A bill to disapprove of the North Carolina Board of Funeral Service’s petition to increase its fees on funeral directors and licensees in the state passed unanimously in the state House of Representatives this week. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Sarah Stevens, R-Surry and Wilkes Counties, follows a state audit last May which found that […]
Jane Porter
Jane Porter is Wake County editor of the INDY, covering Raleigh and other communities across Wake County. She first joined the staff in 2013 and is a former INDY intern, staff writer, and editor-in-chief, first joining the staff in 2013.
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Fracking bill passes NC House in 64-50 vote
North Carolina is one step closer to to being a fracking state. After debate on the House floor that lasted nearly two hours this afternoon, during which Democrats submitted amendments to the bill that were either defeated or tabled (so there would be no voting record), the House approved S786, the Energy Modernization Act. It […]
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Fracking bill passes House on second reading
Updated: S786 was added to the House calendar this afternoon over objections of Democratic lawmakers. After speeding through two House committees yesterday evening and this morning, the bill passed its second reading by a small margin, 63-52. Lawmakers can submit amendments to the bill before Thursday’s session and the bill’s third reading. After narrowly passing […]
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Bill would eliminate Actual Innocence Commission
The state Supreme Court’s Chief Justice should abolish the North Carolina Actual Innocence commission because it is obsolete. That’s among several proposals couched within Senate Bill 734, the Regulatory Reform Act. A large bill, it includes provisions to decriminalize cursing on public sidewalks and to streamline environmental reforms. The Actual Innocence Commission was established through […]
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N.C. Senate bill asks to eliminate Actual Innocence Commission
The state Supreme Court’s Chief Justice should abolish the North Carolina Actual Innocence Commission because it is obsolete. That’s among several proposals couched within Senate Bill 734, the Regulatory Reform Act. A large bill, it includes provisions to decriminalize cursing on public sidewalks and to streamline environmental reforms. The Actual Innocence Commission was established through […]
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N.C. Senate clears fracking bill
The Senate passed a massive fracking bill Thursday which would lift North Carolina’s fracking moratorium and allow drilling to begin as early as July, 2015. S786, or the Energy Modernization Act, could be heard in the House next week. One of the most egregious provisions in the bill which made disclosing fracking trade secrets a […]
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Utilities commission approves Aqua rate increase
There’s the brown sludge that runs out of the tap, the chlorine smell, the chunks of sediment water filters can’t completely remove. There’s the fact that Aqua NC customers are paying among the highest utility rates in the state for what they say are sub-par services. And now they will pay more, since the N.C. […]
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N.C.’s Senate Commerce Committee fast-tracks fracking, tries to prevent recording of meeting
Editor’s note: The INDY has contacted the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press regarding the actions of Sen. Rick Gunn. Fracking isn’t legal in North Carolina yet, but already legislation is moving through the Senate that would criminalize anyone who discloses trade secrets “received in connection with permitted oil and gas activities.” This afternoon […]
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N.C. lawmakers must release voting law emails; McCrory failing at transparency
North Carolina lawmakers seem to be under the impression that the Freedom of Information Act doesn’t apply to them. But they can’t ignore subpoenas for the release of communications related to the state’s new voting law, a U.S. District Court Judge ruled yesterday. The League of Women Voters of North Carolina brought the lawsuit against […]
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Food desert zone
The House Study Committee on Food Desert Zones The committee made several recommendations and a legislative proposal following three meetings and presentations from more than 30 stakeholders in anticipation of the short legislative session. Recommendations include the Committee submitting its findings on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) to the FDA, encouraging local education agencies […]