WUNC Politics

A wide-ranging healthcare bill that was recently signed into law would make it easier to get flu medications and make it easier for medical professionals to practice in North Carolina. It was among several noteworthy bills that made it across the finish line just before lawmakers left for their summer break. Because they were complicated and non-controversial, they got overshadowed by bills on hot topics like DEI and LGBTQ issues. Sen. Benton Sawrey, R-Johnston, helped develop the legislation and joined WUNC's Colin Campbell to discuss its impacts on the state's healthcare system. Sawrey also addressed the potential impacts of the federal megabill signed by President Donald Trump on Medicaid.

House Democratic Leader Robert Reives says the legislature has been “getting nothing done” this year as it heads to a summer break. He faults Republican leaders for focusing on culture war issues instead of getting a budget agreement. Reives spoke with WUNC’s Colin Campbell about his assessment of this year’s legislative session, the likelihood that his party can sustain Gov. Josh Stein’s vetoes, and Democrats’ prospects in the 2026 legislative elections.

Since Republican Dave Boliek won last year’s election, the position of state auditor has been getting more powerful. He’s now responsible for appointing and overseeing the State Board of Elections, and lawmakers want to put him in charge of a sweeping government efficiency review. He’s also been auditing the Division of Motor Vehicles and hurricane recovery spending. Boliek spoke with Colin Campbell about that work and other action in his first five months in office.

Sen. Dan Blue, D-Wake, is the only lawmaker who’s been in office since the early 1980s, but the former House speaker is no longer serving as Senate minority leader after his fellow Democrats backed Sen. Sydney Batch for that role instead. But Blue says he’ll still have a key role in Senate action, and he's "freed up to play diplomat" on issues like healthcare, education and affordable housing. He spoke with WUNC's Colin Campbell about his work this session, why he voted for the GOP budget, and his thoughts on how state politics has changed since he was first elected 45 years ago.

Amid all the culture wars and controversies at North Carolina’s legislature, some legislation features Republicans and Democrats quietly working together. There are plenty of examples of bills developed by lawmakers from both parties working together, ultimately leading to unanimous votes with no debate. Rep. Laura Budd, D-Mecklenburg, is one of the few Democrats who's sponsored bills that passed the House this year. She spoke with WUNC's Colin Campbell about how she's developed relationships across the political divide and the legislation she's developed with GOP colleagues. Budd also spoke about her concerns with the House budget bill, and the awkward moments that come from sharing a last name with a prominent U.S. senator.

The N.C. House recently passed a bill to allow the state treasurer to invest state pension funds in cryptocurrency and other digital assets. Rep. Mike Schietzelt, the first-term Republican who made the case for the bill on the House floor, speaks with WUNC's Colin Campbell about the advantages of cryptocurrency investments and the risk concerns raised by opponents. Schietzelt also discussed his bills to create tax exemptions for retired government employees and an "open enrollment" proposal to let families choose any school in their district. And he explains his approach to winning a competitive Wake County House district last year.

Earlier this month, former Congressman Wiley Nickel became the first Democrat to officially launch a campaign in North Carolina’s 2026 U.S. Senate race. He’s an attorney and former Barack Obama aide who represented Wake County in the state Senate before being elected to Congress in 2022 from one of the state’s only swing districts. He spoke with WUNC about how he plans to take on incumbent Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, the prospects that former Gov. Roy Cooper could enter the race, and what he thinks Democrats should do differently to fight the Trump administration.

For years, the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles has been plagued by long wait times and poor service. It’s a major problem in one of America’s fastest-growing states. And in the age of DOGE and government efficiency, it's generating talk of some dramatic solutions. This week, we're sharing an episode on the issue from one of WUNC's other podcasts, The Broadside. Featuring: Bradley GeorgeLarry HiggsRichard Stradling

Budget season at the state legislature has officially kicked off with the release of Gov. Josh Stein’s budget recommendations. He’s calling on lawmakers to pause scheduled corporate and personal income tax cuts to avoid projected revenue shortfalls starting next year. He says those revenue drops will make it difficult to fund teacher raises and other major investments in state government, but Republican legislative leaders aren’t eager to change course on tax cuts. Kristin Walker is the state budget director, overseeing the economists who develop the revenue forecast. She joined WUNC's Colin Campbell to discuss the details of those projections, and some of the other highlights from the governor's budget recommendations, including public safety funding and free community college tuition.

As North Carolina schools face staffing shortages, both Republicans and Democrats are pushing for bigger raises for starting teacher pay -- but the proposals could face tough odds in a tight budget year. Gov. Josh Stein’s proposal to increase starting teacher pay above $50,000 is similar to one filed recently by Republicans in the state House. Rep. Erin Paré, R-Wake and sponsor of that bill, was appointed this year to help lead the budget process. She spoke with Colin Campbell about the teacher pay plan and its prospects in the legislature. Paré also discussed her bills to offer tax exemptions on tips and gambling losses, as well as a salary transparency measure for school district administrators.

