Josh Stein
Coverage (20 articles)
Charlotte's Veto-Override Votes Are Leaving the NC House
Carla Cunningham, Tricia Cotham and Nasif Majeed gave Republicans the votes to override Democratic governors. All three leave the House in January.
CMS Renames Its Equity Policy and Drops Race Data Rules, 7-2
Board member Lenora Shipp's motion cited Session Law 2026-41, and no one at the dais mentioned the race data before the vote.
SNAP Penalty Could Cost Mecklenburg Up to $42 Million a Year
A federal penalty tied to North Carolina's food-assistance error rate could take $30 million to $42 million a year out of Mecklenburg County's budget, and the county will owe a share of it even if its own error rate stays under the federal limit. The county's budget director called it a shift of federal costs onto local residents, from a program funded by income tax onto a county whose revenue levers are "really limited to property tax." Whether the General Assembly must cap property tax is the question on the November 3 ballot.
Revive the I-77 Toll Lanes or Repay $64M, State Budget Says
The regional board that killed the I-77 South toll lanes in May will vote September 23 on bringing them back, under a state budget that told the governments that opposed them to reinstate the project or repay $64 million. The count starts with Charlotte, which controls more of the board's vote than any other member and hasn't said which way it will go.
Raleigh Wants $60 Million Back for Killing I-77 Toll Lanes
A bill in Raleigh, written by Sen. Vickie Sawyer, would require the Charlotte-area governments that voted to kill the I-77 South toll lanes in May to repay the state an estimated $60 million, freeze the decision until 2027, and withhold state highway money until it is paid. Mecklenburg commissioners, briefed June 16, called it a retaliatory power grab.
NC Budget Framework: Most Workers' Raises Trail Inflation
Senate Pres. Pro Tem Phil Berger and House Speaker Destin Hall announced a budget framework Tuesday afternoon, ending a ten-month standoff. Teachers get an 8 percent raise and a $48,000 starting floor. Most state employees get 3 percent, below the 3.8 percent inflation rate reported the same morning. The income tax steps down through 2034, and a constitutional amendment capping the rate at 3.5 percent goes on the November ballot.
Vi Lyles to Resign June 30; Race to Replace Her Has Started
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles announced Thursday that she will resign on June 30, ending a tenure that began in 2017. Under North Carolina law, the City Council will appoint a Democrat to serve the remainder of her term, and the field is already organizing in public, with former Mayor Jennifer Roberts offering to fill the vacancy and Council Member Dante Anderson breaking for the outsider option. The vote that decides who fills the seat has not been scheduled.
Carla Cunningham Leaves the Democratic Party.
After losing her March primary to Rev. Dr. Rodney Sadler by nearly 48 points, the seven-term Charlotte representative re-registered Unaffiliated on Friday. She has not said whether she will caucus with Republicans. Speaker Destin Hall's veto-override math doesn't need her to.
SMBC Commits to 2,000 Charlotte Jobs in $76M Incentive Deal
SMBC will invest $50.5 million in Mecklenburg County by fall 2027 to set up its second U.S. headquarters, after New York.
What Happened to CATS? Charlotte Transit's Move to the MPTA
By July 1, 2026, CATS as a City of Charlotte department will cease to exist, absorbed into the new Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority. Here's how Charlotte's transit system went from city department to regional authority, and what it means.
How Charlotte's Transit Tax Works and Who Controls the Money
Mecklenburg County voters approved a one-cent sales tax increase in November 2025. The PAVE Act splits the revenue 40/40/20 between roads, rail, and bus service, generating roughly $490 million annually. Here is how the money works and who controls it.
Stein Endorses Challenger to Charlotte Rep. Carla Cunningham
Governor endorses challenger to 7-term Charlotte incumbent who votes with GOP 84% of time. March 3 primary will decide whether Democrats can restore veto power.
Charlotte $19B Transit Tax Vote Amid Shutdown, Redistricting
Federal shutdown hits day 34 as Charlotte votes on $19B transit tax. How Washington chaos, Raleigh redistricting, and local politics collide three weeks before Election Day.
No Deal in Raleigh: Medicaid, Pay Raises, Tax Plans in Limbo
NC lawmakers end session with no budget deal, leaving Medicaid cuts, teacher raises, and tax plans in limbo as House and Senate trade blame and head home.
Iryna Zarutska's Death and Charlotte's Nov. 4 Election
Three weeks before one of Charlotte's most consequential elections in a decade, a murder on the Blue Line became the story that wouldn't let go. Somewhere between Iryna Zarutska's death and the November 4 ballot, tragedy was transformed into campaign currency.
Charlotte Voter Guide 2025: Shutdown, Crime and the Ballot
Federal shutdown hits Day 12, Charlotte debates National Guard deployment, and November elections loom. Here's what voters need to know, and do, right now.
Police Union Seeks National Guard as Teacher Jobs Are Cut
Charlotte's FOP requested National Guard help while cutting teacher positions. A homicide, missing teen, and billionaire-funded venues reveal what the city values, and what it doesn't.
NC Politics: Transit Tax Vote, Stopgap Budget, Veto Fight
A hard look at the week: Mecklenburg's transit tax hits the ballot, the governor signs a stopgap budget and vetoes a school-choice tax credit, and local transparency fights simmer in Charlotte.
Political Events in Charlotte, NC July 27 - August 3, 2025
From veto overrides to local council contests, Charlotte's political pulse quickened July 27–Aug 3. Here's what mattered and why.
Five Days in Charlotte Politics: Mi Cabana to Transit Tax
Five chaotic days shut a violent bar, cleared two town ballots, unleashed a Senate shake‑up, and let lawmakers spike your power bill, all before Charlotte finished its second latte.
Other coverage in the Mercury Local network
I-77 Toll Lane Fight Returns, and Mecklenburg Has a Vote
The I-77 toll lanes the regional board killed in May are up for a revival vote on September 23, under a state budget with a $64 million penalty attached. Mecklenburg County is one of the governments deciding. Here is the short version for south Charlotte.
I-77 Toll Lanes: Your Town Has a Vote on Reviving Them
Under the July 7 state budget, governments that voted against the project had until roughly October 5 to reverse course or repay the state $64 million.
I-77 Toll Lanes Return for a Vote: What Uptown Should Know
Charlotte holds 31 of the board's roughly 73 weighted votes, more than any other member, and says its position is unchanged.