VOLUME 9 ISSUE 46 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2025
NSJONLINE.COM
GARY D. ROBERTSON / AP PHOTO
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein, center, takes the oath of office from state Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby, placing his hand on the Hebrew Bible held by Stein’s wife, Anna, in the old Senate chamber of the 1840 Capitol Building in Raleigh on Jan. 1.
the
Stein sworn in as governor
BRIEF this week
NCGA races finalized, GOP loses supermajority
Democrats have won eight of the last nine gubernatorial elections
Raleigh RALEIGH — North Carolina General Assembly elections were finalized Monday as officials issued certificates to the winners in three close legislative races from November that later became subject to recounts and formal protests. This ministerial action by election administrators also confirms that Republicans have lost their veto-proof control of the legislature — the result of outgoing state Rep. Frank Sossamon losing to Democrat Bryan Cohn by 228 votes. The certificates were issued for Cohn and two other Democrats: incoming state Sens. Terence Everitt and Woodson Bradley. With Sossamon’s defeat, Republicans will retain 71 of the 120 House seats — one seat short of the necessary three-fifths supermajority for veto-proof control. The outcome of the Supreme Court race is still pending — Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs leads Griffin by 734 votes out of over 5.5 million ballots cast in their statewide race. Griffin currently serves as a North Carolina Court of Appeals judge.
By Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press
Congress certifies Trump’s electoral win Washington, D.C. Congress certified President‑elect Donald Trump as the winner of the 2024 election Monday. Lawmakers convened under heavy security and a snowstorm to meet the date required by law to certify the election. Vice President Kamala Harris, presiding over proceedings as the role of her office, read the tally, including of her own defeat. The chamber broke into applause, first Republicans for Trump’s 312 electoral votes, then Democrats for Harris’ 226.
$2.00
(FIRE) report included feedback from 6,269 faculty members spanning 55 four-year colleges and universities. The report states that 87% of faculty find it hard to have an open and honest conversation on campus on political topics, including 70% pointing to the Israel-Palestine conflict as a major problem. Additionally, many of the survey participants reported self-censorship. Twenty-eight percent said they at least occasionally hide
RALEIGH — Josh Stein was sworn in as governor last Wednesday, succeeding fellow Democrat Roy Cooper in a top elected position for the second time in eight years. During a small ceremony inside the old Senate chamber of the 1840 Capitol building, Stein took the oath from Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby. Stein’s wife, Anna, family and friends and state officials watched, including Cooper. “Today I stand before you humbled by this responsibility, grateful for this opportunity and ready to get to work for you, the people of North Carolina,” Stein said in a speech. By defeating GOP Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson in November by almost 15 percentage points, Stein continued a run of Democrats leading the executive branch, even as Republicans have recently dominated the General Assembly and appellate courts. Democrats have won eight of the last nine gubernatorial elections since 1992. Stein had been attorney general for the past eight years, following Cooper in the elected law-enforcement post. Cooper was barred by the state constitution from seeking a third consecutive gubernatorial term. Cooper delivered opening remarks and said
See SURVEY, page A2
See STEIN, page A3
Faculty survey shows free speech still an issue on college campuses The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s survey included three North Carolina schools By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — Last month, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression released the results of its faculty survey that show free speech on campus is still a struggle. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s
Wake County schools paid $440K-plus to legislator’s equity training group The district is facing a budget shortfall By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — An organization providing critical race theory and diversity, equity and inclusion training has received payments nearing half a million dollars since 2019 from the state’s largest K-12 district, Wake County Public Schools. The training comes from The Equity Collaborative (TEC), a company founded and run by sitting North Carolina General Assembly Sen. Graig Meyer (D-Orange).
According to its website, TEC’s “Equity-Centered Professional Learning and Coaching” includes “Exploring Implicit Bias,” “Understanding Systemic Oppression and Privilege” and “Developing Your Approach for Anti-Racism.” North State Journal reported earlier this year that TEQ had received payments from Wake County Public Schools (WCPSS) of more than $379,500 between 2019 and July 2024. With the addition of the most recent invoices for $64,000, the district has now paid TEQ a total of $440,500 for See TRAINING, page A2
$64K Amount Wake County schools paid The Equity Collaborative since Oct. 24.
“Governor, this will be the best job you have ever had.” Roy Cooper, outgoing governor