Phil Berger
Senate leader Phil Berger answers questions from reporters during a press conference outlining the state budget Monday, June 21, 2021 at the North Carolina Legislative Building. The budget includes tax cuts, raises and bonuses. (Travis Long/The News & Observer via AP)
Senate budget uses NC revenue boon on more tax cuts, capital

By Gary D. Robertson Jun. 21, 2021 03:45 PM EDT

NC tax revenue soars, $6.5B windfall predicted by mid-2023

By Gary D. Robertson Jun. 15, 2021 02:30 PM EDT
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina's resurgent post-pandemic economy could put an additional $6.5 billion over the next two years into state government...

Editorial Roundup: North Carolina

By The Associated Press Jun. 09, 2021 01:30 PM EDT
Winston-Salem Journal. June 7, 2021. Editorial: Coach K’s legacy Of all the commercials that have made cheeky pitches...

NC House votes to do away with extra jobless benefits early

By Gary D. Robertson Jun. 03, 2021 04:25 PM EDT
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina would do away with the $300-per-week supplemental benefits for the unemployed provided by the federal government during the...

North Carolina tax break for business, jobless clears House

Apr. 22, 2021 06:17 PM EDT
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Legislation that would provide several hundred million dollars in North Carolina state income tax breaks for businesses and the unemployed...

Bill seeks to give more NC tax breaks on COVID-19 loans

By Gary D. Robertson Apr. 15, 2021 04:45 PM EDT
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The state House on Thursday overwhelmingly backed legislation that would give additional state tax breaks to businesses that took federal...

First-grader Kayden Welch gets frustrated with his computer during the first day back to in-person learning at Cliffdale Elementary School in Fayetteville, N.C., on Monday, March 15, 2021. Students last went to school buildings for classes on March 13, 2020. (Andrew Craft /The Fayetteville Observer via AP)
Cooper OK's bill offering K-12 students summer school option

By Bryan Anderson Apr. 09, 2021 04:19 PM EDT

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, center, and lawmakers gather Wednesday, March 10, 2021, for a news conference to announce that leaders of the Republican-led state legislature and the governor have reached an agreement to reopen the state's K-12 public schools to full-time daily instruction in Raleigh. (Juli Leonard/The News & Observer via AP)
Summer school, reading improvement bills pass NC legislature

By Gary D. Robertson Apr. 01, 2021 04:33 PM EDT

NC Senate Republicans to pitch more state tax reductions

By Gary D. Robertson Mar. 22, 2021 07:33 PM EDT
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Senate Republicans will pitch more individual income tax reductions this spring, a key lawmaker said Monday while asserting...

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, center, and lawmakers gather Wednesday, March 10, 2021, for a news conference to announce that leaders of the Republican-led state legislature and the governor have reached an agreement to reopen the state's K-12 public schools to full-time daily instruction in Raleigh. (Juli Leonard/The News & Observer via AP)
Financial incentive for more Medicaid draws mixed reaction

By Gary D. Robertson Mar. 18, 2021 04:39 PM EDT

FILE - Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves delivers his State of the State speech on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in Jackson, Miss. Congress just sweetened the incentives for states to extend Medicaid insurance coverage to more low-income adults, but the dozen Republican-controlled states that have spent years resisting expanding the programs have no plans to change course now. Gov. Reeves says he's not going for it, noting that his stance was a major issue in his 2019 campaign. His GOP primary opponents supported a plan to expand, with the state's share being paid for by hospitals and a fee of up to $20 a month for people who signed up. He opposed it, even as the Mississippi Hospital Association said it could bring up to 19,000 jobs to the state. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, file)
Medicaid incentive so far not enough to sway holdout states

By Geoff Mulvihill And Jeffrey Collins Mar. 18, 2021 04:10 PM EDT

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, center, and lawmakers gather Wednesday, March 10, 2021, for a news conference to announce that leaders of the Republican-led state legislature and the governor have reached an agreement to reopen the state's K-12 public schools to full-time daily instruction in Raleigh. (Juli Leonard/The News & Observer via AP)
Cooper, legislative leaders announce deal on K-12 schools

By Gary D. Robertson Mar. 10, 2021 01:03 PM EST

Key NC senator explains absence for close override vote

By Gary D. Robertson Mar. 02, 2021 02:32 PM EST
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina state senator said on Tuesday he wasn't on the Senate floor for a close veto override vote on legislation mandating the...

NC Republicans seek veto override of school reopening bill

Mar. 01, 2021 02:09 PM EST
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Republicans at the North Carolina General Assembly say they're ready to attempt to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of...

Editorial Roundup: North Carolina

By The Associated Press Feb. 24, 2021 07:50 AM EST
Recent editorials from North Carolina newspapers: ___ Feb. 23 The Salisbury Post on the coronavirus...

Senate GOP wants bill to require NC in-person class option

Jan. 28, 2021 08:30 PM EST
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Senate Republicans are drawing up legislation that would require all public school districts to offer in-person instruction...

Secretary of the NC Department Health and Human Services Dr. Mandy Cohen speaks during a briefing on North Carolina's coronavirus pandemic response Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021 at the NC Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh, N.C. (Travis Long/The News & Observer via AP)
Cooper extends curfew as GOP questions COVID-19 vaccine plan

By Bryan Anderson Jan. 27, 2021 04:54 PM EST

Demonstrators from #ReleaseOurMoneyNC drop banners from the gallery in the House chamber on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021 in Raleigh N.C. House Sergeants at Arms quickly removed the banners and the demonstrators from the gallery. #ReleaseOurMoneyNC were calling on lawmakers to to release the people's funds for healthcare, housing and worker's wages protections. (Robert Willett/The News & Observer via AP)
NC General Assembly returns to begin work session in earnest

By Gary D. Robertson Jan. 27, 2021 04:24 PM EST

In this image from video, Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, the chair of the COVID-19 health equity task force, speaks during a White House briefing on the Biden administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, in Washington. (White House via AP)
The Latest: More rules for returning New Zealand travelers

By The Associated Press Jan. 27, 2021 03:52 AM EST

A syringe with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is shown at the Wilson County Health Department on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 in Wilson, NC. (Robert Willett/The News & Observer via AP)
NC to vaccinate those 65+; College students not prioritized

By Bryan Anderson And Gary D. Robertson Jan. 14, 2021 03:07 PM EST