VOLUME 9 ISSUE 40 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2024
NSJONLINE.COM
Happy Thanksgiving from NSJ
IZZY LAVALETTE FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL
A car and other debris rest in Asheville’s River Arts District on Oct. 10 following Hurricane Helene.
the
NCGA passes 3rd round of Helene relief
BRIEF this week
New Bern’s McMahon tapped as Trump’s Education secretary Washington, D.C. Linda McMahon, a billionaire professional wrestling mogul, is poised to make a return appearance in a second Trump administration, this time as the president-elect’s Cabinet pick to be Education secretary. The New Bern native and East Carolina graduate led the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019 during Trump’s first term and twice ran unsuccessfully in Connecticut as a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University. She has expressed support for charter schools and school choice. While at ECU, McMahon earned a degree in French and received her teaching certificate. She is the wife of Pinehurstborn Vince McMahon, the former wrestling promoter who resigned as executive chairman TKO Group Holdings — the company formed when Ultimate Fighting Championship merged with World Wrestling Entertainment — in January following allegations of sex trafficking and sexual assault.
Endangered whale spotted off Outer Banks Cape Lookout A 19-year-old North Atlantic right whale was spotted off the coast of North Carolina while migrating south for the winter. The whale, known by researchers as Black Heart, is one of fewer than 400 North Atlantic right whales. The whale, a female who is known to have given birth to at least one calf in her life, is the first spotted off the coast of the Southeast as the breeding season begins. North Atlantic right whale numbers have dwindled due to vessel strikes and net entanglements.
$2.00
The General Assembly has surpassed $1 billion in commitments, but Democrats attack additional bill provisions as a “blatant power grab”
Several NC races headed to recounts Three House races, two Senate races and the Supreme Court race are still undecided By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — Multiple General Assembly races and a state Supreme Court race have come in with under a 1% margin separating candidates and are headed to a recount. “Recounts are a regular part of the elections process when
By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
contests are close, and they help ensure that the results are accurate and that the public can have confidence that the candidate who received the most votes wins the election,” Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, said in a statement. “Recounts are conducted by bipartisan teams and are open to the public whenever and wherever they occur.” Most of the state’s 100 counties will begin recounts on
RALEIGH — The General Assembly has passed a third round of Hurricane Helene relief funding totaling $252 million. The first two rounds of relief funding by the legislature totaled around $922 million, and the addition of the latest round puts the total relief funding at $1.1 billion. The House passed the bill 63-46 after several hours of floor debate on Nov. 19. The vote was mainly down party lines, with three Republicans from the affected areas voting against passage: Reps. Mike Clampitt (Swain), Karl Gillespie (Macon) and Mark Pless (Haywood). The following day, the Senate passed the bill 30-19 down party lines after a brief recess due to protesters needing to be cleared from the gallery. “As families in Western North Caroli-
See RECOUNTS, page A3
See FUNDS, page A3
Republicans pick House leadership for 2025 Rep. Destin Hall was selected as the next speaker By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — Elections were held to choose House leadership spots on Nov. 19. The leadership positions were announced at a press conference following the Republican caucus voting. Key positions announced included: Rep. Brendan Jones was named majority leader, replacing Rep. John Bell (R-Wayne), who will become chair of the House Rules, Calendar, and Operations Committee in 2025. Rep. Steve Tyson (R-Craven) will be deputy majority lead-
er, the position that Jones currently holds. Rep. Mitchell Setzer (R-Catawba) will serve as speaker pro tem. He replaces Rep. Sarah Stevens (R-Surry), who has held that spot since 2017. Rep. Carl Gillespie (R-Macon) was reelected as the House whip. Reps. Matthew Winslow (R-Franklin) and Jeff Zenger (R-Forsyth) were elected co-chairs of the Conference Committee. Reps. Jarrod Lowery (R-Robeson) and Erin Paré (R-Wake) currently hold those positions. Rep. Harry Warren (R-Rowan) will continue to serve as caucus joint liaison with the Senate. Rep. Heather Rhyne (R-Lincoln) will be the freshman See HALL, page A8
“I’m glad to report that the caucus has elected me by acclamation to be their speaker designate in the next biennium.” Rep. Destin Hall (R-Caldwell)