Good morning! Here’s what you need to know about North Carolina politics today.
O UNC System Board of Governors Today, a vote is being taken on a policy that would overturn current diversity, equity and inclusion mandates, and the impact could be far-reaching for students, staff and faculty from diverse backgrounds.
As Korie Dean reports today, the board conducting the vote lacks the diversity of the campuses that will be affected. According to UNC System enrollment for the current semester, 52% of all students are white, 21% are black and 6% are Asian. Around 59% are women. Read Korie’s story to see how the board stacks up.
The new policy emphasizes equality rather than the current focus on diversity and inclusion. The exact implications of today’s vote are unclear, but those affected could range from DEI employees who support veterans or students with disabilities to recruiters looking for underrepresented student populations, according to campus reports on DEI spending.
– Stephanie Loder, Correspondent
MOORE IN DEI
President of the Chamber Tim Moore told reporters Wednesday that he fully supports “what the UNC Board of Governors is doing and really getting rid of this wasteful spending for DEI.”
Universities spend, he said, “a staggering amount of money that can be put toward improving educational access for students, reducing costs, and many other things that are better uses of money.”
Moore said if the Board of Governors acts, he sees no need for the General Assembly to pass legislation on the issue this session.
Moore said lawmakers are Looking at State DEI Agency Funding, too, but “that’s a much broader issue to try to deal with. University is much easier to control. When it comes to what’s going on in state agencies, it’s turned out to be more nebulous because things aren’t necessarily classified that way. So this will require some additional study and time.”
He doesn’t see there being time to do that in the short session, but said it would be for the long session in 2025. Moore, a Kings Mountain Republican, is running for Congress, so he won’t be in the Legislature after 2024.
– Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan
DEMOCRATS IN THE DEI
At a press conference on Wednesday, deputy Maria Cervâniaa Cary Democrat, spoke out against the Board of Governors’ impending vote.
“North Carolina has been No. 1 for the last two years when it comes to business. And this is largely due to our talent pipeline and our human resources. We will not remain and maintain this title as we move forward in divesting important DEI programs,” Cervania said.
She was accompanied by the deputy. Amos Quicka Greensboro Democrat who said he was speaking on behalf of the House Democratic caucus.
“North Carolina should focus on fully funding our university system and creating an inclusive environment where every student gets the attention and opportunities they deserve,” Quick said, rather than “joining the culture wars.” .
— Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi
Senate advances bill that gives lawyers more privileges in disciplinary proceedings
A account grant more privileges to lawyers appointed in complaints to the North Carolina State Bar it advanced in a Senate committee on Wednesday.
According to the proposed law, Senate Bill 790, lawyers would have more access to complaints and supporting materials when they are accused of infractions and would have the opportunity to address a disciplinary committee earlier in the process.
The bill also specifies who can file complaints against lawyers and directs the State Bar Association to create a process of elimination for some disciplinary actions taken against lawyers.
The Senate Rules Committee advanced the bill without discussion.
The legislation is the product of a committee of lawyers and judges appointed by the legislature last year to recommend changes to the disciplinary process.
The bill, in its current form, does not specify which disciplinary actions against lawyers the State Bar would be permitted to eliminate.
-Kyle Ingram
REPUBLICANS PROPOSE REPEAL OF THE EXPUNGATION LAW
GOP lawmakers decided not to move forward with a bipartisan proposal to fix problems with the implementation of a state law that allowed certain arrest records to be automatically expunged.
Instead, a legislative committee on Wednesday approved legislation to repeal the law that came into force under the Second Chance Law and allows arrest records to be automatically expunged for cold cases and people who have been found innocent.
The bill that would repeal the law advanced in the House Judiciary 2 Committee despite objections from Democrats. Lawmakers introduced the bill as a replacement for the proposal that would allow automatic expungements to resume until December 1.
Representative. Sarah Stevensthe Republican committee chairman, introduced the bill and said it was necessary to repeal the law for now due to several problems arising from court records not being retained when cases were being automatically expunged.
It’s the latest major criminal justice measure under consideration. Luciana Pérez Uribe Guinassi reported on Tuesday about a proposal to State Lawmakers Should Limit Public Access to Autopsy Reports.
Get the full story at Avi Bajpai here.
BILL MAY FELL TREES ONTO BILLBOARDS
A bill that received final approval Wednesday from state lawmakers would allow billboard owners to cut down more trees — including currently protected redbuds — along North Carolina highways.
The bill would allow for an expanded billboard viewing zone to allow property owners to remove vegetation and trees within 500 feet of the sign.
The billboard provisions are part House Bill 198, which contains change requests from the state Department of Transportation. The outdoor measure was not requested by NCDOT.
O NC Outdoor Advertising Association says the zone on the highways is very small. Under state law, billboard viewing zones are limited to 380 feet.
Both the Serra Club It is Scenic North Carolina said trees belong to the public and the bill sacrifices trees unnecessarily.
Get the full story at Richard Stradling here.
CAN BILL HELP NC NURSES ACHIEVE AUTONOMY?
A glued proposal House Bill 681 would allow some Nursing professionals practice without the supervision of a doctor.
The proposal, which has failed more than once, advanced Wednesday despite some lawmakers expressing concerns about patient safety.
However, Democratic Sen. Gale Adcocka nurse from Cary, said the proposal would “bring North Carolina into the mainstream of regulation of advanced practical nurses.”
Nurses would have to spend at least 4,000 hours working under the supervision of a qualified doctor or nurse before being granted autonomy.
Get the full story at Luciana Pérez Uribe Guinassi here.
That’s all for today. Check your inbox tomorrow for more #ncpol news.
-
You can sign up for the Under the Dome newsletter at newsobserver.com/newsletters. Do you want your friends to also receive our email? Forward them this newsletter so they can sign up.
-
We want to know What would you like to see in the Under the Dome newsletter?. Do you like highlights from the legislature? Political analysis? Do you have a question you’d like The News & Observer team to answer? Tell us here. You can also email us at dome@newsobserver.com
-
Do not forget follow our tweets and listen to our Under the Dome Podcast for further developments.
-
You can sign up for the Under the Dome newsletter at newsobserver.com/newsletters. Do you want your friends to also receive our email? Forward them this newsletter so they can sign up.
-
We want to know What would you like to see in the Under the Dome newsletter?. Do you like highlights from the legislature? Political analysis? Do you have a question you’d like The News & Observer team to answer? Tell us here. You can also email us at dome@newsobserver.com
-
Do not forget follow our tweets and listen to our Under the Dome Podcast for further developments.
