Politics

April 12, 2016 - Gov. Phil Bryant's decision to sign into law the "Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act" has nothing to do with freedom or conscience and everything to do with discrimination.

April 6, 2016 - In a major voting rights case, the Supreme Court affirmed Texas' right to draw state legislative districts based on total population rather than eligible voters. But whether states can choose to use voter population instead — and tip the balance of political power— remains an open question.

April 5, 2016 - Over 120 companies are speaking out against North Carolina's controversial new law striking down local anti-discrimination ordinances. But many of these same companies have donated considerable sums to outside political groups that helped elect state lawmakers who sponsored and voted for the legislation.

April 1, 2016 - North Carolina's controversy over a state law pre-empting local LGBT protections brings into sharp relief a political battle underway between growing, progressive Southern cities and conservative state leadership.

April 1, 2016 - North Carolina's carcinogen-contaminated drinking water near Duke Energy's coal ash dumps — and the political fight over what to do about it — should serve as a warning for problems to come in other historically coal-dependent states due to a lack of federal oversight for drinking water and coal ash disposal.

March 24, 2016 - North Carolina landed in the national spotlight this week when the legislature convened a special session to overturn a Charlotte LGBT anti-discrimination ordinance and threw in a ban on local minimum-wage rules. The controversial move is part of a broader trend of state pre-emption of progressive local policies.

March 24, 2016 - While outside groups involved in presidential politics don't have much to show for the money they've spent so far on this election, outside spending in North Carolina legislative contests tells a different story: In the 32 contested state House and Senate primary races that drew outside spending, more than 80 percent of the candidates with the most outside support won.