It’s been more than 50 years since North Carolina used a racist, Jim Crow-era “literacy test” that was designed to prevent Black people from registering to vote. But that requirement remains in the state’s constitution, unenforced. Rep. Terry Brown, D-Mecklenburg, is making another attempt this year to get the language removed. He’ll have to persuade both the House and Senate to put the repeal on the November 2026 ballot. Brown spoke with WUNC's Colin Campbell about the proposal. He also talked about his new role as chief Democratic whip, a difficult role for House Democrats as they seek to sustain Gov. Josh Stein’s vetoes this year with narrow margins.

N.C. Sen. Benton Sawrey, R-Johnston, landed an influential role in his second term this session as co-chair of the Senate’s committees on healthcare. He joined WUNC's Colin Campbell to talk about efforts to address the unusually high costs of healthcare in North Carolina, including a recent bill to limit insurance coverage mandates and some other proposals in the works for later this year. Sawrey also discussed the prospects of federal Medicaid cuts, the upcoming state budget process and a new sports caucus.

After a decade of being led by longtime Sen. Dan Blue, Democrats in the state Senate decided to elect a new leader this year. Sen. Sydney Batch became Senate minority leader last month. She’s a family law attorney who represents western Wake County since she was first elected to the House in 2018. Batch joined the WUNC Politics Podcast to talk about her approach to the leadership role, the potential for Democrats to impact legislation, and the upcoming budget process.

As state lawmakers debate how much money is needed for the latest Helene recovery package, Gov. Josh Stein’s administration is making the case for $1.07 billion to help western North Carolina rebuild. Matt Calabria, director of the newly created Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC), spoke with WUNC's Colin Campbell about Stein’s Helene funding proposal, the state of federal recovery funding, and the biggest needs five months after the storm. Calabria also explained how his new organization will differ from the state's sluggish hurricane recovery programs from past storms.

Raleigh-based Republican consultant Carter Wrenn has had a front-row seat to decades of political history. He’s worked for the campaigns of U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms and Ronald Reagan starting in the 1970s. He’s now written a book on his experience that offers an inside look at some key moments and controversial figures in politics. He spoke with WUNC's Colin Campbell about the book, “The Trail of the Serpent: Stories from the Smoke-Filled Rooms of Politics,” and on some aspects of his political work that he’s come to regret.

This is the fifth episode in a new season of our Main Street NC series. We're visiting communities across the state to hear from local leaders about the positives going on in their towns, and the challenges they face. Midway is one of North Carolina's newer towns formed to avoid becoming part of a neighboring city. The town in Davidson County that borders Winston-Salem boasts one of the lowest property tax rates in the state, while using its planning and zoning powers to limit suburban sprawl. That strategy has so far avoided the development controversies that impacted the similar town of Summerfield, but Midway offers a case study in how to form a town to cautiously manage growth. WUNC spoke with Mayor John Byrum about how the town was created in 2006 and what's happened there since.

This is the fourth episode in a new season of our Main Street NC series. In the coming months, we’ll be visiting communities across the state to hear from local leaders about the positives going on in their towns, and the challenges they face. The Beaufort County town of Aurora, population 450, is one of a number of rural communities staking their economic futures on industrial park developments designed to attract employers. Longtime Mayor Clif Williams has been working for years on a 25-acre industrial park that will bring more jobs and a community college campus to the town that's seen a declining population — despite a thriving phosphate mine nearby that employs hundreds of people. WUNC spoke with Williams about the project, and other initiatives to bring growth to Aurora.

This is the third in a new season of our Main Street NC series. We're visiting communities across the state to hear from local leaders about the positives going on in their towns, and the challenges they face. Historically Black neighborhoods in southeast Raleigh are rapidly changing, as older homes get torn down to make way for pricey new houses -- and many longtime residents are being pushed out by gentrification. WUNC visits southeast Raleigh to look at the shift and the city's efforts to create affordable housing and manage the growth pressures. Colin Campbell visits a barbershop and new restaurant and spoke with community activist Octavia Rainey and City Councilman Corey Branch.

This is the second in a new season of our Main Street NC series. In the coming months, we’ll be visiting communities across the state to hear from local leaders about the positives going on in their towns, and the challenges they face. Mitchell County, about an hour northeast of Asheville, was hit hard by Helene in September. The storm flooded its downtown business districts, wiped out water and sewer systems and damaged homes and roads. More than two months from the storm, WUNC's Colin Campbell visited the county to find out where the recovery stands and what assistance from state and federal governments is still needed. Small business grants, private bridge replacements and infrastructure funding are among the needs, according to County Manager Allen Cook.

This is the first in a new season of our Main Street NC series. In the coming months, we’ll be visiting communities across the state to hear from local leaders about the positives going on in their towns, and the challenges they face, from storm recovery to gentrification to job development. Nationally touring bands play regularly at the R.A. Fountain General Store in Fountain, a Pitt County town of just 400 people. Now the general store is no longer the only place to find music in this sleepy two-block historic downtown. A couple doors down from the concert venue, guitar maker Freeman Vines has set up his workshop in an old drug store. And the Music Maker Relief Foundation bought two more storefronts next to the Vines workshop to open a recording studio and photography studio to bring in musicians from across the South. Can music and arts be a revitalizing force in rural communities? WUNC visited Fountain and spoke with R.A. Fountain's Alex Albright and Music Maker's Tim Duffy about their efforts.