Thom Tillis is once again under fire for backing down when it mattered most—this time voting to confirm one of Trump’s most controversial judicial nominees, despite warnings from former federal prosecutors and his own previous statements.
People across the state are calling for Republicans in the North Carolina General Assembly to protect Medicaid coverage for hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians after President Donald Trump signed his “Big Beautiful Bill” into law.
Governor Josh Stein has vetoed several bills that, if passed, would have an impact on North Carolina’s charter schools, environment, and the balance of political power.
Democrats have repeatedly accused Republicans of being so beholden to Trump that they embraced a bill that would harm their own constituents, with cuts to programs that the president had vowed to protect.
Political observers say both parties are recalibrating. Davidson College professor Susan Roberts called Cooper a “real powerhouse” who could bring credibility and experience to the race. Duke University’s Mac McCorkle noted that Lara Trump’s name recognition could clear the Republican field. “It’s Lara Trump’s to refuse,” he said.
“We are in the middle of the worst hunger crisis North Carolina has seen in nearly 20 years,” Jason Kanawati Stephany, Vice President of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, told ABC 11. “Not only are we going to see a worsening of hunger in our community immediately, we’re going to see long-term economic devastation, I don’t think anybody has planned for.”
This month, Governor Josh Stein vetoed three bills, his first time using his veto power since entering office in January. Stein vetoed the following bills: SB 50, Freedom To Carry NC; SB 153, North Carolina Border Protection Act; and HB 318, The Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act.
Gov. Stein, who took office in January, issued his formal objections to three measures backed by the GOP, including a bill that would eliminate the requirement for gun owners to apply for and receive a legal permit before carrying a concealed loaded firearm in public.
Minority leader Sydney Batch argued that the people of western NC cannot afford to wait. “Senator Berger wants the legislature to recess for two months while hurricane survivors are still living in uninhabitable homes, facing washed-out roads and waiting for their classrooms to reopen,” Batch said. “He may be ready for a vacation, but our neighbors in western North Carolina don’t get to take a break from this crisis.”
Thousands of people marched, chanted, honked, and carried signs and American flags across North Carolina on June 14 to protest the policies and tactics of President Donald Trump.