Opinion Roundup: High-poverty schools lack experienced teachers, Duke Energy grid modernization, social media political ads and more

Saturday, June 2, 2018 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: High poverty schools lack experienced teachers, completed budget heads to Cooper's desk, bipartisan bill would require 'paid for' labels on social media political ads, Tillis confesses lawmakers made a mistake when they ended film incentives.

City money for schools? Why that's a false hope (Charlotte Observer) -- The N.C. legislature included a provision in its budget allowing municipalities to use property tax to pay for public schools. It's a policy that is sure to create winners and losers, and to widen the gap between rich and poor and urban and rural.

LAURA LESLIE & MATTHEW BURNS: State budget heads to Cooper (WRAL-TV reports) -- After a second, slightly less contentious day of debate, House lawmakers have given final approval to a $23.9 billion spending plan. The measure now heads to the governor.

NC legislature completes budget, sends to Gov. Cooper (AP reports) -- State budget adjustments got final General Assembly approval, setting the stage for a repeat performance of last year's process, when Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed the spending plan and Republican legislators overrode him.

GARY ROBERTSON: Without statewide consensus, partial judicial remaps advance (AP reports) -- Republican lawmakers are advancing fragments of a statewide remapping of N.C.'s judicial election districts in hopes of passing them before candidate filing for judges begins in just over two weeks.

DEON ROBERTS: Here's why fees for some NC loans might increase 200 percent (Charlotte Observer reports) – N.C. banks and savings institutions would be able to charge higher origination and late fees for certain loans under proposed legislation that has the backing of Winston-Salem-based BB&T, Charlotte's No. 3 bank by deposits.

TRAVIS FAIN: Wake would get new judges, districts from revamp bill (WRAL-TV reports) -- With efforts at statewide judicial redistricting faltering, GOP lawmakers take a piecemeal approach.

MATTHEW BURNS: Birthing centers would need licenses under NC legislation (WRAL-TV reports) -- The state Department of Health and Human Services would have the authority to license and inspect birthing centers, under a bill filed a powerful senator.

TRAVIS FAIN: Bipartisan bill would require 'paid for' labels on social media political ads (WRAL-TV reports) -- "That's the way a lot of political communication is done now," key sponsor says.

JEFF HAMPTON: Damaged Lost Colony replica ship, stuck in treacherous harbor, will be saved (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot reports) -- The N.C. Senate appropriated $2.2 million to dredge a channel in Manteo harbor so the Elizabeth II can sail to the ferry facility for much needed maintenance.

Raise the red flag in N.C. to help stop gun crimes (Greensboro News & Record) -- This is what we’re up against. The 19-year-old shooter who took 17 lives in a Parkland, Fla., high school on Valentine’s Day had laid out his twisted plans in cellphone videos.

Some NC colleges and universities fare well in budget proposal. Others lose out. (Charlotte Observer reports) -- UNC universities and N.C.'s community colleges receive increases under the General Assembly budget proposal, but also targeted cuts.

Four years after he killed N.C. film incentives, Tillis confesses he and legislators were wrong (AP reports) -- U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis says North Carolina lawmakers made a mistake when they ended film incentives several years ago and replaced them with grants.

N.C. policeman target of excessive force lawsuit (AP reports) -- A man is suing an N.C. police officer who is shown in body-cam video putting his gun to the man's head and threatening to kill him.

JOHN NEWSOM: HUD secretary kicks off Healthy Homes Month in Greensboro (Greensboro News & Record reports) -- Ben Carson toured a city neighborhood and spoke to a housing symposium held at UNCG.

PAUL WOOLVERTON: Funding question jeopardizes new Habitat village (Fayetteville Observer reports) -- The low-income housing project may not be eligible for $2 million in Hurricane Matthew relief money. Construction stopped last week at a Fayetteville Area Habitat for Humanity low-income housing village on the western side of the city because Cumberland County officials question whether it qualifies for a federal grant that Habitat was counting on to help pay for the project. The 47-home Oakridge Estates is to be built on Bunce Road at old Bunce Road where there used to be a trailer park. Construction began in November following a ribbon-cutting ceremony that included local elected officials. County Commissioner Glenn Adams was among them.

Fayetteville habitat project halted by funding questions (AP reports) -- Construction has been halted on a 47-home Habitat for Humanity village in Fayetteville because local officials are questioning whether it qualifies for $2 million in federal grants from Hurricane Matthew relief money.

T. KEUNG HUI: High poverty schools lack experienced teachers. NC says its options are limited (Charlotte Observer reports) -- The U.S. Department of Education wants to know how North Carolina will provide students at high-poverty schools with access to experienced and effective teachers. State says options limited because it's a local hiring decision.

MANDY MITCHELL: Durham startup promotes women, minorities in coding industry (WRAL-TV reports) -- "Code the Dream" provides free classes for people who are traditionally under-represented in the industry.

TAFT WIREBACK: Duke Energy reaches compromise on grid modernization (Greensboro News & Record reports) -- Duke Energy Carolinas has agreed to scale back some of its grid modernization efforts in a proposed pilot program that would include $25 million for new electric-vehicle charging stations and more support in general for renewable energy. The utility struck the $2.5 billion proposed deal with several environmental groups and the Commercial Group, a coalition of major retailers, including Walmart and Food Lion.

JOHN DOWNEY: Could new Duke Energy rules block battery storage at independent solar projects? (Charlotte Business Journal reports) -- Solar industry supporters want to block Duke Energy’s unilateral attempt to set restrictions on how storage can be used with solar projects in the state’s competitive bidding process.

Chemours’ new approach to GenX about survival (Fayetteville Observer) -- Executives at Chemours, headquartered in Delaware, would have to be blind to not realize their operations in North Carolina are in jeopardy. Republican lawmakers, who control the General Assembly, and their Democratic counterparts, as well as the Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, do not agree on how to address the pollutants emitted from the plant. But there is consensus that Chemours cannot keep operating as it had been.

KATE DWYER: From Transgender Activist to Runway Model (New York Times reports) -- Name: Hunter Schafer; Age: 19; Hometown: Raleigh, N.C.; Currently Lives: In a four-bedroom loft in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn that “looks like it’s from a sitcom or something,” she said; Claim to Fame: Mx. Schafer, who prefers that nongendered courtesy title, is an artist, designer and model who has appeared on the cover of Teen Vogue and in runway shows for Mansur Gavriel, Versus Versace and Helmut Lang. “Walking runway has been something I didn’t even think would be a possibility in my lifetime with my circumstances and my origins,” she said.