NC Capitol Wrap

The Senate passed a bill prohibiting critical race theory from being taught in North Carolina classrooms. The N.C. High School Athletic Association has gotten a reprieve under an updated bill moving through the Senate. And Gov. Roy Cooper signed into law legislation raising the legal age to marry in the state from 14 to 16.

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Republican officials insist some North Carolina teachers are trying to "indoctrinate" students with their political opinions, and they want to prevent any instruction through a racial lens in state classrooms. Law enforcement officers will receive more training, and the state will create databases of problem officers under one bill that cleared the Senate, while 6- and 7-year-olds will no longer face prosecution under a second measure. And after years of debate, lawmakers have finally approved changes to the approval process health care facilities must undergo before expanding.

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The odds for legalized sports betting in North Carolina are getting shorter. Gov. Roy Cooper has to decide whether to veto a bill repealing the state's pistol purchase permit system. And lawmakers still aren't sure how to handle video from police bodycams as they advance various reforms.

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House budget week, policy and rhetoric edition

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The House is finally rolling out its proposed state budget. The redistricting process (at least the first iteration) is about to begin. A push to legalize sports gambling in North Carolina has cleared its first hurdle. And mandating coronavirus vaccinations is suddenly a hot-button issue.

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No bans on private ownership of exotic animals, such as Raleigh's notorious zebra cobra, will move through the legislature this year. The effort to dissolve the N.C. High School Athletic Association keeps moving forward. And Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger optimistically predicted an adjournment by the end of August.

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A proposal to dissolve the N.C. High School Athletic Association and replace it with a 17-member state commission is on the fast track through the Senate. Senators also advanced a measure to legalize medical marijuana in North Carolina, even after some people suggested the state wasn't charging potential pot providers enough for a state license to do so. Finally, with school around the corner, Gov. Roy Cooper said the statewide mask mandate in schools would be lifted, leaving it up to local districts to decide who needs to wear masks in class.

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Senate leaders are backing a bill to prohibit public school teachers from promoting critical race theory in North Carolina public schools (even though it's not taught now). A measure that would have made it easier to see footage from police body-worn and dashboard cameras has been dropped for now from a policing reform bill. And House lawmakers are holding a midnight session for a final vote on a complex, controversial energy bill.

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Lawmakers wrapped up work early for an extended Fourth of July break, but not before advancing bills that would legalize marijuana use in North Carolina to treat a specific list of ailments and would raise the age children could be taken to juvenile court for offenses from 6 to 10.

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Lawmakers want to cut the $300-a-week federal supplement to unemployment checks, and the Senate's budget proposal also would slash taxes by an extra $5.2 billion than previously thought. Meanwhile, emotional testimony marks the first-ever legislative hearing for a medical marijuana bill.

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