Under the Dome: NC officials respond to Trump’s call to dismantle Education Department
Good morning and welcome to the Under the Dome newsletter. I’m Emmy Martin.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order he said would “begin eliminating the federal Department of Education once and for all.”
The order directs Linda McMahon, the secretary of education, “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities.”
The agency, however, cannot be closed without Congress’ approval.
Several members of Congress representing North Carolina took to social media over Trump’s order, including Republican U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, who joined Trump and McMahon at the signing.
Foxx posted a simple “Love to see it” on X. Republican Rep. Mark Harris also endorsed the move, writing, “Today is a great day to dismantle the Department of Education!”
Across the aisle, Democratic Rep. Deborah Ross called the order “illegal and plainly wrong” in a post on X on Thursday, adding, “My colleagues and I will fight it with everything we can.”
Democratic Rep. Valerie Foushee called the order “unconstitutional and heartless.”
“I fully support any legislation and challenges to this EO, and I will do everything in my power to challenge the GOP and hold this Administration accountable,” she said in a post on X.
Mo Green, North Carolina’s superintendent of public instruction, also called out the plan in a statement posted on X earlier on Thursday, saying his department is monitoring Trump’s federal actions.
“Dismantling the U.S. Department of Education raises significant concerns for our state’s schools, as federal funding represents nearly 11% of our education budget and supports over 14,000 public school positions,” he said. “These funds are critical for all of our students, particularly our most vulnerable such as those with disabilities and from low-income families.”
MILITARY VETERANS ASK COURT TO PROTECT MILITARY VOTES
On Thursday morning, several military veterans held a press conference outside the state Capitol to ask the state Court of Appeals to “protect military voters” ahead of a hearing on Judge Jefferson Griffin’s election challenge Friday.
A three-judge panel will hear arguments on Griffin’s request to throw out over 65,000 ballots cast in the 2024 N.C. Supreme Court election. That number includes over 5,000 military and overseas absentee ballots.
The state Court of Appeals rejected Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs’ request that the case be heard “en banc” by the entire 15-judge court, Kyle Ingram reports.
“They want to tear up our ballots because we follow orders. North Carolina must make military service and family members whole,” said Jason Cain, an Army veteran and the former director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. “Their votes count. Let’s make sure North Carolina counts their votes.”
Griffin’s challenge will be heard by two Republicans, John Tyson and Fred Gore, and a Democrat, Toby Hampson.
“I humbly and respectfully ask that you, Judge Hampson, Judge Tyson, Judge Gore, stand guard the legitimate ballots passed by over 65,000 North Carolinians, and uphold the law with integrity and honor consistent with the principle you embody,” Tanya White Anderson, a military veteran, said at the event.
SENATE VOTES TO REMOVE CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT REQUIREMENT
The state Senate passed legislation Thursday to allow people to carry a concealed handgun without getting a permit.
Senators voted Thursday afternoon along party lines to approve Senate Bill 50 and send it to the House.
Under current law, carrying a concealed handgun is only allowed with a permit obtained from a sheriff’s office that involves completing a firearms safety and training course, and passing a background check. The permits are only allowed for people over the age of 21.
The bill passed by the Senate would remove the permit requirement and lower the age after which carrying a concealed handgun is legal to 18. Another, House Bill 5, is advancing in the House.
Both bills would still keep the permitting system in place “for the purpose of reciprocity when traveling in another state, to make the purchase of a firearm more efficient, or for various other reasons.”
NEW BILL WOULD REQUIRE UNC AND NC STATE TO PLAY EACH OTHER
A bill filed in the state House would require UNC and NC State to play each other annually – even if they end up in different conferences.
House Majority Leader Brenden Jones filed House Bill 469 on Thursday, titled the “Restoring Rivalries Act.” Jones said in a post on X he introduced the bill “in the spirit of March Madness.”
“Our collegiate rivalries are part of our state’s DNA, and this bill ensures it stays that way!” he wrote.
The bill would affect football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and softball. In football and basketball, per the bill, the teams would play each other at least once per year. The ACC already requires them to play each other once in football and twice in basketball.
In baseball and softball, the teams would play a series of three games against each other.
“We do a lot of things here,” Sen. Phil Berger said Wednesday when told about the bill. “I’m not sure we need to be setting ball schedules.”
“Maybe we will. We’ll see.”
Korie Dean has the story with an assist from Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan.
LAWMAKERS TURN ATTENTION TO RULES FOR VACANCIES IN COUNCIL OF STATE
A new constitutional amendment introduced in the General Assembly would mandate that the governor appoint a replacement to a Council of State position from the same political party as the individual who vacated the seat.
Republican Reps. Kyle Hall, Hugh Blackwell, Sarah Stevens and Cody Huneycutt filed House Bill 443 on Tuesday.
If lawmakers put the amendment on the ballot and voters support it, the governor would have to “appoint from a list of three qualified persons recommended by the political party with which the vacating officer was affiliated at the time of election,” the bill says.
Western Carolina University professor Chris Cooper wrote on X about the bill Thursday, pointing out that the bill would not go to Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s desk as proposed constitutional amendments can’t be vetoed by the governor. They require a three-fifths majority vote in the House and Senate.
The change would only modify the process for filling vacancies in offices of the secretary of state, auditor, treasurer, superintendent of public instruction, attorney general, commissioner of agriculture, commissioner of labor and commissioner of insurance. The governor and lieutenant governor’s offices would not be affected.
“It is good policy to require the governor to appoint a replacement from the same party as the one voters elected. It is also nonpartisan; we don’t know who will be governor when this situation arises in the future,” Andy Jackson, the director of the Civitas Center for Public Integrity at the John Locke Foundation, said in a post on X responding to Cooper.
WHAT ELSE WE’RE WORKING ON
Watch Kyle Ingram’s interview of Jason Simmons, the chair of the North Carolina Republican Party, who defended the party’s challenge of tens of thousands of ballots in the Supreme Court election.
The Department of Government Efficiency removed three Social Security offices in North Carolina from its list of leases it plans to terminate, potentially sparing them from closure. And U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards confirmed to Danielle Battaglia that at least one of those offices will continue operations. Read more here.
Former North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley agreed to shut down her federal campaign committee and pay a $10,300 fine after violating campaign finance laws during the 2022 election. Beasley’s campaign had to pay the fine by Thursday and she will then have 90 days to terminate her committee, Battaglia reports.
Today’s newsletter was by Emmy Martin. Check your inbox Sunday for more #ncpol.
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