Opinion Roundup: NC prisons, DEA quota changes, opioid battle, Supreme Court hears solar case and more

Wednesday, April 18, 2018 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: N.C. prison fined for safety violations, bills to curtail LGBT rights fail in US legislatures, proposed quota changes for DEA., how N.C. employers are investing in families, Supreme Court hears solar case and more.

Billionaire wants to turn NC congressional seats blue: 'A fight for the soul of America' (Charlotte Observer reports) -- Billionaire Tom Steyer plans to spend millions to turn out millennial voters in North Carolina's 9th and 13th Congressional districts. He spend money in Virginia last year to do the same and the state saw heavy turnout by young voters.

MATTHEW BURNS: NC prison where workers died in escape attempt fined for safety violations (WRAL-TV reports) -- The state Department of Labor has proposed fines of $7,000 each against Pasquotank Correctional Institution and Corrections Enterprises for workplace safety violations found in the wake of an October escape attempt that left four prison workers dead and several others injured.

DAVID CRARY: Bills to curtail LGBT rights are failing in US legislatures (AP reports) -- In a striking shift from recent years, major legislation curtailing LGBT rights has been completely stymied in state capitols around the country this year amid anxiety by Republican leaders over igniting economic backlash if they are depicted as discriminatory. In the thick of this year's legislative sessions, LGBT activists were tracking about 120 proposed bills that they viewed as threats to their civil rights. Not one of them has been enacted as many sessions now wind down; only two remain under serious consideration.

TREVOR LENZMEIER: Banned books, lack of librarians: What it's like to read in a NC prison (WRAL-TV/UNC Media Hub) -- The North Carolina Department of Public Safety's "Disapproved Publications Report" includes nearly 500 titles deemed pornographic, violent or otherwise inappropriate for prisoners.         

DEL QUENTIN WILBER: U.S. Proposes Quota Changes for Drug Enforcement Administration (Wall Street Journal reports) -- The Trump administration proposed changing federal rules to say that officials must consider how badly a drug is being abused in setting quotas for the production of the medication. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the publishing of the proposed rule changes in a speech in North Carolina, saying the action would help address the nation’s opioid problem, which he called “the deadliest drug crisis in American history.”

Sessions: Help for N.C. fighting opioids continues (AP reports) -- U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions says the federal government will keep arming state and local law enforcement agencies in North Carolina with the tools they need to reduce opioid abuse.

LAURA LESLIE: FEMA team to aid NC's disaster response efforts (WRAL-TV reports) -- One day after state lawmakers complained about slow disbursement of federal Hurricane Matthew recovery funds, officials on Tuesday announced a federal initiative that could mean faster and better disaster response in North Carolina.

Charlotte City Council member questions 9-11, asking about 'alleged plane' on Facebook (Charlotte Observer) -- A Charlotte City Councilwoman LaWana Mayfield is questioning the reality of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed about 3,000 people. Mayfield posted on her Facebook page Monday a link to an article from Awarenessact.com titled "It's Official: European Scientific Journal Concludes 9/11 Was A Controlled Demolition."

GREG COLLAR: Pittenger Targets China In Effort To Increase Committee's Power (WUNC-FM) -- As the debate over tariffs on Chinese products and a potential trade war intensifies, there’s another battle emerging. It concerns a multi-governmental agency called CFIUS - the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. CFIUS reviews foreign purchases of American companies to make sure they don’t jeopardize national security. But a bipartisan group in the U.S. House and Senate says the committee needs expanded powers. In the House, North Carolina Congressman Robert Pittenger is leading an effort to overhaul CFIUS.

Velva Jenkins: How N.C. employers are investing in families (Wilmington Star-News column) -- This year marks the 25th anniversary of the federal Family Medical Leave Act, which, among other allowances, permits employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the birth or adoption of a child. Since FMLA was enacted, the number of working families has increased dramatically, creating a greater demand for family-friendly workplace.

TYLER DUKES: Appeals court says UNC must turn over sex assault records (WRAL-TV reports) -- The North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill must turn over records of students disciplined on campus for sexual misconduct to news media.

Court orders top NC university to turn over sex assault data (AP reports) -- A state appeals court is ordering North Carolina's flagship public university to turn over the names of students found responsible for rape or sexual assault in non-criminal, campus disciplinary proceedings.

