It’s been more than 50 years since North Carolina used a racist, Jim Crow-era “literacy test” that was designed to prevent Black people from registering to vote. But that requirement remains in the state’s constitution, unenforced. Rep. Terry Brown, D-Mecklenburg, is making another attempt this year to get the language removed. He’ll have to persuade both the House and Senate to put the repeal on the November 2026 ballot. Brown spoke with WUNC's Colin Campbell about the proposal. He also talked about his new role as chief Democratic whip, a difficult role for House Democrats as they seek to su ..read more

N.C. Sen. Benton Sawrey, R-Johnston, landed an influential role in his second term this session as co-chair of the Senate’s committees on healthcare. He joined WUNC's Colin Campbell to talk about efforts to address the unusually high costs of healthcare in North Carolina, including a recent bill to limit insurance coverage mandates and some other proposals in the works for later this year. Sawrey also discussed the prospects of federal Medicaid cuts, the upcoming state budget process and a new sports caucus ..read more

After a decade of being led by longtime Sen. Dan Blue, Democrats in the state Senate decided to elect a new leader this year. Sen. Sydney Batch became Senate minority leader last month. She’s a family law attorney who represents western Wake County since she was first elected to the House in 2018. Batch joined the WUNC Politics Podcast to talk about her approach to the leadership role, the potential for Democrats to impact legislation, and the upcoming budget process ..read more

As state lawmakers debate how much money is needed for the latest Helene recovery package, Gov. Josh Stein’s administration is making the case for $1.07 billion to help western North Carolina rebuild. Matt Calabria, director of the newly created Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC), spoke with WUNC's Colin Campbell about Stein’s Helene funding proposal, the state of federal recovery funding, and the biggest needs five months after the storm. Calabria also explained how his new organization will differ from the state's sluggish hurricane recovery programs from past st ..read more

Raleigh-based Republican consultant Carter Wrenn has had a front-row seat to decades of political history. He’s worked for the campaigns of U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms and Ronald Reagan starting in the 1970s. He’s now written a book on his experience that offers an inside look at some key moments and controversial figures in politics. He spoke with WUNC's Colin Campbell about the book, “The Trail of the Serpent: Stories from the Smoke-Filled Rooms of Politics,” and on some aspects of his political work that he’s come to regret ..read more

This is the fifth episode in a new season of our Main Street NC series. We're visiting communities across the state to hear from local leaders about the positives going on in their towns, and the challenges they face. Midway is one of North Carolina's newer towns formed to avoid becoming part of a neighboring city. The town in Davidson County that borders Winston-Salem boasts one of the lowest property tax rates in the state, while using its planning and zoning powers to limit suburban sprawl. That strategy has so far avoided the development controversies that impacted the similar town of Summ ..read more

This is the fourth episode in a new season of our Main Street NC series. In the coming months, we’ll be visiting communities across the state to hear from local leaders about the positives going on in their towns, and the challenges they face. The Beaufort County town of Aurora, population 450, is one of a number of rural communities staking their economic futures on industrial park developments designed to attract employers. Longtime Mayor Clif Williams has been working for years on a 25-acre industrial park that will bring more jobs and a community college campus to the town that's seen a de ..read more

This is the third in a new season of our Main Street NC series. We're visiting communities across the state to hear from local leaders about the positives going on in their towns, and the challenges they face. Historically Black neighborhoods in southeast Raleigh are rapidly changing, as older homes get torn down to make way for pricey new houses -- and many longtime residents are being pushed out by gentrification. WUNC visits southeast Raleigh to look at the shift and the city's efforts to create affordable housing and manage the growth pressures. Colin Campbell visits a barbershop and new r ..read more

This is the second in a new season of our Main Street NC series. In the coming months, we’ll be visiting communities across the state to hear from local leaders about the positives going on in their towns, and the challenges they face. Mitchell County, about an hour northeast of Asheville, was hit hard by Helene in September. The storm flooded its downtown business districts, wiped out water and sewer systems and damaged homes and roads. More than two months from the storm, WUNC's Colin Campbell visited the county to find out where the recovery stands and what assistance from state and federal ..read more

This is the first in a new season of our Main Street NC series. In the coming months, we’ll be visiting communities across the state to hear from local leaders about the positives going on in their towns, and the challenges they face, from storm recovery to gentrification to job development.  Nationally touring bands play regularly at the R.A. Fountain General Store in Fountain, a Pitt County town of just 400 people. Now the general store is no longer the only place to find music in this sleepy two-block historic downtown. A couple doors down from the concert venue, guitar maker Freeman V ..read more