VOLUME 10 ISSUE 6 | THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2025
NSJONLINE.COM
DEMAREE NIKHINSON / AP PHOTO
Net gains
Duke coach Jon Scheyer holds up the net after the Blue Devils defeated Alabama on Saturday in Newark, New Jersey. The win earned Scheyer his first trip to the Final Four as a head coach, and Duke will face fellow top seed Houston on Saturday in San Antonio. See more in Sports.
the
State treasurer rolls out OpenAI pilot program
BRIEF this week
Lee picked as next Senate majority leader Raleigh Sen. Michael Lee (R-New Hanover) has been selected as majority leader of the state Senate, replacing former Sen. Paul Newton, who resigned to take a position as vice chancellor and general counsel at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill last month. Lee was first appointed to the Senate in 2014 and is currently in his fifth term. He reclaimed the New Hanover seat in 2020 after losing the spot to Democrat Harper Peterson in 2018. Lee is a co-chair of the Senate Appropriations/Base Budget and Education/Higher Education committees. Additionally, Lee sits on the Commerce and Insurance, Health Care, Judiciary, and Rules and Operations committees.
N.C. among states suing Trump administration over health cuts Providence, R.I. A coalition of state attorneys general — including North Carolina’s Jeff Jackson — sued the Trump administration on Tuesday over its decision to cut $11 billion in federal funds that go toward COVID-19 initiatives and various public health projects across the country. Attorneys general from 23 states and the District of Columbia filed the suit in federal court in Rhode Island. The lawsuit argues the cuts are illegal, and that the federal government did not provide “rational basis” or facts to support the cuts. Health officials in North Carolina estimate the state could lose $230 million and at least 80 government jobs.
$2.00
The 12-week pilot program will be used in the Unclaimed Cash and State Local Government divisions
Senate bill revisits gender in public spaces Democrats have labeled the measure another “bathroom bill” By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — A bill filed in the North Carolina Senate seeks to define biological sex in statute while limiting certain spaces to be separate by that definition. Senate Bill 516, filed by Sen. Vicki Sawyer (R-Iredell), would standardize and define terms related to biological sex,
gender and related concepts across state statutes. The bill defines biological sex based on reproductive characteristics present at birth, stating that “psychological, chosen, or subjective experience of gender” is not considered in these definitions. The legislation also establishes rules for sex-based separation in various public facilities, including prisons, schools, domestic violence centers and restrooms. Key provisions related to See GENDER, page A3
By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — North Carolina State Treasurer Brad Briner rolled out an OpenAI pilot program during a March 27 press conference on the campus of North Carolina Central University. Briner said his office would be initiating a 12-week pilot program through a memorandum of understanding with OpenAI to explore how ChatGPT can be used to enhance government operations with the aim of improving efficiency and providing better services to North Carolina citizens. “ChatGPT is not replacing human expertise, it is augmenting our capabilities and enabling us to make more in-
NC rakes in tax revenues in first year of sports betting “I would say that we are very encouraged by the results.” Cari Boyce, North Carolina State Lottery commissioner
Estimates are at $131.3 million, well above expectations By Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press RALEIGH — North Carolina government cashed in early when it came to reaping fiscal benefits from authorized sports wagering in the state. A report presented last Wednesday to the North Carolina State Lottery Commission, which regulates the betting, says the state expects to have collected $131.3 million in taxes from sports betting operations for the first full year of operations through March 10. That amount goes well beyond estimates of state legis-
lative researchers as the bill worked its way through the General Assembly that enacted it in 2023. They had projected tax revenues could reach $100 million annually within five years. The calculation is based on the law’s 18% rate upon gross wagering revenue, which is essentially betting revenue minus paid winnings. On March 11, 2024, licensed operators began taking bets on smartphones and computers under the 2023 state law permitting and regulating such gambling. At the time, North Carolina became the 30th state to offer mobile sports betting, along with the District of Columbia. The windfall is connected See BETTING, page A2
formed, data-driven positions,” said Briner. Briner underscored that there would be strict guidelines regarding how AI will be used. “Let me be clear: There are many areas where AI cannot be used,” Briner said. “We have a bright red line where all private personal data is concerned. We will not cross that line. This is only meant to take public data and make it more nimble and readily accessible.” Briner said the pilot program will be conducted in two departments within his office: the Unclaimed Property (NC Cash program) and the State Local Government divisions. Tasks mentioned include summarizing reports, identifying warning signs in local government financial data, conducting deep data searches for unclaimed property and making processes in those divisions more efficient. Briner’s pilot is the first of its kind for a Council of State See AI PILOT, page A3