Thursday Wrap: Voting maps, state pensions and hemp

The Senate on Thursday approved two tax cut measures and two "mini-budgets." The former would roll back the franchise tax charged on businesses, extend the film grant program and increase the standard deduction on income tax returns, among other things. The latter would provide the step increases on the state salary schedule for teachers and would provide some raises for university and community college employees and bonuses for the pensions of retired state workers.

But some lawmakers criticized the emphasis on cutting taxes instead of providing retirees with a permanent cost-of-living increase, noting they haven't had one in more than a decade.

House and Senate leaders also struck a deal on the annual Farm Act, agreeing to outlaw smokable hemp in North Carolina as of next June. The smokable hemp issue had been a sticking point, as law enforcement officials said allowing it basically prevents them from making arrests based on the smell of marijuana. The farm bill also has provisions dealing with hog farms and skeet shooting on farms.

As a three-judge panel weighed whether to halt congressional elections until a lawsuit challenging the congressional district map drawn in 2016 is resolved, a House committee gathered information on three bills that would reform the process for drawing congressional and legislative maps.