4/24/2026 Weekly Roundup

WNC-relevant political and governmental news

💥 A week from today is May Day, which this year comes with a national call for a one-day general strike: no work, no school, no shopping. Pro-democracy organizers across western NC are planning a variety of community events on May 1 and May 2, from rallies to service projects to shared meals. Here’s a list, to be updated through next week, with time-and-place info so you can plan ahead.

Below is yet another very long Weekly Roundup. 💥Don’t miss 2026 Elections for voting rights news, and State Legislature for news about its short session that started this week.

Scroll down for this week’s NC-related national and NC state governmental and political news. And scroll clear to the bottom for this week’s seasonal photo from our WNC homestead. If your email service cuts this post short, you can read it online here.

If you see something in any NC News Digest post that’s incorrect … PLEASE let me know so I can publish a correction. Truth matters. Thanks for your help.

Don’t-miss stories are marked 💥

Around WNC

• ‘Extreme’ drought threatens Western North Carolina farm crops Asheville C-T 4/23/26 “Parts of Henderson, Transylvania and Buncombe counties and all of Haywood County are under “extreme” drought, while almost all the rest of the state is under a “severe” drought.”

• On local measures against data centers:

  • Clyde enacts moratorium as broader data center fight builds Smoky Mountain News 4/17/26 “The tiny Haywood County Town of Clyde has joined a growing number of Western North Carolina communities by formalizing its opposition to data centers through a 12-month moratorium.”

  • Swain County unanimously passes data center moratorium BPR 4/22/26

• Annexation debate exposes deep divide over growth in Waynesville Smoky Mountain News 4/22/26 “Waynesville Town Council took up an annexation request [by a private property owner] that would determine not just what gets built there, but how the town chooses to grow.”

• Ingles board fight: Proxy advisors back Sackler-linked firm for board Asheville C-T 4/23/26 “Wall Street’s largest proxy advisors have seemingly picked a side.”

• Wild West of NC. Three sheriffs in hot water with the same DA Carolina Public Press 4/21/26 “DA Ashley Welch says the circumstances in Cherokee, Graham and Swain counties are each different, but sheriffs must be held accountable.” See also Hoxit appeals removal as Graham County sheriff Smoky Mountain News 4/22/26

• Stein appoints Athena Brooks to District 42 Superior Court seat Hendersonville Lightning 4/22/26 “… to the Superior Court seat that became vacant upon the retirement of Peter Knight, who was chief resident Superior Court judge for the district made up of Henderson, Polk, and Transylvania counties.”

• $1.66M [state] rural infrastructure grants approved, including two in WNC to create 30 new jobs WLOS 4/17/26. In Henderson and Cherokee counties.

• Tribal Council session exposes rift between community, leaseholder interests Smoky Mountain News 4/22/26 “A special … session was entirely dedicated to a single resolution meant to protect a general contractor by asserting an easement for the right-of-way over leased Qualla Boundary properties.... [T]he meeting exposed a growing rift ... between business interests and tribal members. It also showcased public distrust in closed negotiations concerning issues that affect every Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians member.”

• From trails to rivers, Western North Carolina encourages eco-friendly visits Mountain Xpress 4/17/26

• These Great Smoky Mountains trails are closed because of encounters with bears Cardinal & Pine/USA Today 4/21/26

• See 6 western NC destinations that are perfect for a long weekend trip Cardinal & Pine/USA Today 4/21/26

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NC-Related National Politics & Policy

• Emergence of Christian nationalism to justify Iran war fuels religious backlash in Asheville AVLWatchdog 4/22/26 “Leaders across faiths reject Trump, Hegseth’s embrace of the ‘warrior Jesus” movement, with some calling it a ‘perversion of Christianity.’”

• On federal policy affecting WNC forests:

  • These Southeastern forests could soon lose protection if the Roadless Rule is repealed BPR 4/22/26 “The Trump administration wants to roll back the rule.” Focus on Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests.

  • Forest Service plan to close research stations stokes fear as wildfire season approaches NCNewsline 4/19/26. Not NC-specific.

  • Feds seek ruling that bat order didn’t void plans for WNC forests Carolina Journal 4/17/26

• In Medicaid fraud crackdown, feds now looking to audit all 50 states NCNewsline 4/21/26 “Trump administration will require every state within 30 days to turn in a plan to revalidate the health care providers that participate in their Medicaid programs.”

• New ICE data shows more than 6,300 arrests in NC since Trump took office, nearly double the prior two years NC Local 4/17/26

• See also State Attorney General and State Legislature, both below.

