Under the Dome: Biden, visiting NC today, seeks tougher gun laws after officers’ killings
Good morning! ☀️ Here’s what you need to know in North Carolina politics today.
The families of North Carolina law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty will get a visit today from President Joe Biden.
The White House confirmed Wednesday evening that Biden will go to Charlotte to meet with families of those killed while serving a warrant Monday, and officers who were wounded.
It’s his first of two stops in North Carolina. Read on for more. – Stephanie Loder, correspondent
MOORE AND BERGER BACK ROBERTS TO SERVE AS UNC CHANCELLOR, PERMANENTLY
House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger praised interim Chancellor Lee Roberts of UNC-Chapel Hill for his handling of pro-Palestinian protests that grew chaotic Tuesday, and said he should permanently fill the position at the helm of the university.
Both GOP legislative leaders criticized protesters for taking down an American flag that hung from a flagpole in the main quad on campus, and replacing it with a Palestinian flag.
Moore said that Roberts showed “incredible leadership” and “a lot of backbone,” while Berger said there was “no question” that Roberts should continue serving as chancellor on a permanent basis.
Get the full story from Korie Dean and me here. — Avi Bajpai
SCHOOL VOUCHER FUNDING FAST-TRACKED
Extra funding for school vouchers is on the fast track in the General Assembly.
A bill backed by one Senate committee Wednesday and on its way to another one today would provide more than $460 million for Opportunity Scholarships, with the goal of providing the vouchers for all 72,000 new applicants.
Republicans want to clear the wait list for the vouchers. The legislation is moving before the state budget does so parents and schools have time to plan for the fall, Senate leader Phil Berger said.
With support from Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore, Republicans are likely to be able to pass the bill and overturn a veto from Gov. Roy Cooper.
Democrats said that money could go to other needs such as teacher raises, child care or prekindergarten.
Read more from T. Keung Hui and Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan here.
PRESIDENT TO VISIT FAMILIES OF OFFICERS KILLED IN CHARLOTTE
Following the line- of- duty deaths of four law enforcement officers in Charlotte and the wounding of several more, President Joe Biden will come to Charlotte today to meet with victims and families.
Biden will also stop in Wilmington, where he’ll tout infrastructure investments.
Biden issued a statement Monday night calling on Congress for stricter gun laws. Police recovered an AR-15 and a .40 caliber handgun following the shootings, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said at a Tuesday news conference.
“They are heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice, rushing into harm’s way to protect us. We mourn for them and their loved ones,” said Biden, who has made visiting North Carolina a priority ahead of the 2024 election.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks, two veterans of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, Sam Poloche and Alden Elliott, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Officer Joshua Eyer died in the line of duty and four others were injured after Terry Clark Hughes Jr. opened fire as the officers were trying to serve a warrant. Hughes, wanted for firearms possession by a felon, was shot and killed.
Calling the killings of four law enforcement officers in Charlotte a “horrific act of violence,” U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson, a Democrat from Charlotte, led colleagues in a moment of silence on Tuesday on the House floor.
Jackson said he was acting on Charlotte Rep. Alma Adams’ behalf in asking for a moment of silence Tuesday as Adams was at home “standing with the community.” Jackson was joined by Rep. Dan Bishop, who represents a district near Charlotte, as well as Reps. Richard Hudson, Don Davis, Deborah Ross, Kathy Manning, David Rouzer and Chuck Edwards.
Read more from Danielle Battaglia here, here and here.
JUDGE SAYS SOME NC ABORTION DRUG RESTRICTIONS UNLAWFUL
A federal judge ruled this week that some of North Carolina’s restrictions on the abortion drug mifepristone are unlawful.
Dr. Amy Bryant, an OB-GYN with UNC Health, sued the state to challenge its regulations for prescribing the first pill in a two-pill regimen that is used to end a pregnancy within 10 weeks of gestation.
U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles, an appointee of Democratic President Barack Obama, ruled on Tuesday that several of the state’s laws are contrary to a congressional mandate that the FDA create a plan for safe drug use. Among the state laws cited by the judge were:
Mifepristone be prescribed, dispensed and administered in person.
Only physicians prescribe the drug.
The requirement of an in-person follow-up appointment.
Any complications the drug caused be reported to the FDA.
The ruling may be appealed to higher courts.
Get the full story from Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi here.
CORRECTION: In reporting on a trip by North Carolina legislators to a Kentucky distillery, Wednesday’s newsletter incorrectly described where Rep. Jason Saine made a comment Tuesday about hearing “no complaints” about the trip. He said it in a phone interview.
That’s all for today. Check your inbox tomorrow for more #ncpol news.
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