JOEDY MCREARY: Swofford expects 'substantive' findings from Rice commission (AP reports) -- Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford says he expects "substantive" recommendations from the committee seeking ways to reform college basketball amid a federal investigation of corruption in the sport. Speaking at a regional Associated Press Sports Editors meeting, Swofford said he doesn't know what the commission led by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will conclude next week when it is expected to present its report to the Division I Board of Directors and Board of Governors.

GARY ROBERTSON: Training, prestige important to attract school officers (AP reports) -- Putting more highly qualified armed officers inside North Carolina schools to protect students requires more training and prestige, not simply the extra money to hire them, current and former law enforcement told state legislators Tuesday.

D.G. MARTIN: Calling Erskine Bowles (Winston-Salem Journal column) -- Where is Erskine Bowles when we most need him? Bowles is best known to North Carolinians as president of the UNC System from 2005 to 2010. Before then he was a successful business leader in Charlotte, a key staff member in President Bill Clinton’s administration and two times the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate.

RICK SMITH: Forget Facebook, UNC student Nina Barnett breaks mold with Grooop, a social-safety app (WRAL-TV/TechWire) -- Imagine utilizing a social media app that links you with friends and family but also acts as a location service and provides means of sending an emergency alert, all within a data secure environment. Well, imagine no longer. Just check out Nina Barnett’s Grooop.

MARK JURKOWITZ: Making her mark, Arabella Saunders is promising journalist, passionate activist (Outer Banks Sentinel reports) -- It’s been a couple of pretty good days for Arabella Saunders. Last weekend, while hosting a prom potluck party at her home, the First Flight senior learned from her journalism teacher, Steve Hanf, that she was named a runner-up in the National Journalist of the Year competition, an award announced at the National High School Journalism Convention in San Francisco.

Move promptly on Williams’ removal from office (Fayetteville Observer) -- Although several distractions could have diverted Fayetteville City Council members from their core mission Monday, in the end the council did exactly what it needed to accomplish, voting unanimously to begin the process that will remove Councilman Tyrone Williams from office.

ROB THOMPSON: 3 reasons NC Legislature should adequately fund school nurses (EdNC column) -- With school safety concerns at the forefront, NC Child has made additional funding for school nurses a top priority for the 2018 legislative session. School nurses are on the front lines of protecting our children’s physical and mental health and play a key role in ensuring students are well enough to thrive in the classroom.

TRAVIS FAIN: Supreme Court hears solar case, could set precedent (WRAL-TV reports) -- An environmental group wants to help nonprofits install solar panels, but Duke Energy and state attorneys say it would raise rates for others.

EMERY DALESIO: Court tests if NC ban on selling solar power means 1 church (AP reports) -- North Carolina's highest court is deciding whether a clean-energy advocacy group illegally sold solar power to a church as part of its plan to undercut the monopoly of the state's electric utilities.

JOHN DOWNEY: Rooftop solar plans skyrocket as N.C. regulators approve Duke Energy rebates (Charlotte Business Journal) -- Duke Energy Corp. is gearing up to offer $62 million in rebates for N.C. rooftop solar projects starting this summer now that N.C. regulators have approved the program.

BETSY LILLIAN: Duke Energy’s Solar Rebate Program Approved In N.C. (Solar Industry Magazine reports) -- Duke Energy’s $62 million solar rebate program, which is designed to help North Carolina customers with the upfront cost of installing solar panels on their property, was approved this month by the North Carolina Utilities Commission.

KATHLEEN ROGERS: Wrapped In a Sea of Plastic (Coastal Review column) -- Plastic, a useful product that’s part of our everyday lives, is taking its toll on our environment and our health, as guest columnist Kathleen Rogers explains.

NPR Newscaster Carl Kasell Dies At 84, After A Lifelong Career On-Air (NPR Obit) -- Every weekday for more than three decades, his baritone steadied our mornings. Even in moments of chaos and crisis, North Carolinian Carl Kasell brought unflappable authority to the news. But behind that hid a lively sense of humor, revealed to listeners late in his career, when he became the beloved judge and official scorekeeper for Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! NPR's news quiz show. Kasell died Tuesday from complications from Alzheimer's disease in Potomac, Md. He was 84.

Legendary Special Forces veteran ‘Iron Mike’ has died (Fayetteville Observer obit) -- An icon of special operations and a man who at one time was the Army's most battle-tested officer has died. Maj. Gen. Michael D. Healy, 91, died Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida, according to officials. The general served in the military for 35 years, spending much of his career at Fort Bragg.