Weekly Wrap: Jockeying for position as 2018 session approaches

Taking a page from the massive teacher strikes seen in West Virginia and Arizona, North Carolina teachers are planning a major demonstration at the Legislative Building on the opening day of session.

Cooper recently asked for an extra $130 million in the state budget for school safety, including more nurses and counselors, and he is expected to ask for more money for teacher raises. Together with the money the governor has already requested to deal with GenX and other chemicals in the state's waterways, the $300 million budget surplus is quickly disappearing.

Speaking of GenX and school funding, lawmakers aren't close to getting a handle on either.

An education funding expert called North Carolina's system for funding schools antiquated. The state hasn't overhauled its funding formula in decades, and it likely will take a while to do so.

Researchers told lawmakers that GenX is only one of 20-some unregulated chemicals found in the drinking water in Wilmington, and they still don't known the health effects of long-term exposure to them.

Finally, state Republic Party director Dallas Woodhouse used the opportunity of his deposition by the state Democratic Party in a lawsuit over canceled judicial primaries to hand out a couple of pages of unverified opposition research into Democratic candidates.