Opinion Roundup: Special primary, House budget, Medicaid expansion and more

Tuesday, April 30, 2019 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: NC superintendent discusses upcoming teacher rally, polls open at 6:30 a.m. for special primary, film funding nearly cut from House budget, critics fight a plan for Duke Energy rates, rural hospital CEOs call for Medicaid expansion and more.

Polls open at 6:30 a.m. for special primary (Greenville Daily Reflector reports) -- Polls open at 6:30 a.m. today in Pitt and 16 other counties for primary voters to choose party nominees for NC’s 3rd Congressional District seat.

N.C. special election-when do polls close? (New York Times reports) -- Primary voters in North Carolina are going to the polls today, looking to thin a field of more than two dozen candidates who are running to replace Walter B. Jones Jr., a longtime congressman who died in February. Mr. Jones, a Republican, had held the seat in the Third Congressional District on the Atlantic Coast from 1995 until his death. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern. Voters can find their election day polling place with the state’s voter lookup or polling place tools. As of Friday, about four percent of voters had already cast early votes.

Today voters choosing nominees to succeed late NC Rep. Jones (AP reports) -- More than two dozen candidates seeking to succeed the late N.C. Rep. Walter Jones Jr. first must win their parties' nominations. Voters go to the polls Tuesday in the 3rd Congressional District primaries. Seventeen Republicans, six Democrats and two Libertarians are on ballots. Democratic and GOP party runoffs are possible in July if leading candidates fail to get over 30% of the vote.

CONNER PATCHKOFSKY: Loans help candidates fund campaigns (Greenville Daily Reflector reports) -- Federal election data show that a current member of the N.C. House of Representatives and the former mayor of Greenville raised the most money in the campaign for the 3rd Congressional District, with help from personal loans. State Rep. Greg Murphy, a Greenville physician, and Allen Thomas, the former mayor and director of the state Global TransPark, reported total fundraising amounts of $317,994 and $255,390, respectively, during the first candidate filing quarter, according to a review of Federal Election Commission data. Thomas boosted his total by loaning $200,000 to his campaign, the data showed. Murphy is among 17 Republicans vying for the nomination in the primary election taking place today. Thomas is among six Democrats.

JEFF TIBERII: Primary Takes Place Tuesday In NC's 3rd Congressional District (WUNC-FM reports) -- Early primary voting concluded in the special election for the Third Congressional seat, made vacant when longtime U.S. House Rep. Walter Jones died in February. More than two dozen candidates are vying to serve the district, which sprawls across much of the coastal plains region, in today’s primary.

EMERY DALESIO: Republican branded as Democratic plant sues GOP for benefits (AP reports) -- A candidate for the Republican nomination in a still-vacant congressional seat is suing the GOP after being barred from debates and access to internal party data. Republicans call him a Democratic plant who cost them a seat on the state's top court last year. Candidate Chris Anglin said that he wants a state court to force the state Republican Party to give him access to voter lists, calendars and other data already provided to nine others in the 9th Congressional District field. Anglin also has been barred from participating in Republican candidate forums or debates.

JIM MORRILL: Anti-Trump Republican sues NC GOP for banning him from 9th District campaign events (Charlotte Observer reports) -- A 9th District Republican candidate who opposes President Donald Trump has sued the state party for blackballing him from GOP events. Chris Anglin filed the suit in Wake County Superior Court. The Raleigh lawyer is one of 10 candidates running in the May 14 special congressional primary. Anglin is asking the court to force the state GOP to share voter resources and lift a ban on him participating in party forums and other events.

T. KEUNG HUI: How many school counselors is enough? Berger and NCAE hotly debate issue (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Senate leader Phil Berger is dismissing the goal of reaching a nationally recommended standard for school counselors, leading to groups supporting Wednesday's mass teacher protest to say he's ignoring the problem of teen suicide in North Carolina.

