ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
WRAL: Japanese pharma company to invest up to $530M in Sanford
Japanese pharmaceutical company Kyowa Kirin — which in February said it would build a $200 million plant in Sanford — is actually planning to spend more than twice that amount in the Lee County city. The company said this week that its board approved plans to invest up to $530 million for what would be its first North American manufacturing facility.
EDUCATION
THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Coastal NC district will continue its fight to open schools amid August tourist season
School leaders in a popular coastal tourism area are not giving up their fight against the tourism industry and North Carolina’s school calendar law. Last week, a state judge sided with three local tourism-related businesses in declaring Carteret County’s plan to start classes on Aug. 13 to be illegal. In response, the school board unanimously voted Thursday to appeal the decision and to seek a stay to keep the ruling from going into effect.
ELECTIONS
AP NEWS: North Carolina judges grapple with defining ‘fair’ elections in redistricting suit
North Carolina judges deciding whether a redistricting lawsuit claiming a state constitutional right to “fair” elections can go to trial questioned Thursday their ability to scrutinize district boundaries that way or to define what “fair” means.
ENVIRONMENT
WITN: Forever Chemicals Bill for “forever chemicals” manufacturers to pay North Carolina water systems advances
North Carolina’s top environmental regulator could order manufacturers of “forever chemicals” to help pay for water system cleanup upgrades whenever they are found responsible for discharges that contaminate drinking water beyond acceptable levels, under legislation advanced by a state House committee Tuesday.
GOVERNMENT
AP NEWS: North Carolina governor vetoes bill that would mandate more youths getting tried in adult court
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed a measure Friday that would have ensured more young people accused of serious crimes be automatically tried in adult court, rather than the potential for some to remain in juvenile proceedings. The bill, which cleared the House and Senate recently with significant bipartisan support, would adjust juvenile justice reforms from recent years involving 16- and 17-year-old defendants.
WRAL: State budget ‘Plan B’ announced as negotiations break down between House, Senate
Budget talks appeared close to breaking down in the North Carolina legislature Wednesday, as Republican leaders debate over how — or whether — to spend a $1 billion surplus for the new fiscal year that starts in July. House Speaker Tim Moore said his chamber plans to make its budget proposal public as early as Monday. Almost immediately, Senate leader Phil Berger said that proposal would be dead-on-arrival in his chamber.
HEALTHCARE
THE CAROLINA JOURNAL: Thousands of State Health Plan retirees to see premium increase
Thousands of former North Carolina state employees and their dependents who are on the Medicare Advantage base plan will see an increase in their healthcare premiums in 2025. The North Carolina State Health Plan Board of Trustees voted on Thursday to increase monthly premiums for 4,200 not fully vested retirees and 22,000 dependents from $0 to $33 starting on January 1.
POLITICS
WRAL: NC lawmakers pass new rules for wearing masks in public, plus ‘dark money’ political spending
State lawmakers passed a controversial and wide-ranging bill Tuesday that would create new civil and criminal penalties targeting protesters, change the laws around wearing masks in public for health reasons, and also loosen regulations on the so-called dark money political groups that are likely to spend tens of millions of dollars in North Carolina for this year’s elections.
TRANSPORTATION
QUEEN CITY NEWS: NC DMV says they are chipping away at a major driver’s license backlog
Officials with the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles said a major backlog of driver’s license requests could be cleared by the end of the month. At its peak, NCDMV was behind about 350,000 licenses, and the cards were taking up to seven weeks to get to customers.
