nc general assembly

December 21, 2012 - The GOP control of the House came despite more votes for Democrats. How did that happen? Republicans used dark money to control redistricting in many states, as the experience of North Carolina illustrates.

December 20, 2012 - Bill Ritter, who led a revamp of Colorado's fracking regulations and is now being considered to head the U.S. Department of Energy, visited North Carolina this week to share his thoughts with the state's fracking commission. With controversy over the risky practice roiling his home state, Ritter emphasized the need for drillers to obtain what he called a "social license" to operate.

December 14, 2012 - What does it say about the current state of North Carolina politics that not only is voter suppression legislation expected to pass early in the 2013 legislative session but that the head of Raleigh's leading conservative think tank doesn't even believe it's controversial?

November 28, 2012 - Conservative groups whose clout grew in the recent N.C. elections want to repeal a groundbreaking state law requiring utilities to generate a small percentage of energy from renewable sources. Incoming Republican Gov. Pat McCrory has close ties to renewable energy foes -- and to renewable energy proponents. If forced to choose, which side would he be on?

July 25, 2012 - State Rep. Mike Hager (R-Rutherford) says he called for a vote to override Gov. Beverly Perdue's veto of a bill to move forward with fracking after seeing a Democratic colleague opposed to the override leave the floor for a moment -- even though that lawmaker's district has a considerable stake in the matter.

July 11, 2012 - A controversial bill that would block North Carolina agencies from considering the science of sea level rise in making planning decisions has gotten a lot of national attention -- but what hasn't gotten much scrutiny are the powerful development interests behind the legislation.

July 5, 2012 - Fracking proponents traveled to Pennsylvania last year to visit natural gas drilling sites. Their tour guide was Chesapeake Energy -- a company that's now under federal investigation for questionable business practices and price fixing.