A teacher work day ... in Raleigh (Greensboro News & Record) -- For the second year in a row, educators from throughout the state will spend a full day — on Wednesday — in Raleigh marching, seeking to plead their own case to lawmakers. Last year’s march drew about 19,000 participants. With more time to prepare and more responsive school systems, this year’s may attract just as many, if not more. Facing a likely shortage of teachers in the classroom, Guilford County Schools, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and Thomasville City Schools rightly decided to close for the day, as have at least 28 more of the state’s 115 districts and four charter schools.

STEVE DeVANE: Hundreds of Cumberland County teachers to rally in Raleigh (Fayetteville Observer reports) -- Cumberland County teachers by the hundreds plan to be in Raleigh on Wednesday for a “Day of Action” march and rally. The county’s public school system will be closed to students on that day. School system officials decided to designate the day as a teacher workday.

DEBRA MORGAN: NC superintendent discusses upcoming teacher rally (WRAL-TV reports) -- State schools Superintendent Mark Johnson discusses his thoughts teachers' demands ahead of a large rally in downtown Raleigh.

MICHAEL BRAGG: More than 1,300 educators in Forsyth schools have requested off for May 1. Most will be in Raleigh. (Winston-Salem Journal reports) -- Thousands are expected to march in Wednesday’s education rally in Raleigh — with many of those people coming from Forsyth County. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools is one of at least 30 districts across the state to cancel school for the day due to a high number of absence requests.

TRAVIS FAIN: 'Born alive' abortion bill override vote planned today (WRAL-TV reports) -- Vote will be close, may come down to a Pitt County Democrat.

Conservative Republicans urge override for abortion bill (AP reports) – Republican anti-abortion groups say state legislators will be on history's right side if they override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of a measure they say ensures newborns delivered during unsuccessful abortions are cared for like any other baby.

WILL DORAN & DAWN BAUMGARTNER VAUGHAN The first draft of budget released (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- The N.C. House released its budget, setting the stage for a debate over how to spend billions of dollars over the next two years. Many of the proposals in the budget had rolled out over the past week in committees. Details included increased spending on school safety measures, funding to address the state's backlog of untested evidence in rape cases, and upgrades to buildings throughout the UNC System including the UNC-Chapel Hill business school and the medical school at ECU. The budget details released Monday night did not include ideas for raises for teachers or other state employees. Clark Riemer, who works for one of the top budget writers, said on Twitter that the salary provisions will be amended into the budget bill during Wednesday's Appropriations Committee meeting.

THOMAS GOLDSMITH: House proposes new help for people in assisted living in state budget (N.C. Health News reports) -- Spending proposed by advocates for older people has shown up in House budget writers’ recommendations, but are a long way from inclusion in the final biennial budget.

HUNTER INGRAM: Film funding nearly cut from NC House budget (Wilmington Star-News reports) -- The state’s film grant program almost suffered a devastating blow due to what one legislator is calling a miscommunication. As 2019-20 fiscal year budget negotiations continue in the state capital, Rep. Ted Davis Jr., R-New Hanover, said members of the House of Representatives’ appropriations committee were given misinformation by the N.C. Department of Commerce that the grant program – which gets $31 million in funding a year – still had $67,380,519 sitting unused. The N.C. Department of Commerce appears not to have been asked what information it did, or did not, provide.

TAFT WIREBACK: Us or them? Duke, N.C. attorney general spar over who should pay to clean up coal ash (Greensboro News & Record reports) -- State utilities commissioners erred last year when they allowed Duke Energy to bill customers for the company’s effort to clean up coal ash, state Attorney General Josh Stein said in a recent court filing. Both Stein’s office and the Sierra Club submitted briefs asking the state Supreme Court to either ban Duke outright from billing consumers for the cost of cleaning up its coal ash basins or send the issue back to the state Utilities Commission for reconsideration.

LYNN BONNER: Critics fight a plan for Duke Energy rates (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Debate over a controversial proposal on electricity rates ratcheted up this week with two environmental groups' full-page newspaper ad asking the state Senate's top-ranking Democrat, Dan Blue, D-Wake, to end his support for a Duke Energy bill and stop taking the company's "dirty money." The North Carolina Conservation Network was calling residents Monday, asking them to register their opposition to Senate Bill 559, which it described as a "blank check for Duke Energy." And a group of manufacturers and advocacy groups asked the bill's sponsors to withdraw or substantially change its controversial sections.

