Larry Hall Coverage

NC Senate confirms Hall as Military and Veterans Affairs secretary

The state Senate voted 47-0 Monday to confirm Military and Veterans Affairs Secretary Larry Hall. Senate leaders say the next cabinet member to face confirmation will by Public Safety Secretary Erik Hooks.

Mark Binker

Senate committee confirms Hall as military affairs secretary

After weeks of arguing over the legality of the confirmation process, a Senate committee voted unanimously Thursday to approve former state Rep. Larry Hall as secretary of the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

Mark Binker

Senate committee subpoenas cabinet secretary to testify at confirmation hearing

Secretary Larry Hall, whom Gov. Roy Cooper has tapped to run the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, did not show up to a third confirmation hearing Thursday. Committee members said they would compel him to testify despite a dispute over the authority to hold hearings.

Mark Binker

Senators threaten 'consequences' if NC cabinet nominees continue to ignore confirmation process

Military and Veterans Affairs Sec. Larry Hall did not sit for a confirmation hearing Wednesday. Senators say there will be "consequences" if he declines to show up for a third attempt.

Mark Binker

Despite court order, NC senators meet for confirmation hearing, but nominee doesn't show

A three-judge panel ordered state lawmakers to stop proceedings related to cabinet confirmations. Lawmakers used the scheduled committee hearing to speak out against the order anyway.

Mark Binker

Cooper adds veteran lawmaker, Medicaid expert to cabinet

Gov. Roy Cooper is almost finished naming his cabinet for his new administration, and he tapped a longtime state lawmaker and a Medicaid expert on Friday.

Laura Leslie

Prison contract scandal enters political arena

In a likely harbinger of 2016's campaign season, N.C. House Democratic leader Larry Hall took several swings Tuesday at Gov. Pat McCrory and Republican leaders over a prison contract scandal - a move that drew strong rebuttals from its Republican targets.

Laura Leslie

House Dems push for election changes

House Democrats are seeking changes to state election law that they say will make voting easier in 2016.

Laura Leslie

GOP leaders want to tackle job creation; Democrats push ethics reforms

Democrats say they want to tackle ethics reform in response to stories involving Gov. Pat McCrory. Republicans outlined a broad array of issues, saying they don't have specific proposals yet.

Mark Binker

Pomp fills first day of legislative session

Despite icy weather that temporarily delayed the opening of the 2015 legislative session, members of the North Carolina General Assembly took their oaths of office on Wednesday and elected their leaders.

Matthew Burns, Laura Leslie and Mark Binker

House Dems accuse Tillis of abuse of power

House Democrats are accusing Republican Speaker Thom Tillis of abuse of power for shutting down debate and refusing to release funds for staff.

Laura Leslie

Dems ask GOP leaders to open budget talks

On the first day of the fiscal year, with no budget deal in sight, House and Senate Democrats say GOP leaders could jump-start negotiations by opening them to the public.

Laura Leslie

Dems seek seat at budget-negotiations table

House Democrats called Tuesday for an open conference process as the two chambers wrangle opposing versions of the state budget.

Tara Jeffries

Lawmakers tighten Legislative Building access rules

A hastily called committee voted Thursday to pass new rules for citizens' use of the Legislative Building - just in time for planned protests next week.

Laura Leslie

Dems: NC faces 'crises' in teacher pay, coal ash

Top Democratic lawmakers said Tuesday that Republican legislative leaders need to step up during the session that starts Wednesday and work hard to address the issues of low teacher pay and leaky coal ash ponds.

Matthew Burns

McCrory seeks to reduce substance abuse in NC

Gov. Pat McCrory signed an executive order Tuesday to create a task force aimed at reducing substance abuse and underage drinking.

Top House Dem wants DHHS raises investigated

House Minority Leader Larry Hall asked Friday for a legislative inquiry into sizable raises handed out to former campaign staffers of Gov. Pat McCrory who now work in the Department of Health and Human Services.

Matthew Burns

House changes rules in response to incursion into Speaker's office

A group of female legislators delivered a petition to, and took pictures in, House Speaker Thom Tillis' office while neither he nor his staff was there. House lawmakers passed a new rule in response to the incident today.

Mark Binker

McCrory won't act to save jobless checks

State House and Senate Democrats are calling on Governor Pat McCrory to save federal unemployment benefits scheduled to end July 1st for 71,000 people in North Carolina. McCrory says he will not intervene.

Laura Leslie

State spending plan enters final phase

The state budget is headed back to the Senate for negotiations after winning final House approval Thursday.

Laura Leslie

Critics take their cuts at House, Senate tax plans

Critics say House and Senate tax plans would save high-income earners money at the expense of low-income families.

Mark Binker

House puts first nail in coffin for NC 'death tax'

North Carolina's estate tax would end under a proposal the House tentatively approved Tuesday.

Matthew Burns

House approves voter ID

Presenting photo identification before being able to vote in North Carolina moved a step closer to reality Wednesday when the House approved a Republican-backed proposal.

Matthew Burns

Black lawmakers vow to fight voting changes

The N.C. Legislative Black Caucus says black voters are the target of Republican proposals to cut early voting days, ban Sunday voting and prohibit same-day registration and straight-ticket voting.

Laura Leslie

Dems: No job plan in McCrory's budget

Legislative Democrats say Gov. Pat McCrory's budget proposal does nothing to create jobs, cuts education, and harms working families and rural communities.

Laura Leslie