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Please jump the fold for links to a few North Carolina stories I found useful. The reasoning behind the mask ban legislation is a stark reminder of our state’s history, wrapped up in a modern bow reflecting fear of the recent Israel-Hamas protests.
Proponents say police and prosecutors will respect health concerns, use “discretion” in enforcement
The North Carolina Senate approved an amended version of House Bill 237 on Wednesday evening that would prohibit the wearing of masks in public.
The controversial bill, which would also increase criminal penalties for those who commit crimes while wearing a mask in public, comes in the wake of protests that have erupted on college campuses across the country in response to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The Senate rejected three amendments to the bill proposed by Wake County Democratic Senators Sydney Batch, Lisa Grafstein and Jay Chaudhuri.
“We talk a lot about freedoms in this chamber, I hear it all the time. I should have the freedom, my children should have the freedom and my husband should have the freedom to wear a mask in order to protect and save my life without fear of being arrested and charged with a class one misdemeanor, which is exactly what this bill would do.”
The week in North Carolina politics from WRAL's NC Capitol team.
North Carolina is a hotbed for hurricanes. Here are the best tips and facts for hurricane season in NC.
With Atlantic hurricane season kicking off June 1, North Carolina residents from the coast to the mountains have good reasons to prepare. From the deadly storm surge of Hurricane Hazel in 1954 to the inland flooding brought by Florence in 2018, hurricanes pose a multifaceted threat well beyond the beach.
A hurricane is a type of tropical cyclone, a storm system that forms over the ocean. In the Northern Hemisphere, those storms are called "hurricanes" if they reach wind speeds of 74 mph (119 km/h) or higher.
Hurricane season in North Carolina runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. The greatest number and most severe hurricanes have hit North Carolina between the middle of August and the middle of October, although it’s possible to see a hurricane make landfall at any time of the year. To give you an idea, in 2018, Hurricane Florence made landfall on Sept. 14 as a Category 4 storm and caused widespread damage throughout the state. Later that fall, Hurricane Michael made landfall in North Carolina as a Category 4 storm on Oct. 10.
On Wednesday, the North Carolina House rejected the Senate version of House Bill 10, a controversial measure that requires cooperation between all North Carolina sheriffs and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The House took issue with an amendment on the proposed bill that would have allowed anyone to file a complaint with the state attorney general if a sheriff fails to comply with the potential law.
“We’re working on the language on this. We need to do that through a conference report, of course, because we can’t amend it the way it is right now,” said primary sponsor Rep. Destin Hall (R-Caldwell).
Hall said he expects to take up a conference report next week with the amended language. “So with that, I’d ask you to not concur with the changes of the Senate.”
“I’d just like to say this time we’re on the same side of the vote on this – not to concur,” said Rep. Marcia Morey (D-Durham) to Hall, in a rare show of bipartisanship.
“I am concerned about the provision where any citizen can report to the attorney general and sue a sheriff, which I think we really need to rework in the conference committee. So, I appreciate that.”
The House voted 108-3, in what some immigrant rights advocates see as a win, albeit a small one.
Thanks for reading. Wishing all a good week!