NC Matters

Entering her fourth term in the N.C. General Assembly, Rep. Susan Fisher of the 114th District is the senior representative from Buncombe County. As a Democrat, however, she lost the leadership positions she held last year as Republicans took control of both houses of the Legislature in January. "None of the Democrats are seeing office-holding […]

Republican­s step up to bat

The new Republican majority in the state Legislature came ready to play on Jan. 26, the first day of the 2011 session, immediately introducing bills to forbid contraints on “health care freedom” and to amend the state constitution to prohibit the use of eminent domain for economic development. Sen. Tom Apodaca of Hendersonville, representing the […]

The Beat

The North Carolina General Assembly continued to claim the spotlight last week as Republicans took control of both the House and Senate for the first time in more than a century. In a series of articles, the Asheville Citizen-Times reported "Statehouse Power Shift to Usher in Changes." Republicans "appear poised to lift the cap on […]

The Beat: Getting the Statehouse in order

A look at what’s been making headlines: The North Carolina General Assembly continued to claim the spotlight last week as Republicans took control of both the House and Senate for the first time in more than a century. In other political news, Rep. Heath Shuler made waves by getting appointed to the powerful House Committee on the Budget. He also got made fun of in the famed Doonesbury comic strip. And in national attention of a different sort, news outlets nationwide reported that Fodors listed Asheville as a top travel destination.

Shuler lands major financial post, introduces redistrict­ing reform legislatio­n

U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler (D) of Western North Carolina’s District 11 has been appointed to the powerful House Budget Committee, which is responsible for setting federal spending priorities and proposing an annual federal budget for the country. And in legislative action, the WNC congressman has introduced a reform bill to require independent, bipartisan congressional redistricting.

Front row seats

On Jan. 26, Republican majorities will be seated in both houses of the North Carolina General Assembly for the first time since 1898. The Republican power surge comes at a time when both major parties are seeing their shares of the registered voter pool shrink: Unaffiliated voters now account for almost a quarter of the […]