Jeff Collins Coverage

Lawmakers juiced over plan to lower electric bills

State lawmakers beamed Tuesday as they announced a bipartisan plan to speed the sale of power plants, which they said would lower electric bills in dozens of eastern North Carolina towns and boost economic development in the region.

Matthew Burns

Autism coverage stalls legislative vote against Affordable Care Act

North Carolina would promise not to require health insurers to cover any new conditions or treatments for two years under a bill that stalled in an interim committee Tuesday. Although it will likely be amended, the measure was delayed because it would have forced lawmakers to choose between voting for the Affordable Care Act or against autism coverage.

Mark Binker and Laura Leslie

Bail bonds dispute surfaces in resignation fracas

Rep. Robert Brawley cited his failed effort to repeal a controversial bail bondsman training law in a letter resigning his Finance Committee chairmanship.

Mark Binker

Toll road bill survives second vote

The Department of Transportation would be able to add toll lanes to existing highways as long as some lanes stayed free under a bill that cleared the House Tuesday.

Mark Binker

Toll-free driving, Medicaid, privacy get House boost

The state House passed a bill that would restrict tolling on existing highways. It also passed a bill fixing a gap in the state's Medicaid program and several other bills in the closing hours of the crossover period.

Mark Binker

House passes bill rewriting rules for state workers

North Carolina governors would have greater latitude to hire and fire state workers under a bill that cleared the state House Wednesday.

Mark Binker

House OKs parity for cancer therapies

State House lawmakers tentatively approved a proposal Wednesday that would ban insurers from charging more for oral chemotherapy than IV chemo.

Laura Leslie

Bill expands governor's ability to hire, fire state workers

The ranks of "at will" employees would grow under a bill moving through the state House. State employees said rank-and-file positions would also be subject to political whims under the measure.

Mark Binker

Bill filed to tax, regulate sweepstakes

Lawmakers have filed a bill to legalize, tax and regulate video sweepstakes games. Local law enforcement agencies have been shutting down the quasi-gambling establishments.

Mark Binker

Health plan wellness incentive powers worry state employees

State employees say a proposal to give the state treasurer power to approve wellness incentives for the state employee health plan could end up costing workers.

Mark Binker

Preventing Medicaid expansion passes key House vote

The state House gave tentative approval Wednesday to legislation blocking the expansion of Medicaid and the development of an online health insurance exchange under the federal Affordable Care Act.

Matthew Burns and Laura Leslie

House gives tentative OK to unemployment cuts

The House voted 78-41 Monday to give tentative approval to House Bill 4, which cuts the maximum weekly unemployment benefit from $535 to $350 and replaces 26 weeks of state-paid benefits with a sliding cap of 12 to 20 weeks, based on the health of North Carolina's economy.

Efforts to change unemployment overhaul fail in House

House Democrats came up short Monday night in several efforts to soften legislation that would slash jobless benefits as part of an overhaul of the state unemployment system.

Matthew Burns and Laura Leslie

GOP muscles jobless benefits cuts to House floor

The Republican majority of the House Finance Committee beat back efforts Thursday morning to soften legislation slashing jobless benefits as part of an overhaul of the state unemployment system.

Matthew Burns and Laura Leslie