Today @NCCapitol (7/8): Talking it out

Lawmakers continue a week in which they're working out differences over big piece of legislation. Meanwhile, a federal court hearing on North Carolina's election laws continues in Winston-Salem.

Posted 10:31 a.m. Jul 8, 2014 — Updated 1:55 p.m. Jul 8, 2014

RALEIGH, N.C. — Good morning and welcome to Today @NCCapitol for Tuesday, July 8. Here's what's going on at the General Assembly and elsewhere in state government.

LEGISLATURE: The state House will meet at 11 a.m. for a pro forma skeleton session during which no votes will be taken.

The Senate is scheduled to set to work at 3 p.m. There is only one item on the Senate calendar: a concurrence vote on a bill to regulate the cleanup of coal ash throughout the state. Senators are widely expected to send the bill to a conference committee rather than accept the changes made by the House.

It's unclear what else the Senate will do this week. No committee meetings are scheduled, but lawmakers could take up any number of bills once the chamber reconvenes.

Senior members of both chambers met Monday to continue hashing out a budget agreement, but it's unclear how much progress the negotiators have made.

Key priorities linger as end of session approaches

TO DO: The coal ash bill, along with the budget, Medicaid reform and a set of thorny regulatory reform measures are among the major pieces of legislation lawmakers are hoping to finish to before the end of the summer session.

MCCRORY: Gov. Pat McCrory did not release a public schedule for Tuesday.

IN COURT: Sweeping changes to North Carolina's voting law, considered one of the toughest in the nation, should be put on hold until at least after the November election, the U.S. Justice Department told a federal judge Monday. The hearing over North Carolina's 2013 voting law is expected to last most of this week.

SIGNINGS: McCrory signed a bill authorizing construction projects on several University of North Carolina campuses. He also signed a measure that cuts back on ferry tolls and allows the Department of Transportation to raise revenue by offering naming rights and advertising on things such as rests stops and ferries.

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