Duke tries for power play on electric bills; don’t let it (Wilmington Star-News) -- Sen. Rabon should slow down measure, which is being rushed through General Assembly.

LAURA LESLIE: House approves changes to sexual assault, DWI laws (WRAL-TV reports) -- State House lawmakers made quick work of measures that would tighten sexual assault laws and impose mandatory jail time for killing someone by driving while impaired, either on land or water.

Sexual assault bill gets unanimous support in House (N.C. Health News/ Seeking Conviction Investigative Collaboration) -- Majority of state House members co-sponsored HB 393, which makes it illegal to sexually assault someone who has been drugged or otherwise rendered incapable.

MATTHEW BURNS: Domestic violence bill advances without change to state gun law (WRAL-TV reports) -- Legislation adjusting the state's domestic violence protection order law cleared a House committee after lawmakers narrowly defeated a proposal to give judges more discretion to order defendants in domestic violence cases to surrender their guns and ammunition.

TAYLOR KNOPF: Rural hospital CEOs call for Medicaid expansion (N.C. Health News reports) -- A group detailed to Gov. Roy Cooper the problems they have keeping their doors open and bills paid.

LAURA LESLIE: Ban on private ownership of dangerous animals advances in House (WRAL-TV reports) -- A proposal to ban the private ownership of dangerous exotic animals will likely be voted on by the state House this week.

TRAVIS FAIN: Bill boosts insurance premiums for inexperienced, problem drivers (WRAL-TV reports) -- After questions came up, the bill was pulled from the House Rules committee.

TRAVIS FAIN: 'Kin care' bill advances in House (WRAL-TV reports) -- Bill would make sure employees can use sick leave to care for a family member.

COLIN CAMPBELL: Wind Maps (The Insider reports) -- An updated version of a wind development map could put more territory off-limits to the industry under a Senate bill. The map comes from an AECOM study ordered by the legislature to identify "high risk areas" where wind projects might result in "degrading safety and the military's ability to perform aviation training;" Senate Bill 377 would ban wind development in those areas.

GINGER LIVINGSTON: Chief justice says hard work, confidence key to success (Greenville Daily Reflector reports) -- The first African-American woman to lead N.C.’s Supreme Court told high school students not to fret if they don’t know what career they want to explore. Chief Justice Cheri Beasley said it’s even difficult for college graduates to know their career path because interests them at 23 may be completely different when they are 50. Beasley spoke with students at J.H. Rose and South Central High Schools and students in Pitt Community College’s paralegal program on Monday.

WILLIAM BARBER: Franklin Graham is a hypocrite about Pete Buttigieg, and he’s using that hypocrisy to do harm (Washington Post column) -- The problem with Graham's hypocrisy and that of people like him isn't that they're inconsistent. It's that hypocrisy provides cover for evil.

SARAH KRUEGER: Triangle religious centers step up security in aftermath of shooting attack in California (WRAL-TV reports) -- Two days after a lone gunman walked in a California synagogue and opened fire, killing one person and wounding several others, local synagogues say they are stepping up security in the wake of the West Coast attack.

AMANDA LAMB: Mom says Judge Resson Faircloth threatened to take her baby because she was breastfeeding in court (WRAL-TV reports) -- A Clayton woman in Johnston County court says she was kicked out while she was breastfeeding her baby in a sling. Danielle Bell said she was breastfeeding 3-month-old Penelope in the back of the courtroom last week as she waited District Court Judge Resson Faircloth to call her traffic court case. A deputy told her to leave, saying no children under 12 were allowed in the courtroom. Bell left, even though state and federal laws permit women to breastfeed in public facilities and she and the baby had been covered up by a sling.

ALLAN MAURER: 60 jobs head to Pittsboro as medical device manufacturer expands (WRAL-TV/TechWire reports) -- EG-GILERO, a Morrisville-based medical device manufacturer, plans to invest more than $4 million and create 60 jobs in Chatham County, adding more finished-device assembly to augment its design, development and manufacturing services.

