North Carolina

NC lawmakers back this week for overrides, but not budget

Published

1 year ago

August 14, 2023

NC lawmakers back this week for overrides, but not budget

RALEIGH, N.C. — After more than a month of inaction, state lawmakers will return to Raleigh this week to resume work aimed at finishing the regular legislative session.

The state budget is already six weeks late due to deadlocked negotiations between House and Senate Republicans. That stalemate could stretch into September, according to House Speaker Tim Moore, so the budget isn’t a likely candidate for action this week. However, a slew of bills, conference reports and veto overrides remain to be considered.

Moore has scheduled five veto override votes for Wednesday. Those vetoes include two bills loosening rules for charter schools, two bills targeting LGBTQ+ minors, and one that would change the state’s building code oversight. All five were vetoed by Democratic Governor Roy Cooper in early July.

House override bills

Fairness in Women’s Sports Act. House Bill 574 would ban transgender girls and women from competing in women’s sports in middle school, high school and college athletics in North Carolina.

Sponsors say allowing transgender female athletes to compete against athletes who were born female is unfair, because transgender women are bigger and stronger and faster. But critics say the ban is unnecessary. Only two transgender girls have even sought permission to compete in high school athletics in North Carolina.

Gender transition for minors. House Bill 808 would prohibit any medical professional from providing gender-affirming medical care to any transgender patient under 18, including hormone treatments or puberty blockers as well as surgical procedures, even if the minor’s parent consents.

Supporters of the bill say they’re trying to protect underage people from making decisions that could have life-long consequences. But opponents say gender-affirming care can be lifesaving for young transgender people, and all major medical groups support it.

Code council reorganization and amendments. House Bill 488 would divide the state’s current Building Code Council into two bodies, one focused on residential buildings and the other on commercial. It would also ban the council from updating the current building code and adding new energy efficiency rules, and allow the builders of multifamily units to use less fire-proofing between dwellings.

Charter school review board. House Bill 618 would create a new board to vet and grant charter school applications. It would be able to reconsider any application rejections by the State Board of Education from July 2022 onward.

Supporters of charters have maintained for years that the State Board of Education, which currently makes those decisions, is insufficiently supportive of charters and too slow to act on applications. The new review board, which would mostly be appointed by Republican lawmakers, would likely be more receptive. Opponents say the power to approve applications should remain with the state board of education. They say the new board would be under political pressure to be overly permissive in approving or renewing schools.

Charter School Omnibus. House Bill 219 includes an array of changes loosening state law governing charter schools. It would allow them to expand without permission as long as they’re not low-performing and allow them to give preferential treatment to some applicants. It would also let them enroll and charge tuition for out-of-state and foreign exchange students. And it would give counties authority to use — and even raise — property tax revenue for charters’ capital needs, which currently isn’t legal. It would also ban regulators from considering the impact of a new charter on local school districts in the application process.

Supporters say the measure would even the financial playing field for charters and make it easier for them to grow to meet demand. Opponents, including many traditional public school advocates, warn it would drain capital funds from districts and could result in over-proliferation of charters in some districts.

A supermajority with no wiggle room

Republicans in the state House and Senate hold veto-proof majorities — but only barely. A veto override requires support from all 72 Republicans in the House and all 30 Republicans in the Senate. If even one or two Republicans are absent, and if all Democrats are present and voting against an override, it will fail.

That’s one reason the override votes haven’t happened yet in the House. Four of the five override votes have been delayed five times already because some GOP members were unable to attend those sessions.

The regular legislative session is usually over by mid-July, so many lawmakers schedule travel, family vacations and medical procedures in mid-July and August, making it a challenge to get all of them into the chamber on any given day in that period.

The House and Senate also have differing rules on how vetoes are handled. The law doesn’t require, and neither body has set, a time limit within which they have to take up a veto override, also known as “reconsideration.”

The Senate’s rules require the majority party to give 24 hours’ notice to the minority party before an override vote can be held. The House’s rules are less strict, allowing an override vote “on the legislative day [a veto] is received in the House from the Senate or Governor or any other legislative day it is printed on the calendar,” which often isn’t published until late the preceding evening.

