State Policy

November 18, 2015 - Will exploiting fear of terrorism help North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory win what's expected to be a tough re-election battle? His campaign is giving it a try, issuing a fundraising appeal touting his call to bar Syrian refugees from his state over security concerns.

November 10, 2015 - A North Carolina law that bans so-called "sanctuary city" ordinances uses language from a model bill crafted by the American Legislative Exchange Council, a corporate interest advocacy group whose members include private prison companies that stand to profit from immigrant detention.

November 2, 2015 - The nation's largest electric utility is going after a nonprofit energy watchdog for installing a solar system on the roof of a North Carolina church and selling it clean power in violation of state laws granting utilities monopoly status.

October 20, 2015 - Dubbed the "Polluter Protection Act," the controversial legislation that passed the General Assembly with minimal public input offers immunity to companies that self-report pollution while weakening rules designed to protect air and water quality. Environmentalists say it may be the most anti-environmental bill of Gov. Pat McCrory's tenure.

September 25, 2015 - September marks National Voter Registration Month, created to draw attention to the importance of voter registration. The registration process is currently hindered by outdated technology, particularly in the South, but modernization efforts are making headway.

September 23, 2015 - Tennessee taxpayers have financed hundreds of millions of dollars in economic incentives for VW to locate and expand a plant in Chattanooga that manufactures one of the vehicles involved in the emissions cheating scandal. What happens to that money now?

August 4, 2015 - More than 100 companies have severed ties with the controversial American Legislative Exchange Council, but documents show 54 companies still sponsoring the conservative policy group's annual meeting this summer, including top energy companies and businesses in the South.