Under the Dome: Will restrictions on transgender people move forward? What NC Senate leader says
Good morning and welcome to the Under the Dome newsletter. I’m Caitlyn Yaede.
Following the filing of a bill similar to House Bill 2, the law that roiled the state in 2016 and became known nationally as the “bathroom bill,” North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger commented on the proposal while speaking to reporters on Wednesday.
After HB2 passed, analysts predicted that the state would lose billions of dollars in revenue from lost business amid the national backlash to the legislation. Just months after the bill’s passage, some estimated the state had already lost nearly $400 million in revenue, Indy Week reported at the time.
Berger said that while he has not yet had a chance to read this new bill, it appears to mirror legislation recently passed in other states to restrict transgender bathroom access.
“The impression I’ve got is that the sort of reaction that we saw previously is not something that is taking place in those other places,” Berger said. “We’ll see what the caucus wants to do and we’ll take a closer look at the bill and see where it goes.”
The bill, SB 516, would require that bathrooms in public schools and other facilities “shall only be used by one designated biological sex at one time,” restricting transgender people from using the restroom corresponding to their gender identity.
In addition to bathrooms, SB 516 also targets transgender people’s ability to get legal documents that align with their gender.
If enacted, the bill would strip transgender people of the right to change the gender on their birth certificate if they receive sex reassignment surgery. It would also require that all driver’s licenses reflect a person’s sex at birth — not their gender identity.
SB 516 was filed by Republican Sens. Vickie Sawyer and Brad Overcash, both of whom declined to comment on the bill when asked by The News & Observer on Wednesday.
— Kyle Ingram
GOP BILL WOULD GIVE PARENTS ACCESS TO ALL TEEN MEDICAL RECORDS
A new bill would open up parents’ access to their teens’ medical information.
Republican Rep. Jennifer Balkcom is sponsoring a bill called the “Parents’ Medical Bill of Rights,” which would also eliminate language in state law allowing minors to give physicians consent for treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy prevention, abuse of drugs or alcohol, or “emotional disturbance.”
The bill adds an exemption to allow examination without parental consent if there is suspicion of neglect or abuse.
Balkcom told reporters during a news conference about House Bill 519 that her son just turned 12 and she was “starting to see where (physicians) want to ask him his permission for your mom to be here, permission for him to be served. And I’m like, wait a minute, you need his permission? So it’s been eye opening.”
She said that parents should be able to get full medical records for their children, whether or not their teenager consents, which is also part of the bill.
— Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan
TOP REPUBLICAN SAYS GOODBYE TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday marked Paul Newton’s last day as Senate majority leader.
And after he gave a farewell speech during his final Senate session, Newton told The News & Observer he couldn’t comment on what’s next for him — yet. “It won’t be long,” he said, saying his new job announcement may come later this week.
The prominent North Carolina Republican announced his resignation from the Senate on Tuesday via a news release, citing his intent to “pursue an opportunity outside of state government.” According to NC Tribune/BusinessNC, Newton will next be general counsel for UNC-Chapel Hill.
Newton has served in the General Assembly since 2016, representing Cabarrus County, and as majority leader since 2023. Prior, he was the North Carolina state president for Duke Energy.
On Wednesday, Senate leader Phil Berger told reporters that Senate Republicans would meet soon to choose a new majority leader.
For Newton’s seat, Cabarrus County Republicans will choose his successor, who will then be appointed and sworn in, likely in the next few weeks.
Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan has more on Newton’s resignation.
REP. CHUCK EDWARDS’ SEAT TARGETED IN 2026 MIDTERMS
The seat of Rep. Chuck Edwards, representing North Carolina’s 11th district in the U.S. House of Representatives, was named as a target for Democrats ahead of next year’s midterms by EMILYs List — a PAC seeking to elect female Democrats who support abortion rights.
The Republican was one of 46 named in a press release on Wednesday. Edwards defeated Democratic challenger Caleb Rudow in 2024 with 56.8% of the vote compared to Rudow’s 43.2%.
This term marks his second representing the western part of North Carolina, where every county except Buncombe turned out overwhelmingly for Edwards.
SENATE NARROWLY CONFIRMS DAN BISHOP
North Carolina’s Dan Bishop was approved by the U.S. Senate in a 53-45 vote to serve in the Office of Management and Budget, Danielle Battaglia reports.
The Waxhaw Republican and former congressman will be the OMB’s deputy director of budget, serving under director Russ Vought — a self-described Christian nationalist and key contributor to the conservative Project 2025.
HOUSE APPROVES CELLPHONE BAN IN SCHOOLS
The House voted 114-3 on Tuesday in support of a bill that would restrict cellphone access in North Carolina public schools, T. Keung Hui reports.
House Bill 87 would require public schools to create policies that restrict or limit access to cellphones during the school day, following a nationwide push for such policies. The bill’s proponents say cellphones can disrupt learning and open doors to cyberbullying. Rep. Brian Biggs, one of the bill’s primary sponsors, says it is a “safety improvement.”
The House’s vote comes on the same day Wake County unveiled its draft cellphone policy, which would allow students to bring their phones to school, but restricts when they can be used. In a survey, 72% of Wake County families said students should be allowed to bring phones to school.
Wake’s final policy, however, may depend on what legislation makes it to Gov. Josh Stein’s desk. The state Senate already passed its own version of the bill, and now the chambers must work out differences and decide which version to send to Stein.
WHAT ELSE WE’RE WORKING ON
After the genetic testing company 23andMe filed for bankruptcy this weekend, Attorney General Jeff Jackson is urging North Carolinians to delete their accounts. “North Carolinians’ private genetic data could be at risk,” according to a news release from Jackson’s office on Tuesday. Evan Moore has the details on how to secure private health information.
The repair of two rural highways in Yancey County, following damage from Helene, is expected to cost more than $1 billion, Richard Stradling reports, contributing to Helene’s total costs as the most expensive natural disaster faced by the N.C. Department of Transportation. The department is expected to take until 2027 to repair miles of roadway on U.S. 19W and N.C. 197.
A Durham-based global research nonprofit has slashed more than 500 positions since the beginning of the month, in the wake of Trump administration policies to minimize spending and shrink federal programs. The federal government, including the now-dismantled U.S. Agency for International Development, is RTI International’s primary source of revenue. Brian Gordon has more.
WHAT ELSE WE’RE READING
At the end of her tenure, a key North Carolina restaurant lobbyist sat down with INDY Week’s Lena Geller to talk about the stagnant minimum wage and the impact of Trump administration immigration policies on the industry’s workers.
Today’s newsletter was by Caitlyn Yaede, Kyle Ingram and Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan. Check your inbox tomorrow for more #ncpol.
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