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2026 Elections

• Voting rights watch:

  • 💥💥 Reports from the NC elections board meeting on Wednesday:

    • NC elections board considers new rules for photo ID, polling places NCNewsline 4/22/26 “… would make it easier for North Carolina county boards of election to throw out ballots of people who don’t show photo ID when they vote. Under the proposal, county boards would no longer have to agree unanimously that voters lied about the reasons they didn’t have ID. A majority on the county boards, on which Republicans currently hold three of five seats, could determine that voters were lying and reject their ballots.” See also WRAL 4/22.

    • GOP blocks plan to prepare North Carolina counties for ballot seizures, ICE at polls Democracy Docket 4/22/26. See also Carolina Journal 4/23. Note that the reconciliation process underway in Congress to resume ICE funding would both vastly increase the number of ICE agents and effectively eliminate oversight for not just one year but three, through the end of the current Trump administration; see TPM 4/23 for details.

  • 💥💥 NC voters could be questioned about citizenship under new elections rule WRAL 4/17/26 “North Carolina is expected to begin checking voter registration data against a federal citizenship database under a new State Board of Elections rule. If records don’t match, voters could be required to provide documentation before casting another ballot.” See also What happens if I am identified as a ‘potential noncitizen’ on the voting rolls? NC Local 4/16/26

  • 💥 North Carolina admits noncitizens on its rolls aren’t a widespread problem — as it gives voter data to DHS Democracy Docket 4/17/26. See also here for national context; courts have consistently backed states that (unlike the GOP-run NC state election board) have refused to hand over voter data to the Trump administration, affirming that those demands are unlawful.

  • More national context: New lawsuit aims to block Trump DOJ from building national voter database via state voter roll grab Democracy Docket 4/21/26

  • Republicans on local elections board petition NC to fire [Cumberland] county director Raleigh N&O 4/21/26 (gift link) Not in WNC, but perhaps part of a pattern to watch for here, of GOP elections officials seeking to replace experienced, nonpartisan local elections directors with partisan hacks, now that they have the power to do so.

• Economic Concerns Are Top-of-Mind for Rural Battleground Voters, New Poll Shows Daily Yonder 4/21/26 “Rural battleground voters list rising cost of living as a top concern this midterm cycle, but economic pessimism differs by gender, according to a Center for Rural Strategies poll.... [that] interviewed 600 rural voters in 13 Senate battleground states [including NC] in March.”

• US Senate campaign:

  • As NC’s US Senate race heats up, GOP lawmakers [in state legislature] launch probe of Dem candidate Roy Cooper NCNewsline 4/20/26 “Republican leaders plan to investigate former Gov. Cooper, Gov. Stein over a 2021 settlement releasing prisoners early due to COVID-19.” See also WRAL 4/20.

  • Democrats robust in funding Center Square 4/23/26 “Through the March 31 first quarter, cash on hand advantage are $18.4 million to $2.5 million for Democrat Roy Cooper over Republican Michael Whatley in North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race, according to the Federal Elections Commission.”

• NC-11 congressional campaign:

  • Democrats have targeted these two NC districts for millions in campaign ads Raleigh N&O 4/24/26 “A Democratic super PAC announced plans this week to spend $11.2 million across three media markets in North Carolina this fall. The planned ad buys from House Majority PAC, a political action committee that focuses on electing Democratic House members, seem to target the 1st and 11th congressional districts.”

  • This story (noted here three weeks ago) hasn’t faded away: Protester Banned From U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards’ McDonald’s Properties Assembly 4/17/26. See also Woman banned from Chuck Edwards’ McDonald’s after marching band protest Cardinal & Pine/USA Today 4/21/26

• State Supreme Court: Your State-by-State Guide to the 2026 Supreme Court Elections Bolts 4/20/26. Link should take you directly to the NC entry.

• State legislature: N.C. Rep. Lindsey Prather on riverbank restoration, green energy and other environmental issues Mountain Xpress 4/17/26

• Some NC candidates reject parties. Here’s how they get on your ballot NC Local 4/23/26 “Three unaffiliated candidates are running for office in Cherokee County, with two candidates in Clay, Haywood and Swain counties. In Mitchell, Avery and Graham counties, there is one unaffiliated candidate on the ballot.“

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Helene Recovery

• Funding for recovery:

  • 💥 FEMA works to clear “backlog” of reimbursements for NC, releases $260 million BPR 4/23/26 “With this funding, FEMA has provided more than $5 billion to reimburse governments in North Carolina for work they did after Hurricane Helene.... The storm caused about $60 billion worth of damage in western North Carolina, according to the governor’s office. North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has been pushing Congress since last September to allocate another 13.5 billion for storm recovery.”

