Under the Dome: Berger says casinos won’t ‘see the light of day’ this session
Good morning and welcome to the Under the Dome newsletter. I’m Caitlyn Yaede.
Today’s edition comes on the heels of winter weather, for which Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency Tuesday afternoon.
First up, an update about Senate leader Phil Berger’s reelection plans, and what he says about the prospects for casino legislation. Avi Bajpai has the details.
Last week, when he was asked about his reelection plans by our Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan, Berger said he continues to enjoy serving in the Senate but didn’t want to “prejudge any decision that really doesn’t have to be made until later in the year,” noting that candidate filing isn’t until December.
The next day, Dawn exclusively reported that Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page was launching a primary challenge against Berger. The longtime sheriff from Berger’s home county considered running against him last year, before ultimately deciding to run for lieutenant governor, and finishing fifth in the GOP primary.
After Page’s announcement, Berger confirmed on Tuesday that he plans to seek a 14th term in the Senate.
“My intent has been, all along, to run again, and I felt that the appropriate thing would be to make the announcement of that closer to the filing period,” Berger told reporters. “But, you know, I intend to run, I intend to continue to be the senator from the 26th district.”
Page and Berger have been at odds for years. Most recently, they’ve been on opposing sides of casino expansion into Rockingham County.
While Berger proposed allowing up to four new casinos in the state, pointing to revenue that he said North Carolina would lose out on with Caesars opening a casino in Danville, Virginia, a short drive from Rockingham County, Page and local residents opposed to the quietly-drafted plan traveled to Raleigh to speak against it at a press conference in front of the Legislative Building.
Page said residents should’ve been able to hold a referendum on the issue before lawmakers took action. He reiterated last week that the legislative push for casinos should have allowed public input, and been more transparent.
When I asked if casino legislation could be revisited this year, Berger said he isn’t working on it, nor is he aware of any other lawmakers planning to introduce legislation on it.
“I don’t think it’s something that will see the light of day as far as the legislative session we’re in,” Berger said.
— Avi Bajpai
FIRST-TERM TRUMP APPOINTEE ANNOUNCES DEPARTURE
After five years of leading the U.S. Postal Service, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced that he plans to step down from his role.
The North Carolina businessman and Republican donor was appointed near the end of President Donald Trump’s first term, in 2020, and outlined plans to increase efficiency while cutting costs — including the consolidation of mail facilities, which created tensions between DeJoy and some in Congress concerned over the reliability of rural mail services, AP reported.
Prior to taking on the role, DeJoy was the chairman and CEO of High Point-based New Breed Logistics. Then he served as the finance chairman for the 2020 Republican National Convention in Charlotte. He was the first postmaster general in two decades to serve without prior experience in the Postal Service.
His tenure as head of the USPS included serving through two elections, including one that saw a spike in mail-in ballots because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
There is no set date for DeJoy’s departure, although the announcement comes less than a month into Trump’s second term. DeJoy indicated in a letter on Tuesday that the Postal Service board should begin finding his successor.
USAID CUTS FELT IN TRIANGLE
In the Trump administration’s continued efforts to shrink the size of the federal government, it is taking aim at the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID. The agency — tasked with administering aid to foreign countries — distributes millions in funding to North Carolina-based nonprofits and universities annually, and its dismantling could pose dire consequences for some Triangle businesses, Korie Dean reports.
For 12 years, Carrboro-based EdIntersect has worked to promote reading and learning skills in education agencies worldwide. Its founder Mary Faith Mount-Cors says, so far, the company is facing two months of lost revenue as USAID funding comes to a halt.
On Feb. 6, Durham-based FHI 360 announced it would furlough 36% of its U.S. staff, including 200 employees in North Carolina.
Similarly, Research Triangle Park’s RTI International plans to lay off 61 North Carolina employees.
WHAT ELSE WE’RE READING
Nearly 10% of U.S. Forest Service workers are facing layoffs as federal jobs are slashed. Such federal employees in Asheville — responsible for overseeing four of the state’s national forests — say cuts to their workforce pose a threat to Hurricane Helene recovery, the Asheville Citizen Times reports. It’s estimated that more than 20% of national forest acreage in Western North Carolina was damaged, including fallen trees, which can increase the region’s risk of wildfires. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Agriculture told the Citizen Times that efforts to reduce the size of the federal workforce were “to ensure that every dollar is being spent as effectively as possible to serve the people, not the bureaucracy.”
Last month, Trump pardoned nearly 1,500 participants in the insurrection on Jan 6, 2021. Now, some find themselves defendants once again for crimes uncovered during the investigation, and are asking that their pardons be extended, the Wall Street Journal reports. A lawyer for David Daniel of Mint Hill, who faces child pornography charges, told the WSJ that the evidence for these charges was obtained during a raid related to Jan. 6 and “should be excluded and inadmissible at trial.”
Today’s newsletter was by Caitlyn Yaede and Avi Bajpai. Check your inbox tomorrow for more #ncpol.
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