The Senate has tentatively approved Senate Bill 612, a proposal that would forbid localities from having any environmental rules more stringent than state or federal law.

School board districts would be redrawn and elections moved to even-numbered years under a bill given tentative approval by the Senate Monday night.

The measure creates seven small districts and two "regional districts" that will pit rural versus urban voters. Lawmakers ignored requests to kill the bill from the school board chairman.

The state Senate on Thursday approved a proposal to raise the maximum speed limit in North Carolina from 70 to 75 mph.