  • Homes need to be repaired after Helene. NC might not have enough money Asheville C-T 4/22/26 “Federal funding won’t meet current demand.”

  • Video: Western NC still lacks funds to rebuild after Helene Cardinal & Pine 4/22/26 “… a state lawmaker [Lindsey Prather] talks about the lack of recovery funding from the state and federal governments.”

  • 💥 Gov. Stein, GROW NC board meet on Helene recovery progress in western NC WLOS 4/20/26 “"I've requested an additional $792 million from the general assembly. In this phase three Helene recovery budget request, it's all about strengthening the economy by investing in small businesses, promoting tourism, and supporting local governments," Stein said.” See also Carolina Journal 4/23.

  • $221M from USDA Helene timber relief program available April 20 Carolina Journal 4/17/26

• Earth Day spotlights Helene’s lingering impact to forests, waterways in WNC WLOS 4/22/26

• Helene debris removal project on Blue Ridge Parkway to begin this summer: NPS WLOS 4/21/26

• Lake Lure to reopen lake 19 months after Helene Carolina Journal 4/17/26 “The town of Lake Lure will begin a phased “soft opening” of its lake on April 20.”

• First freight train rolls into Asheville from Old Fort since Helene Carolina Public Press 4/20/26 “Damage to remote parts of the Norfolk Southern rail line kept freight traffic stalled for months. Now passenger service could make comeback.”

• See also State Legislature, below.

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Around NC

• Gov. Stein launches North Carolina broadband project aiming to expand access WLOS 4/23/26 “Along with the BEAD program, the NCDIT’s Division of Broadband and Digital Opportunity has launched nearly $700 million in American Rescue Plan Act-funded broadband projects.”

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NC State Government

Executive Branch

Governor

• 💥 Stein pitches NC budget with teacher raises, tax cuts, Medicaid funding NCNewsline 4/21/26 “Lawmakers returned to Raleigh for their 2026 legislative session after failing to pass a comprehensive budget in 2025.” See also WUNC/NC Newsroom 4/21.

• See also Helene Recovery, above.

State Attorney General

• AG Jackson Supports Gov. Stein’s Budget Priorities on Public Safety and Fraud NC DOJ press release 4/21/26 “… statement after Gov. Josh Stein announced his recommended budget for Fiscal Year 2026-2027.”

• Attorney General Jeff Jackson Wins Court Order Freezing Major TV Merger NC DOJ press release 4/18/26. Prior to this court order, “Nexstar had raced to close its $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna just hours after eight state attorneys general sued to block the deal. On March 18, the states filed a federal lawsuit alleging the merger violates antitrust law. The very next day, the U.S. Department of Justice dropped its antitrust investigation. Within hours, the FCC — without a vote of the full Commission — waived its rules that have capped TV station ownership at 39 percent of American households for decades. Nearly simultaneously, Nexstar announced it had closed the deal.” See also Cardinal & Pine 4/17.

• Attorney General Jeff Jackson Pushes For Changes to Make Rental Housing More Affordable NC DOJ press release 4/20/26 “Jackson and a bipartisan group of attorneys general are urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to ban hidden and surprise fees that drive up rent costs for North Carolinians.”

• Winning the Ticketmaster case Quick Update (Jeff Jackson’s Substack) 4/21/26 “And I get called before House Oversight.”

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State Legislature

• Speculation about this year’s “short session,” which began on Tuesday:

  • NC Republican legislators have veto overrides on immigration, guns, DEI in their sights NCNewsline 4/20/26

  • Helene recovery once again takes center stage as NC legislators return to Raleigh NCNewsline 4/20/26

  • NC lawmakers return to Raleigh with teacher pay high on the agenda NCNewsline 4/17/26

  • Property tax, data center bills likely to move through NC legislature this session NCNewsline 4/21/26. See also Data centers in NC don’t pay taxes on their supplies or their electricity. Should that change? WUNC/NC Newsroom 4/22/26 “North Carolina originally passed its data center tax exemption in 2006. Gov. Josh Stein is calling for it to be changed or repealed, saying it belongs to a different time.”

