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Gary D. Robertson.

North Carolina Supreme Court says bars’ COVID-19 lawsuits can continue

August 22, 2025

The North Carolina Supreme Court has issued favorable rulings for bars seeking compensation from the state for COVID-19 restrictions. On Friday, the court decided that two lawsuits filed by bars and their operators can continue. These lawsuits claim that through ordered closings they were treated unfairly compared to restaurants during the pandemic. The restrictions began in March 2020 under then-Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat. The court’s Republican justices agreed one lawsuit could proceed, rejecting state arguments to halt it. They ruled the other case also can return to a trial judge so evidence could be analyzed on the claim the owners’ rights to earn a living were violated.

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FILE - North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks at a campaign event in Charlotte, N.C., Sept. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond, File)

Former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper will run for the US Senate in North Carolina in 2026

July 28, 2025

Former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper will run for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina, giving Democrats a proven statewide winner in an open-seat race that is expected to be one of the most competitive 2026 contests. Cooper made the announcement Monday with a video released on social media and his campaign website. The former two-term governor will immediately become the front-runner for the Democratic nomination in the race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley plans to run for the GOP nomination, with President Donald Trump’s blessing. Cooper’s candidacy is a big recruiting win for Democrats, who see the seat as a top pick-up opportunity in what will be a challenging year.

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FILE - North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein delivers the State of the State address at the Legislative Building, March 12, 2025, in Raleigh N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward, File)

North Carolina governor vetoes anti-DEI and transgender rights bills, calling them ‘mean-spirited’

July 3, 2025

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has vetoed three anti-DEI bills and another targeting transgender rights. Stein criticized on Thursday the Republican-led legislature for prioritizing what he called “mean-spirited” bills that it sent to his desk. The anti-DEI bills would cut or eliminate diversity programs in government and education. The transgender-related bill includes restrictions on state-funded gender-affirming care for prisoners and other provisions. Republicans argue these laws promote fairness and parental rights. The legislature may attempt to override the vetoes later this month. Stein has vetoed 11 bills since January, all within the past two weeks.

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Newly appointed members of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, from left, Jeff Carmon, Francis De Luca, Stacy "Four" Eggers, Siobhan O'Duffy Millen and Bob Rucho, take their oaths of office at the Dobbs Building in Raleigh, N.C., on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 (AP Photo/Gary D. Robertson)

Trump administration sues North Carolina over its voter registration records

May 27, 2025

The Trump administration has accused North Carolina’s election board of violating federal law by failing to ensure that registration records of some applicants contained identifying numbers. It wants a judge to force board officials to create a prompt method to obtain such numbers. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division sued in federal court on Tuesday alleging violations of the Help America Vote Act. The lawsuit is about the collection of a registrant’s driver’s license number or partial Social Security number. The department says it’s carrying out a recent executive order from President Donald Trump on elections. Registrant records were also an issue in a state Supreme Court race last year.

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