VOLUME 11 ISSUE 5 | THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2026
NSJONLINE.COM
WOODY MARSHALL / NEWS & RECORD VIA AP
State Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden), pictured while campaigning earlier this month, conceded his primary race to Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page on Tuesday.
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Berger concedes primary to Page
BRIEF this week
The Republican has been Senate leader since 2011
Armstrong picked for Okla. U.S. Senate seat Oklahoma City Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday appointed energy executive Alan Armstrong to serve in the U.S. Senate through the end of the year and finish the term of Republican Markwayne Mullin, the new Homeland Security secretary. Stitt, a Republican who had pledged to pick a “conservative voice” to fill Mullin’s seat, elevates to the Senate the chairman and former CEO of Williams Companies, a major pipeline operator based in Tulsa. Mullin, who was confirmed on Monday to take over the embattled Department of Homeland Security, would have been up for reelection in November. The last nine months of his term will now be filled by Armstrong, who under Oklahoma law must agree to not run for a full term this fall.
More than 450 TSA officers have quit since partial shutdown began Washington, D.C. At least 458 Transportation Security Administration officers have quit as U.S. airports remain jammed with long lines due to short staffing amid the budget stalemate that has kept the Department of Homeland Security from being fully funded. TSA officers across the country are currently not being paid due to the congressional standoff. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a deal is being worked on that would separate funding for immigration enforcement operations — the main sticking point in negotiations with Democrats — from the rest of the Department of Homeland Security.
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By Gary Robertson The Associated Press
network beginning in 2027 to reduce plan costs by steering members toward lower-cost, high-value care doctors and hospitals while protecting rural access to health care. “We have to keep our eye on the ball this year,” State Treasurer Brad Briner said in a press release following the meeting. “We are all in this fight together to keep the Plan sustainable. Our focus in 2026 is ensuring members receive high-quality
RALEIGH — North Carolina government’s most influential politician, Republican state Senate leader Phil Berger, conceded the primary race for his legislative seat on Tuesday, shaking the power structure in the state and likely soon ending his preeminence as the state’s top conservative architect. Berger had trailed Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page in their March 3 primary. He has been Senate leader since 2011 when Republicans took full control over the General Assembly for the first time in 140 years. “While this was a close race, the voters have spoken, and I congratulate Sheriff Page on his victory,” Berger said in a news release conceding the election. “Over the past 15 years, Republicans in the General Assembly have fundamentally redefined our state’s outlook and reputation. It has been an honor.” President Donald Trump had endorsed Berger for reelection, praising him for his policy accomplishments. Unofficial results on primary election night showed Page leading Berger by just two votes out of more than 26,000 counted in the 26th Senate District that includes parts of Guilford and Rockingham counties. Page’s lead expanded as elections boards
See INSURANCE, page A8
See BERGER, page A2
3-tier network coming to State Health Plan in 2027 after approval The approach and additional linking of salaries to premiums, approved by the plan’s board of trustees, are aimed at reducing costs By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — The North Carolina State Health Plan’s Board of Trustees voted to approve a three-tiered provider
Lawmakers debate ‘levy limit’ on property taxes “This is the beginning, not the end. I have already spoken to the speaker to say we need to extend this committee for the next year.” Rep. Julia Howard (R-Davie)
A draft constitutional amendment would be decided by voters By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — Homeowners dealing with double-digit property tax increases were in the minds of lawmakers last Wednesday when the House Select Committee on Property Tax Reduction and Reform debated a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the General Assembly to enact a ”levy limit” on local governments. A levy is the total dollar amount of property tax revenue a city or county has the author-
ity to raise. A levy limit would cap how much that total can grow year over year, rather than just capping a rate or individual assessment. The draft amendment does not spell out exact numbers. Instead, lawmakers would need to pass legislation limiting how much total property tax revenue municipalities and counties can raise each year. If the proposed constitutional amendment is approved by legislators, it would not be subject to a gubernatorial veto, and voters in the state could see it on their ballots in November. The committee’s discussions were lengthy, often crossing over into formula and cap conversations while debating See TAXES, page A3
“While this was a close race, the voters have spoken, and I congratulate Sheriff Page on his victory.” Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden)