VOLUME 8 ISSUE 32
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WWW.NSJONLINE.COM
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2023
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BRIEF this week
New rates in effect for Duke Energy Progress customers Charlotte Duke Energy Progress implemented new rates for North Carolina customers on Oct. 1. The company says the new rates remain below the national average as the company completes approximately $6.3 billion in upgrades. Rates for customers will increase by an expected 17.2% over the next three years. The North Carolina Utilities Commission approved the plan in late September. For the first time, the approval covers multiyear rates and includes incentives and penalties based on performance metrics. “We’ve made major infrastructure enhancements in recent years to meet our customers’ needs and expectations, and this order will enable even more improvement while limiting annual rate increases and giving customers more cost certainty,” said Kendal Bowman, Duke Energy’s North Carolina president, in a statement.
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“The office of Speaker of the House is hereby declared vacant” Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was removed as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives by a 216-210 vote on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry (NC-10) took over as acting speaker pro tempore to oversee the election of a new speaker, which must be done before any other House business can be conducted.
Local district attorney files bar complaint against Attorney General Stein
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Hurricanes’ Dundon wants to bring MLB to Raleigh Raleigh Tom Dundon has already revived one major sports franchise in North Carolina. Now he says he wants to build one from the ground up. The Carolina Hurricanes owner told David Glenn of the North Carolina Sports Network that he wants to bring Major League Baseball to N.C. “I know I’m biased, but I think Raleigh is the best place in the country for a new MLB team,” Dundon said in an interview with Glenn. “And when I say that, I think we have the facts to back that up.” MLB, which currently has 30 teams, has been eyeing expansion after seeing the success both the NHL and NFL have had in new markets. Charlotte has often been mentioned as a darkhorse candidate to be in the running for an MLB team, but having a billionaire backing its bid could make Raleigh a frontrunner in North Carolina over the Queen City. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has said an entry fee for an expansion team could be around $2.2 billion. NSJ
State Superintendent discusses Parents’ Bill of Rights implementation, Parent Advisory Commission By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — In a recent interview with North State Journal, State Superintendent Catherine Truitt discussed updates on her Parent Advisory Commission, her position on the implementation of the Parents’ Bill of Rights and confirmed her plans to run for reelection in 2024. In January, the Parent Advisory Commission will be passing the two-year mark since it started meeting, which Truitt called “a labor of love.” “One of the things that I realized when we started meeting with the parents is how little information parents have about or how little knowledge they have about how education policy happens, who is in control of what, what is the role of
the local superintendent versus the local school board, county commissioners versus the legislature, versus DPI versus the State Board of Education,” Truitt said. Truitt said the initial meetings of the commission focused mainly on bringing parents up to speed on how things work in education policy as well as clearing up information disconnects. “We know from national data that there is a disconnect between what parents know and what schools do,” Truitt said. “For example, when I’ve seen research that shows what do teachers value versus what do parents value — and they’re not aligned.” Truitt added that a parent, for example, is very concerned See TRUITT, page A8
Michael Hardin, DA in Moore and Hoke Counties, alleges conflict of interest By Matt Mercer North State Journal RALEIGH — District Attorney Michael Hardin (R-Moore/ Hoke) has lodged a formal complaint against state Attorney General Josh Stein with the N.C. State Bar, alleging a conflict of interest in Stein’s representation of him and other district attorneys in a lawsuit. The complaint stems from a 2020 lawsuit initiated by the North Carolina A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) and Action NC against Stein. The groups sought an injunction against the enforcement of a state statute that prohibits convicted felons from voting until their citizenship rights have been reinstated. In response to the lawsuit, Stein’s office moved to dismiss the case, contending that the Attorney General was not the appropriate party for the lawsuit. The motion stated, “The Attorney General has never been called upon to defend a conviction under this statute nor has he ever issued an Attorney General Opinion on this statute.” In February 2021, APRI
amended its complaint, excluding the Attorney General and incorporating all N.C. district attorneys, including Hardin, as defendants. In court filings, APRI stated that “after extensive briefing and negotiation” with the Attorney General’s office, APRI agreed to replace the Attorney General and add the state’s district attorneys. Hardin’s complaint alleges the Attorney General’s office did not inform the state’s district attorneys of the negotiation or that they were being sued. This move, Hardin believes, has led to potential conflicts of interest. In one of the communications cited in the complaint, the Attorney General’s Office told Hardin, “We believe that the Attorney General’s Office can continue to represent you and the other district attorneys in this matter without a conflict.” Despite this assurance, Hardin’s concerns persisted. According to the State Bar, the organization that regulates the practice of law, “All North Carolina lawyers must follow a code of ethics called the North Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct.” The State Bar oversees the investigation and, if deemed necessary, the prosecution of lawyers who deviate from See STEIN, page A2
Pro-life pregnancy centers see millions in budget proposal By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — Crisis pregnancy centers and related pregnancy prevention services will receive tens of millions in the current state budget. Under the proposed budget, $6.25 million in recurring funds for each year of the budget would be appropriated to the Division of Public Health under the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS). The division is directed to allocate that funding to the nonprofit group Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship (CPCF) The spending breakdown of the $12.5 million in total funding to CPCF includes $2.9 million to provide grants for services
to pregnancy centers operating in the state, $1 million in grants to centers for buying durable medical equipment and to pay for pregnancy care training and training on the use of the equipment purchased, half a million for grants to cover costs of nonreligious, nonsectarian educational training and resources regarding pregnancy, and $4.2 million to fund operation of CPCF’s Circle of Care Program. Another $3 million over the two-year budget was appropriated from the American Rescue Plan’s Temporary Savings Fund to NCDHHS’s Public Health Division to be allocated to The Human Coalition for its statewide “Continuum of Care” program, which offers women ”long-term assistance through a network of support services.”
“Pregnancy care centers are a vital resource supporting pregnant women and their babies,” NC Values Executive Director Tami Fitzgerald said in a statement praising the spending. “The ability to see your child on an ultrasound before making a life and death decision for your child is imperative, so funding ultrasound machines was an important component of this appropriation.” The budget also codifies limitations on state funds used for abortion services, stating that no funds can be used by a state agency “to renew or extend existing contracts or enter into new contracts for the provision of family planning services, pregnancy prevention activities, or adolescent parenting programs with any provider
that performs abortions.” An exception to that limitation is payments to health care providers for services authorized under the State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees or the Medicaid program. Under Maternal and Child Health Block grants, funds appropriated to NCDHH’s Division of Public Health are listed as $3,538,541 for 2024-24 and 2024-25. Of those funds, Teen See PREGNANCY, page A2
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