Our border crisis has changed; solutions must change too (Fayetteville Observer) -- The Trump administration is once again looking to the American military for help securing our southern border. But this time, it appears there’s a more clear-eyed recognition of the real problem on our border with Mexico. It’s not about terrorists or rapists. It’s not about illegal workers who want to enjoy the American economy without paying the price of admission. It’s not about illegal border crossers who need to be chased, caught and deported.

JANE WESTER & FRED CLASEN-KELLY: ‘No rhyme or reason.’ CMPD can’t explain record pace of homicides (Charlotte Observer reports) -- With three more people killed over the weekend, Charlotte is on pace to record its most homicides in a single year, leaving police and researchers struggling to explain the growing violence. As of Monday, the number of homicides had reached 43. By the same time last year, there were 14 killings.

TEO ARMUS: Supreme Court case delays gay Charlotte teacher’s suit against Catholic Diocese (Charlotte Observer reports) -- A gay substitute teacher’s lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte has been put on hold until the Supreme Court can decide a question at the heart of his case: Is it illegal to fire someone for their sexual orientation?

ALEX GRANADOS: UNC System seeks to transform teacher preparation (EdNC reports) -- There is an effort underway at the University of NC System to transform the way the state’s educator preparation programs do business. Sparked by inadequate results in getting NC students reading on grade level by third grade, as well as the perennial shortage of teachers and prospective teachers, the system convened a series of higher education and pre-K-12 leaders to come up with a series of goals and strategies to improve how the state trains its teachers.

JENNIFER ALLEN: Study Eyes Tourism’s Effect On Groundwater (Coastal Review reports) While coastal tourism can boost the local economy, it also can boost nutrients in the groundwater, results of a recent study suggest. Michael O’Driscoll, associate professor in East Carolina University’s Department of Coastal Studies, and a group of researchers studied how coastal tourism and facilities that treat small communities’ and developments’ onsite wastewater called package treatment plants affect groundwater nitrogen levels on a barrier island, in this case, Bogue Banks in Carteret County, which lacks central sewer.

NADIA RAMIAGAN: NC Communities Grappling with Floods, Racial Disparities in Water Quality (Public News Service reports) -- A new report finds increased flooding from climate change and racial disparities in water quality are some of the most urgent environmental issues facing North Carolina communities in the coming decade. Data from the report shows the cost of damage from flooding, storm surges and high winds to North Carolina's coastal communities has skyrocketed in the past five years.

Fire that released sulfuric acid at zinc plant is contained (AP reports) -- A fire at a zinc production plant in N.C. has been contained. The blaze had released sulfuric acid into the air and led to evacuations of nearby residents.

JEFF HAMPTON: Federal marksmen, hunters attempting to eliminate feral swine from fragile Outer Banks habitat (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot reports) -- Four years ago N.C. officials called on the USDA to help eradicate the invasive nuisances. Efforts appear to be working.

MARK PRICE: Have you ever heard of a gustnado? One just hit NC coastal town with 80 mph winds (Charlotte Observer reports) -- A mysterious weather phenomenon that looked deceivingly like a tornado hit the NC coast Friday, creating a 2.3 mile path of destruction in its wake. But the National Weather Service decided over the weekend that it was, in fact, not a tornado — but instead a gustnado that generated the 80 mph winds.

Why H2GO should not kill the reverse-osmosis plant (Wilmington Star-News) -- The saga of the H2GO reverse-osmosis water treatment plant has taken more twists and turns than the Cape Fear River, the source of water for most people here. A court ruling last week could be the immediate death knell for the RO plant, a move we believe would be a mistake.

Book culture is definitely a part of our identity and we’re all the better for it (Winston-Salem Journal) -- Those of us who produce the Journal every day make no demands that you read onlythe Journal. We expect our readers to look to other sources for news, information and entertainment. And we’re happy to shine a brief spotlight on the 32nd annual used book sale being conducted by the Shepherd’s Center of Greater Winston on Thursday and Friday. It will be huge.