North Carolina
Formerly vetoed bills contained in new North Carolina Senate election legislation
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Senate Republicans proposed on Thursday an omnibus election measure that contains provisions vetoed successfully in past years by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper as well as other administrative changes that supporters argue will boost trust in election outcomes.
The legislation, which could receive a committee hearing next week, has been worked on for weeks, with input received from advocacy groups and former election officials among others, a bill sponsor said.
Among the vetoed items considered again in the combined bill are those that would stop accepting certain absentee ballots received after Election Day, create a process to keep more non-U.S. citizens off voter rolls and prohibit private funds from being used to run elections.
“Our hope is that this will restore some confidence in many citizens in their voting process,” state Sen. Ralph Hise, of Mitchell County, told reporters earlier Thursday.
Critics have called the duplicate measures from previous years a method by Republicans to discourage voting in a closely divided state.
“Republican lawmakers want to safeguard their power, not our votes,” Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue, of Wake County, and House Minority Leader Robert Reives, of Chatham County, said in a prepared statement.
The measure could withstand political opposition from Cooper this year now that Republicans hold veto-proof majorities in both chambers for the first time since 2018.
One previously vetoed provision would remove the state’s three-day grace period after an election for an absentee by-mail ballot to arrive for it to be counted. Instead, all such ballots would have to be submitted at a county board of elections office, whether by mail or in person, before 7:30 p.m. on the day of the election, when polls close statewide.
“Making Election Day the official deadline removes confusion and skepticism from the minds of voters,” said another bill sponsor, Senate Majority Leader Paul Newton, of Cabarrus County, in a statement.
Republicans also would try again to bar election boards and officials in counties from accepting private money to administer elections. Millions of dollars from outside groups went to North Carolina to run the 2020 elections, particularly to address COVID-19-related challenges.
Republicans argue the outside donations to government agencies create the impression of undue influence.
And another vetoed provision would tell North Carolina courts to send information to election officials about potential jurors being disqualified because they aren’t U.S. citizens. Ultimately they would be removed from voter rolls. Cooper said in his 2019 veto message that it would increase the risk that legitimate citizens would be denied the right to vote due to bad jury-excusal information.
The measure also contains a host of other provisions, including a requirement that anyone who registers to vote at an early in-person voting site must cast a provisional ballot, which can be more easily challenged after an election.
The vote would be tabulated only if the voter’s address is verified through the current mail process or if the person provides a qualifying identification document by the day of the election.
The measure also would allow the public to inspect absentee ballots at meetings of county elections boards in the weeks before an election where members decide whether ballots received should be counted.
The bill comes as the State Board of Elections is preparing to carry out in time for this fall’s municipal elections a photo voter identification law that was upheld by the state Supreme Court in April.
Hise said Thursday that he did meet with Cleta Mitchell, an attorney who advised former President Donald Trump in his fight to overturn the 2020 election, as legislators considered the bill’s contents.
Hise said Mitchell, who lives in North Carolina, expressed concerns about election administration in the state but diminished her influence: “We listened and we felt like we had addressed what we needed to address in the bill.”
North Carolina
Vote: Who Should Be the North Carolina Boys High School Basketball Player of the Week? (1/20/2025)
Who was the North Carolina Boys Basketball Player of the Week last week?
Each week, High School On SI scours the state of North Carolina and compiles the top performances from the previous week.
Congratulations to last week’s winner: Jalin Sutton of Greene Central.
Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26. The winner will be announced in the following week’s poll. Here are this week’s nominees:
The 6-foot-5 junior guard scored 26 points on 9-of-13 shooting, grabbed 7 rebounds and blocked 4 shots in the Sabres’ 71-63 win over Myers Park. Houpt also had 15 points in a 65-56 win over White Oak.
Kerr, a top 100 national recruit, scored 24 points as the Cougars toppled nationally ranked and previously undefeated Christ School 73-66. The 6-foot-4 junior guard has 10 college offers.
Charles scored 27 points and got 8 rebounds in a 56-42 win over Southside. The 6-foot-4 senior also had 22 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in an 84-38 rout of Pamlico County.
Blow scored 17 points and got 6 rebounds in a 67-59 victory over Ayden-Grifton.
Barron scored 19 points while getting 7 steals and 5 assists in a 77-57 victory over Northwest Halifax.
Edwards posted 27 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists in an 89-39 romp over Wayne Christian. He also had 17 points in an 84-57 win over First Flight.
Brewer dominated with 34 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals in a 66-48 win over Pisgah.
Parkins erupted for 39 points, tying a career high, in a 90-66 win over Asheville. The 6-foot-7 senior also had 17 rebounds. He had 27 points and 13 rebounds in an 81-65 win over Erwin.
Brown scored 30 points and had 5 rebounds in an 84-80 overtime win over Tuscola. In addition, he had 21 points in a 59-45 loss to East Henderson.
Fannon scored 31 points, including 9-of-14 from 3-point range, as the Mustangs beat St. Stephens 93-70.
North Carolina
North Carolina Democratic state lawmaker resigns after terminal cancer diagnosis
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A longtime Wake County Democratic state representative announced his resignation from the North Carolina General Assembly on Sunday.
Rep. Joe John, who represented northwestern Wake County, shared news of his resignation in a letter posted to his Facebook page, after he said he received a terminal diagnosis for throat cancer from his doctors. John, 85, first stated publicly that he was diagnosed with throat cancer in early December.
“I hope my legacy will be one of dedication to the common good — working to build bridges, advocate for the voiceless, and fight for justice,” he said.
John was first elected as a state representative in 2016 and served four consecutive terms. His upcoming term would have been his fifth. Before serving in the legislature, John spent a large portion of his life in the judicial field — as a state appeals judge, superior court judge and district judge. He also served as the State of North Carolina Crime Laboratory’s director.
The Wake County Democratic Party will be in charge of choosing someone to fill John’s vacant seat.
John said in his letter that he plans to focus on his health and spend time with his family after resigning.
“If my time in office has made even a small difference in your lives, then I will leave this world knowing I’ve done my part,” John said.
North Carolina
How will NC industries be impacted with Trump in office?
Republican President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House on Monday, vowing swift action on a host of issues that could impact nearly every American — and could have a particularly profound effect on North Carolina’s economy.
Reporter : Kelsey Coffey
Photographer : Mark Olexik
Web Editor : Jessica Patrick
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