If House Republicans aren’t sure they’ll have sufficient members present to override a veto, they’ll generally reschedule the override vote rather than risk it. In the Senate, there are fewer members to account for. They generally don’t schedule an override vote until they’ve found a day that will work.

The other veto

A sixth veto could be taken up this week, but it wouldn’t start in the House.

Senate Bill 49, Parents Bill of Rights, passed its final legislative vote June 29, largely along party lines. While no Democrats in the House or Senate voted for it, one House Republican — Rep. Hugh Blackwell, R-Burke — voted against it.

It was vetoed July 5 by Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, who called it a “don’t say gay” bill, evoking a law passed in Florida. Cooper warned it would “scare teachers into silence by injecting fear and uncertainty into classrooms.”

Under legislative rules, vetoed bills get their first override vote in the chamber where the bill originated. The bill was sent to Senate Rules July 6 and has not moved since.

Speaking to reporters July 31, Senate leader Phil Berger said the Senate will vote to override the veto of S49 “at some point.” So far, no override vote has been scheduled.

Berger spokeswoman Lauren Horsch said last week that the full Senate is expected to be in Raleigh this week, but no votes are on their calendar yet.

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North Carolina

Huskies DC Steve Belichick set to join father at North Carolina, per report

Published

6 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Huskies DC Steve Belichick set to join father at North Carolina, per report

In unsurprising news, CBS Sports reported that Washington defensive coordinator Steve Belichick is set to follow his father, Bill, to North Carolina. It is the second lost to UNC for the Huskies after linebacker Khmori House pledged to the Tar Heels earlier this week.

Belichick’s defense was often the highlight for the Huskies throughout the regular season. Washington had the fifth-best pass defense in the nation, allowing just 166.8 yards per outing and 13 touchdowns on the year. It was an obvious strength for the Dawgs leading into the season and was pivotal in all six wins.

Belichick spent just one season on Montlake. He joined Jedd Fisch’s highly touted NFL experience-rich staff. He’ll continue that trend, once again joining forces with a man many consider the greatest NFL head coach of all time. Bill will lead a college program for the first time in his career.

Suddenly, North Carolina is an intriguing destination that the Huskies must be wary of after already losing House. USA Today college football reporter Matt Hayes said on X that UNC would increase its NIL package for football “from 4 million to $20 million in effort to land Belichick.”

On the surface, there isn’t much to fear about UNC on the gridiron. However, the sweet selection of uniforms, a sudden surplus of NIL funds, Power 4 residency and the opportunity to play under the Belichick duo could be very attractive to NFL hopefuls.

Fisch addressed the potential of having to replace Belichick earlier this month.

“If (Steve) joins (Bill) then we’ll have to hire a new defensive coordinator,” Fisch said. “If he stays here then we won’t have to hire a new defensive coordinator. I think they’re separate. Bill Belichick is not on our staff. Steve Belichick is on our staff. So, Bill will determine whether or not he wants to continue. He’s the greatest coach of all time. So, if he goes and coaches somewhere, then he’ll make a decision, and then Steve will make a decision and we’ll figure it out from there.”

As for what’s next on Montlake, our Luke Kemper has you covered.

Click HERE to view his DC replacement scenarios.

Click HERE to view his contingency plan.

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North Carolina

Best golf courses in North Carolina for 2024-25

Published

14 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Best golf courses in North Carolina for 2024-25

By:

GOLF’s Course Raters and Ran Morrissett, Architecture Editor

December 22, 2024

A stunning aerial of the 3rd hole at Pinehurst No. 2.

USGA/Fred Vuich

As part of GOLF’s rigorous ratings process for our newly released Top 100 Courses in the U.S. and Top 100 Courses You Can Play rankings, our fleet of 100-plus expert panelists identified the best golf courses in every state.

