WUNC Politics

A trio of Republican state senators filed an anti-transgender bill at the state legislature this week. Another new proposal calls for political parties to get equal time in classroom lessons, and a powerful lawmaker backs legalization of medical marijuana. Clark Riemer and Aisha Dew offer analysis on some of the big political stories of the week.

Governor Roy Cooper joins the politics podcast to explain why he thinks his latest push for Medicaid expansion might yield a different result. The Democrat also reflects on the last 13 months of pandemic times and explains why he and Senate Leader Phil Berger owe it to North Carolina voters to seek middle-ground.

When is the last time you read the North Carolina constitution? It’s an exercise generally reserved for the ... most passionate political followers. So, it may come as a surprise that our state still has a literacy test on the books. On The Politics Podcast, a law professor and state legislator explain why a literacy test — even if not enforceable — remains the law in North Carolina and what efforts are underway to remove it.

Democratic Governor Roy Cooper rolled out his spending proposal this week. He asks again for Medicaid expansion and sizable teacher raises. And in the wake of our nation’s latest mass shooting, what – if anything – would help to reduce gun deaths in our country? Rob Schofield and Becki Gray review the week in politics.

Since unfounded claims of election fraud proliferated last November, proposals to change election law have surfaced in nearly every state house in the country. Some restrict voting access while others expand a voter's ability to cast a ballot. On the latest WUNC Politics Podcast: why North Carolina has largely avoided controversy on this issue and a look at existing proposals from around the country.