The North Carolina legislature has revived public discussion over redrawing judicial election districts and how judges are chosen after a three-month hiatus.

But it’s unclear if the renewed conversation Friday in a House-Senate study committee will translate to approved legislation during the General Assembly work session that begins next month.

House Republicans began talking last June about overhauling election boundaries for Superior Court and District Court seats because of population disparities. Senators extended the debate last fall to include whether head-to-head judicial elections should be eliminated altogether.

Friday’s meeting ended without clear direction whether any of these ideas would be voted on during the upcoming session.

Gov. Roy Cooper and fellow Democrats argue the proposals are simply political power plays by GOP leaders unhappy after recent court decisions against them.

Related Stories
‹
North Carolina Redistricting Trial Begins, With Racial Gerrymandering Allegations the Focus
North Carolina districts drawn by Republicans that helped retain majorities in Raleigh and Washington are a topic in federal court this week.
NC House Minority Leader Shares Thoughts on Latest Round of Redistricting and Maps
Rep. Robert Reives II discussed North Carolina's latest redistricting efforts and his concerns over the state's lack of checks and balances.
North Carolina Republicans Put Exclamation Mark on Pivotal Annual Session With Redistricting Maps
The North Carolina General Assembly gave final approval Wednesday to new redistricting maps poised to empower the state GOP for years.
Redistricting Redux: North Carolina Lawmakers To Draw Again New Maps for Congress and Themselves
Written by GARY D. ROBERTSON With a new state budget completed, North Carolina legislators now turn their attention yet again to mapping the state’s congressional and General Assembly districts. The House and Senate redistricting committees scheduled hearings this week — the last one happened Wednesday in Raleigh — to receive public comment about the process of […]
Proposed North Carolina Budget Would Exempt Legislators From Public Records Disclosures
Written by HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Republican state lawmakers in North Carolina are attempting to exempt themselves from public records laws meant to safeguard transparency with a budget provision allowing them to keep any legislative document private — even after they leave office. Tucked into the 625-page state budget that legislators have begun voting on fewer than […]
North Carolina Governor Appoints Democrat To Fill Supreme Court Vacancy
Written by HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper appointed an appellate judge and longtime voting rights attorney to fill a vacancy on the North Carolina Supreme Court created when one of two Democratic justices stepped down early. Allison Riggs, a registered Democrat, will replace outgoing Justice Michael Morgan, who resigned last week from the panel […]
North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore Confirms He Won’t Seek Another Term Leading the Chamber
Written by GARY D. ROBERTSON North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore confirmed on Friday that his record fifth two-year term presiding over the chamber will be his last, saying legislative colleagues have known about his decision going back a year. Moore, a Cleveland County Republican, has served in the House since 2003 and was first […]
Passing North Carolina Budget Before New Year Looks Out of Reach for GOP Legislators
Written by GARY D. ROBERTSON North Carolina Republican lawmakers are preparing for extra time again in order to pass a state government budget and to reach other substantial policy agreements before adjourning for the summer. While state law doesn’t mandate when the General Assembly adjourns, legislative leaders had hoped to get a new budget […]
Voting Rights Lawyer To Fill N. Carolina Appeals Court Seat
Written by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A longtime voting rights attorney will be appointed to the North Carolina Court of Appeals, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said Thursday, filling a vacancy when Judge Richard Dietz moves to the state Supreme Court next month. Allison Riggs, a co-leader of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice in Durham, has […]
Court Opens Door To Voiding N. Carolina Voter ID Amendment
Written by JONATHAN DREW and GARY D. ROBERTSON North Carolina’s highest court opened the door Friday to nullifying a voter ID mandate approved by citizens in 2018 because the lawmakers who put it on the ballot were elected from districts tainted by illegal racial bias. However, the North Carolina Supreme Court stopped short of striking […]
›