You can check out the links below to browse all of our course rankings, or scroll down to see the best courses in North Carolina. And if you’re looking to create your own trip in the future, you’d be wise to let GOLF’s new Course Finder tool assist you. Here, you can toggle all of our lists — Top 100 public, best munis, best short courses, best par-3s and more — or filter by price to create the perfect itinerary for your next trip.

Check out our all-new travel podcast Destination GOLF. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts: APPLE | SPOTIFY | IHEART | AMAZON

Explore our all-new Course Finder

Golf courses near you? Search here!

Begin Browsing

The best golf courses in North Carolina (2024/2025)

SYMBOL GUIDE
# = Top 100 Course in the U.S.
Y = Top 100 You Can Play in the U.S.
V = Top 100 Value Course in the U.S.
P = Public/Resort

Ed. note: Some courses were omitted from our rankings because they did not receive enough votes.

1. Pinehurst No. 2 (Pinehurst) [#, Y, P]

Donald Ross’ chef d’oeuvre rolls spaciously through tall longleaf pines in the Carolina Sandhills with holes culminating with legendary inverted-saucer greens. For the 2014 U.S. Open, a Coore-Crenshaw restoration brought back the tawny-edged fairways and native areas last seen in the 1940s. Even with no rough, the runner-up could muster only one under par over four rounds. After the Women’s U.S. Open was played the following week, a powerful message had been broadcast around the world from the home of American golf about the virtues of width, short grass and great greens. This is one of a handful of courses that presents resort guests with a fun test on which they won’t lose a single ball, and a week later can be ready to host a U.S. Open. That’s the flexibility of short grass — and Ross’ design genius. The world will get another look at No. 2 in June 2024 when the course stages its fourth U.S. Open.

2. Old Town Club (Winston Salem) [#]

With sweeping, cross-course vistas punctuated by tawny native grasses and an exemplary routing that twists around miles of creek beds, side-slopes and artistic bunkering, Old Town’s restoration portrays the enduring spirit of classic golf architecture. Perry Maxwell built this inspired North Carolina layout on a former R.J. Reynolds horse farm. The manner by which Maxwell draped the fairways across the rolling landscape resulted in few level lies. No wonder former Demon Deacon Lanny Wadkins called it the best course for training serious young players. Wake Forest’s golf teams practice at Old Town, which gives them a huge home-field advantage as few collegiate golfers are accustomed to putting on undulating Maxwell greens or consistently hitting approach shots from uneven stances. The club’s longtime green chair analyzes every minute detail of the design during his annual walks around the property with former Wake grad, Bill Coore. A 2023 bunker restoration project and the conversion of the greens from bent to Bermuda has the course climbing even higher.

3. Wade Hampton (Cashiers) [#]

Tom Fazio has a well-established knack for building waterfalls. But at this exclusive redoubt, threaded through the folds of the Blue Ridge Mountains, he didn’t have to. Take the par-3 third hole, which plays through a valley, up a gentle rise, to a large green backed by a steep rock face where a natural cascade spills down it. It’s a setting worthy of a national park, and one of countless photo-ready moments on a course that unspools gracefully at modest elevation, ornamented by creeks and ponds. Fazio did not forgo earth-moving altogether. But the beauty of his work here is the deference he showed to the grandeur of the land.

4. Pinehurst No. 10 (Pinehurst) [#, Y, P]

Give a talented architect a sandy, rolling piece of land and place few restrictions on him or her, and it’s amazing what can be produced. Donald Ross did so with a flourish at this resort, and this time, it was Tom Doak’s turn — and he was bonused with not having to make an allowance for where homes might go or having the nines return. The result is a meandering tour that enjoys its own pacing. The first eight holes feature three par-4s — the drivable 4th, the burly dogleg-right 6th and the intermediate length 8th that plays into old mining spoils — that highlight the property’s diversity. Meanwhile, the run from the bruising uphill 468-yard 9th to the 264-yard 14th is one of Doak’s sternest stretches. Natural wetlands feature at two of the final four holes. This variety of obstacles ultimately make No. 10 an immediate stalwart among the resort’s offerings.

