Governor Roy Cooper announced on July 14 that North Carolina public schools will open in August with fewer children in the classroom, utilizing social distancing, face coverings, and frequent cleanings.
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Governor Cooper to address plans for K-12 education on Tuesday at 3:00 pm
Governor Cooper is scheduled to hold a press conference online on July 14 at 3:00 p.m. He plans to share his decision on whether public school students in North Carolina will resume in-person education, if they will continue to utilize online learning or a blend of both.
Gov. Cooper files motion to dismiss Town of La Grange lawsuit
On May 8 the Town of La Grange filed a lawsuit against Gov. Cooper in Superior Court requesting a declaratory judgment that one of his Executive Orders violated N.C.G.S. 159B-22. The Town asserts the order unlawfully interferes with the ability of utility service providers to exercise their own discretion and judgment in collecting charges for utility services provided to their customers. Governor Roy Cooper submitted a brief in opposition to the Town’s motion for a preliminary injunction and in support of his motion to dismiss the amended complaint.
Governor Cooper vetoes 2nd Amendment Protection Act
Raleigh, N.C. – Most North Carolina churches can choose to allow handguns on their private property today. Due to a loophole in the law, churches who also operate private schools get lumped into the definition of a “school” even on weekends, and they lose that right. House Bill 652 applied to non public schools only and provided a technical correction clarifying that a church caught in this situation could allow handguns on their property during non school hours, if they chose to do so. Governor Cooper vetoed this legislation on July 2nd.
Gov. Cooper signs bill allowing N.C. teens to get provisional licenses without road test
Gov. Roy Cooper signed House Bill 158 into law on Friday, June 19. The bill allows the North Carolina DMV to temporarily waive the road test requirement for a Level 2 limited provisional license. Elliana Sylvia, who lives in Kinston and started a petition in April to temporarily waive the road test requirement, got her Level 2 license on Monday, June 22.
Enforcing Governor Cooper's Executive Order mandating face coverings
In an executive order announced on Wednesday, Gov. Roy Cooper extended Phase 2 of reopening North Carolina until July 17 and made face coverings mandatory in public. The mask requirements take effect Friday, June 26 at 5 p.m. In a recent Facebook post, Jones County Sheriff Danny Heath stated, “NO, I will not be enforcing the wearing of face masks! Be careful and responsible and make your own decision.”
NC News: Lt. Gov. Forest to sue Gov. Cooper over the Emergency Management Act
Lt. Gov. Dan Forest (R), also a candidate for Governor, issued a letter to Gov. Roy Cooper (D) and a statement today notifying him that “as a member of the Council of State, I will be suing his administration for violating the Emergency Management Act.” In his letter, he references several Executive Orders enacted by the governor without consent of a majority of the Council of State. “The North Carolina Constitution does not create a unitary executive, but rather disburses executive power throughout the Council of State.”
Commissioners unanimously approve Confederate monument removal from Visitor's Center to Wil King Memorial Site
In an Emergency Meeting of the Lenoir County Commissioners held at the Cooperative Extension Office, the Commissioners unanimously approved removing the Confederate monument from the Visitor's Center to the Wil King Memorial Site. The motion was made by Commissioner Eric Rouse and seconded by Commissioner J. Mac Daughety. The board unanimously approved the motion.
Neuse News Correspondent Catherine Hardee will file a report shortly.
NC pauses in Safer At Home Phase 2, adds statewide requirement for face coverings
Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen yesterday announced that North Carolina will remain in Safer at Home Phase 2 for three more weeks. Cooper also announced that face coverings must be worn when people are in public places as officials seek to stabilize concerning trends of increasing viral spread.
County commissioners call emergency meeting to discuss statue
The Lenoir County Commissioners will meet Thursday to discuss the Confederate statue at the Kinston-Lenoir County Visitors Center. Commissioners say plans were already in the works to relocate the statue, but public statements by Kinston Mayor Dontario Hardy regarding the statue required them to call the emergency meeting.
Governor Cooper extends Phase 2 and requires face coverings
Under Governor Cooper’s new Executive Order, which is effective on Friday at 5:00 pm, North Carolina will extend Phase 2 for three more weeks (through July 17) and will require customers of retail businesses to wear face coverings. Citations shall be written only to businesses or organizations that fail to enforce the requirement to wear Face Coverings. Law enforcement personnel are not authorized to criminally enforce the Face Covering requirements of this Executive Order against individual workers, customers, or patrons.
Senate passes "No Patient Left Alone Act"
The North Carolina Senate on Friday passed the No Patient Left Alone Act, which allows hospitalized patients to designate one visitor who would be permitted access to their room in accordance with a hospital's visitation rules and limitations. The measure is in response to heartbreaking stories of loved ones being left to die alone in a hospital room as their spouses and family members are denied entry to the building.
Murphy signs as original co-sponsor to historic police reform legislation
The JUSTICE Act was introduced in the Senate by Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. On Thursday, June 18, 2020, Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) introduced the Just and Unifying Solutions to Invigorate Communities Everywhere (JUSTICE) Act in the House of Representatives. Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. (NC-03) is an original co-sponsor of the legislation.
Mayor Hardy issues mandatory face covering order
Kinston Mayor Don Hardy issued a mandatory face covering order to include parking lots, grocery stores, pharmacies, sidewalks and more Sunday afternoon. “All persons who are present within the jurisdiction of the City of Kinston are required to wear a clean face covering…The intent of this declaration is to encourage voluntary compliance with the requirements established herein by businesses and persons within the City of Kinston.” The declaration is effective on Tuesday, June 23 at 5:00 p.m. with no definitive end date.
Kinston City Council approves budget without raises
The Kinston City Council approved an operating budget for the next fiscal year that did not include the previously proposed raise. The Council also voted Monday night to allow Lions Water Adventure, Holloway pool, and the Fairfield Park splash pad to open on June 20.
Reece Gardner: The challenge with requiring mail-in absentee ballots
I want to talk mainly today about the effort underway to increase the use of traditional mail-in absentee ballots, but first let's recognize Father's Day, which is on this coming Sunday, June 21. President Johnson became the first president to officially honor fathers in 1966, and six years later, in 1972, President Nixon successfully established Father's Day as a national holiday.
Tyson and Swinson oppose city council raise
Former and current members of the city council do not support a proposed raise for the Kinston mayor and city council, which will be voted on Monday evening.
City considering hiring freeze, furloughs and $21,600 pay raise for council, mayor
The proposed budget for next year anticipates steep drops in revenue. It eliminates capital outlay and calls for positions to remain unfilled while raising the possibility of employee furloughs if revenues drop more than expected. Under the proposed budget, city council members and the mayor would receive a raise.
Governor Cooper Extends Moratorium on Utility Cut Offs and Implements Evictions Moratorium
Governor Roy Cooper signed Executive Order No. 142 to extend the prohibition of utility shut-offs and implement a moratorium on evictions. The Order went into effect on Saturday with the Governor’s signature.
Gov. Cooper: Focus on why people are in the streets, not the property damage
Governor Roy Cooper: “Across the state, we saw a pattern in some of our cities. Protests and demonstrations held earlier in the day remained focused, powerful and nonviolent. Then as the night set in, a different crowd shifted to a more aggressive, more disruptive display…Storefront windows & government buildings were damaged. Retail stores were looted. Small businesses already struggling under COVID-19 were damaged. I communicated with some of them today and people were out there helping them today. Fires burned.”