criminalize doctors for a practice that simply does not exist,” Porter said, according to the Observer. “Laws already exist to protect newborn babies and legislators should instead be focused on other issues…

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Governor Cooper Bypasses More Experienced Justices for Democrat Black Female Justice to Fill Chief Justice Spot

A.P. Dillon

North Carolina’s Democratic Governor Roy Cooper has bucked the tradition of elevating the next most experienced associate justice to be the interim Chief Justice of the state’s Supreme Court in favor of a black female associate justice from his own party. Cooper announced on Tuesday that he has chosen to put Associate Justice Cheri Beasley into Chief Justice spot that is being vacated by the current Chief Justice Mark Martin. In doing so, Cooper, in fact, bypassed not one, but two current Associate Justices with far more experience on the high court. Today, Gov. Cooper named Associate Justice Cheri Beasley as Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. https://t.co/whIZkVFh7a pic.twitter.com/b4DHroboik — Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) February 12, 2019 Beasley will be the first black female Chief Justice on North Carolina’s Supreme Court and will begin her duties on March 1. North Carolina’s only other black chief justice was Henry Frye (1991-2001), but three women have served as Chief Justice in the state: Rhoda Billings, Sarah Parker, and Susie Sharp.  Lorna Lockwood in Arizona was the first woman in the country to serve as chief justice of a state supreme court in two one-year long terms during 1965 and 1970.…

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North Carolina Leaked Commission Email: It’s Not False to Call Police ‘Home-Grown Terrorists’

A.P. Dillon

Charlotte City Councilwoman LaWana Mayfield, who called police “home-grown terrorists,” was notified by Governor Cooper’s office on Wednesday that she is off the North Carolina’s Human Relations Commission (HRC). A short letter was sent to Mayfield from William McKinney, Cooper’s Chief Legal Counsel informing the councilwoman that her appointment was rescinded immediately so that the commission could do its work “without distraction.” “Spox for Gov. Cooper:  The Governor values law enforcement and recognizes that more must be done to build meaningful respect and understanding between law enforcement and communities,” tweeted Joe Bruno, a reporter with WSOC9. But the problems with Roy Cooper’s appointments to the HRC aren’t ending with Mayfield. In an email leaked exclusively to Battleground State News, a member of North Carolina’s HRC says that fellow Commissioner LaWana Mayfield isn’t wrong to call police “home-grown terrorists.” The HRC is tasked by state statute with the promotion of “understanding, respect, and goodwill among all citizens.” The email discusses calls for Governor Cooper to reconsider LaWana Mayfield’s appointment to the HRC due to her past comments where she called police officers “home-grown terrorists.” The calls for Mayfield’s removal are “partisan-bullying attack for a statement that no one is calling false regarding…

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Lawmakers Blast North Carolina Governor’s Office For Blocking Pipeline Investigation

A.P. Dillon

North Carolina’s Democratic Governor Roy Cooper is under fire for blocking attempts by independent investigators to question employees regarding a multi-million dollar fund tied to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. According to a report by the Associated Press published in the Miami Herald: “Cooper’s administration told panel leaders last week it won’t let career environmental regulators contacted by the firm this month speak with the investigators.” The workers have no legal protections from inappropriate questions that are extensions of an “extraordinarily open-ended political fishing expedition,” wrote Kristi Jones, Cooper’s chief of staff. The committee’s co-chairmen fired off a letter to Cooper, blasting the governor for blocking the investigation. “For nearly a year, you complained that this oversight investigation was too political,” wrote Senator Harry Brown (R-D6) and Representative Dean Arp (R-D69). “To remove any appearance of political motivations, we hired independent investigators to get to the truth,” the co-chairs wrote. “Senator Floyd McKissick even participated in the interview and he agreed that Eagle Intel Services LLC was the best options.” “But now you are complaining that the oversight investigation is too independent,” Senator Brown and Representative Arp wrote. The letter also blasted Cooper for ‘impugning’ the character of the investigators. “We…

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North Carolina Posts $188 Million Surplus; Sixth One in a Row

A.P. Dillon

North Carolina has posted a revenue surplus of $188 million, according to a new state economic report, making it the sixth such surplus in a row. The report, produced by the North Carolina Fiscal Research Division, says that “the economy is stronger now than it was a year ago,” and that the data suggests the state’s economy “is growing at a steady, solid pace.” “Our state’s excellent economic reports reflect a rising quality of life for families and businesses in North Carolina as a result of our commitments to their priorities,” North Carolina Speaker of the House Tim Moore said in a press statement. “The General Assembly must maintain our proven economic approach to creating opportunity and prosperity for millions of North Carolinians,” Moore said. According to the economic report, the “collections from corporate taxpayers are a big reason why overall collections are 1.9 percent ahead of target.” Corporate income and franchise taxes together are “$82.9 million above the 6-month target.” The report also stated that corporate income tax collections are up 16.5 percent from last year. The report takes the wind out of the tax rhetoric that has come from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who within days of first…

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North Carolina Hurricane Relief Hindered by Another Contract Issue

A.P. Dillon

North Carolina’s ongoing hurricane relief and recovery efforts are being hindered by an apparent contract issue involving the North Carolina Emergency Management System and a company contracted to do the work. WBTV reported: A seven-figure contract to help repair homes damaged by Hurricane Florence was cancelled in late December, a little more than a month after it was awarded, due to errors in the procurement process. North Carolina Emergency Management awarded a contract to AECOM to administer a program funded by the US Federal Emergency Management Agency called the Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power Program. North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM) denied that any work stopped. “It’s not accurate to say that work has stopped or been delayed on the STEP program, or that it’s unknown when it will resume.” NCEM spokesman Keith Acree told WBTV. “Home repair work in the program continues without interruption and AECOM continues to manage the STEP.” NCEM’s claim that work did not stop appears to be false according to a December 27, 2018 email obtained by WBTV: Per our phone conversation on 12/27/2018, the Department of Administration has directed the Department of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Management (NCEM) to inform you that due to the…

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Questions About North Carolina Governor’s Pipeline Fund Persist

A.P. Dillon

Questions persist about the $58.7 million dollar fund tied to the Atlantic Coast pipeline permit process and the North Carolina Governor’s office. Over a year has passed since the fund’s existence was made public. Questions from lawmakers and the media have gone largely unanswered by North Carolina’s Democratic Governor Roy Cooper. The latest question being asked about this fund comes from Dan Way, a staff writer at Carolina Journal: If Gov. Roy Cooper felt so strongly he had legal authority to create the unusual $57.8 million Atlantic Coast Pipeline mitigation fund, then why didn’t he sue to prevent the General Assembly from commandeering the money? “That’s a good question. I don’t know,” said Pat Ryan, spokesman for Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham. “Maybe [the governor and his staff] didn’t think they had a strong enough case.” What is this multi-million dollar fund all about? In 2017, officials involved with the Atlantic Coast Pipeline project and the Cooper administrations engineered an agreement that include monies to be directly controlled by Cooper. The payment information in the amount of $57.8 million was couched in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) and expressly states the funds would be deposited into the bank of Cooper’s…

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