5. Pinehurst No. 4 (Pinehurst) [Y,P]

6. Tobacco Road (Sanford) [Y, P]

7. Mid Pines (Southern Pines) [Y, P]

8. Southern Pines GC (Southern Pines) [Y, P]

9. Pine Needles (Southern Pines) [Y, P]

10. Quail Hollow (Charlotte)

11. Roaring Gap (Roaring Gap)

12. Dormie Club (West End)

13. Tot Hill Farm (Asheboro) [Y, P]

tot hill farm golf course — A dangerous carry at Tot Hill Farm.
Courtesy of Tot Hill Farm

14. Charlotte CC (Charlotte)

15. Diamond Creek (Banner Elk)

16. Woodlake – Maples (Vass)

17. Grandfather (Linville)

18. Eagle Point (Wilmington)

19. CC of NC – Dogwood (Pinehurst)

20. Biltmore Forest (Asheville)

21. Linville (Linville)

22. Carolina GC (Charlotte)

23. Forest Creek – North (Pinehurst)

24. Pinehurst No. 8 (Pinehurst) [Y]

25. Sedgefield CC (Greensboro)

How we rank our courses

For our newly released Top 100 U.S. and Top 100 You Can Play lists — a process that helped us create 50 best-in-state rankings — each panelist was provided a ballot that consisted of 609 courses. Beside the list of courses were 11 “buckets,” or groupings. If our panelists considered a course to be among the top three in the U.S., they ticked that first column. If they believed the course to be among Nos. 4-10, they checked that column, followed by 11-25, 26-50, and so on out to 250+ and even a column for “remove.” Panelists were also free to write in courses that they felt should have been included on the ballot.

Points were assigned to each bucket; to arrive at an average score for each course, we divide its aggregate score by the number of votes. From those point tallies, the courses are then ranked accordingly. It is an intentionally simple and straightforward process. Why? Because it historically has produced results that are widely lauded. Like the game itself, there’s no need to unnecessarily complicate things or try to fix something that already works so well.

The key to the process is the experience and expertise of our panel. Hailing from 15 nations and all the worldwide golf meccas, each of our 127 handpicked panelists has a keen eye for architecture, both regionally and globally. Many of our panelists have played more than 1,000 courses in 20-plus countries, some over 2,000. Their handicaps range from +5 to 15.

Because the nature of course rating is so intensely subjective, no one opinion carries the day. The only way, then, to build meaningful consensus is to incorporate this diversity of panelists and experiences into one ranking.

Need help unriddling the greens at your home course? Pick up a custom Green Book from 8AM Golf affiliate GolfLogix.

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North Carolina

Aidoo scores 17 and well-balanced Arkansas routs North Carolina A&T

Published

22 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Aidoo scores 17 and well-balanced Arkansas routs North Carolina A&T

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Jonas Aidoo had a double-double, and his 17 points led seven in double figures as Arkansas rolled past North Carolina A&T 95-67 on Saturday for the Razorbacks’ fifth straight win.

Aidoo made 7 of 13 shots and grabbed 11 rebounds. Boogie Fland also had a double-double with 12 points and 11 assists. Adou Thiero scored 14 points, Karter Knox 11 and D.J. Wagner 10 as all five starters reached double figures. Off the bench, Trevon Brazile had 11 points and Billy Richmond III scored 10. Brazile had nine rebounds.

Aidoo scored the first five points of the game and Arkansas (10-2) led 12-3 in the early going. Later in the half, Richmond scored seven consecutive Arkansas points and the Razorbacks were out front 28-17. They went on to lead 54-31 at the break.

An 8-0 run midway through the second half put Arkansas ahead by 36 points and the lead peaked at 37 when Aidoo scored in the paint with about 9 minutes remaining.

Ryan Forrest led the Aggies (3-10) with 19 points and eight rebounds. Landon Glasper added 16 points.

It was the Razorbacks’ second game on their home floor this month. Next, they will host Oakland on Dec. 30.

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