  • NC lawmakers return to session this week. What top insiders are pushing for WRAL 4/19/26 “The start of the 2026 short session will bring Medicaid, a new state budget, veto overrides and a push for property tax reform to the forefront in North Carolina politics.”

  • What to watch in this NC legislative session Down from DC 4/21/26 “The budget, Helene recovery, Medicaid, and more.”

  • Lame-duck GOP Senate leader Phil Berger outlines priorities, calls for unity ahead of 2026 session Carolina Journal 4/17/26. See also Berger optimistic about budget, blames Democrats for primary loss WRAL 4/21/26

  • Taming the ‘Wild West’ era of the hemp and cannabis market in N.C. NC Health News 4/17/26 “… a cannabis council hopes to make legalizing marijuana use for adults under tight regulation part of the discussion” in this legislative session. See also Cardinal & Pine 4/20. And note that yesterday, 4/23, the Trump administration eased federal rules on cannabis and moved toward reclassifying it from Schedule I to Schedule III; see AP 4/23.

• Reports on what’s been done (or scuttled) this week:

  • On Medicaid:

    • 💥💥 NC lawmakers give initial OK to Medicaid bailout bill amid concerns over provisions NCNewsline 4/22/26 “The bill passed the House 112-1 and the Senate 48-1, though Democrats raised issues with provisions about ICE and the state auditor.” See also Cardinal & Pine 4/22 (“Since last August, Republicans repeatedly accused Democrats of lying about needing $319 million to fill a funding gap in the state’s Medicaid program. On Tuesday they provided just that amount.”), Carolina Public Press 4/22.

    • Regarding the state auditor, see Medicaid fraud provision deepens fight over NC executive branch powers Carolina Journal 4/23/26.

    • Medicaid breakthrough comes with unexpected immigration mandates NC Health News 4/23/26 “[I]mmigrant advocates say new immigration provisions could push families away from care, putting U.S.-born children at risk.”

    • See also WRAL 4/22, WUNC/NC Newsroom 4/23, NC Local 4/23 (“House Bill 696 fills a funding gap for Medicaid, but it also adds new rules that could make it harder for some North Carolinians to qualify for or keep their coverage.”)

    • NC dentists begin public push for increased Medicaid payments NCNewsline 4/21/26 “State Medicaid payment rates for dentists haven’t changed since 2008.” See also NC Health News 4/22. WNC state Senator Kevin Corbin is a sponsor of legislation to raise the rates.

  • NC House Democratic leaders back Stein’s calls for pay raises, Medicaid funding NCNewsline 4/22/26. See also Governor, above.

  • 💥 Local WNC opposition to GOP legislators’ proposal to cap property taxes: Haywood commissioners push back on property tax cap Smoky Mountain News 4/22/26 “Haywood County was among the first Western North Carolina governments to pass such a resolution; on the same day and at roughly the same time in Cherokee County, commissioners passed a similar resolution by a vote of 3 to 2.”

  • 💥 However: A bill to pause NC property tax revaluations could be law by May, [GOP Senate leader Phil] Berger says Raleigh N&O 4/23/26 “He said Wednesday that he plans to file a bill — and hold a vote on it — very soon, but taking a different tactic than the House [which has been moving toward putting a constitutional amendment capping property taxes on the ballot this November]. Berger wants to pause tax revaluations, a process that impacts local governments — which use property taxes to fund services.”

  • On education:

    • NC lawmakers, advocates push Leandro funding as 2026 legislative session opens in Raleigh NCNewsline 4/21/26. WNC state House members Lindsey Prather and Eric Ager are among the Democratic sponsors for a bill to fund public education in line with the now-extinct Leandro guidelines. (Meanwhile, WNC GOP House member Jennifer Balkcomm is sponsoring a bill calling for Congress to get rid of the federal Dept of Education.) See also Assembly 4/21, Carolina Public Press 4/22.

    • Where we’re at and how we got here: With latest Leandro case ruling, how will North Carolina provide students with a sound basic education? NC Local 4/17/26 “A recent North Carolina Supreme Court ruling confirms the state’s constitutional duty to support students in public schools, but wipes out years of court orders to enforce it.” However, see In the Courts, below.

    • As other states expand quality pre-K, North Carolina lags behind NCNewsline 4/23/26 “North Carolina ranks 32nd in the nation in providing preschool access to four-year-olds…. [and] spent less on preschool programs and enrolled fewer children in the 2024-2025 school year than the previous year.”

    • NC lawmakers grill school leaders again over policies for transgender students, LGBTQ books WRAL 4/23/26 “Chapel Hill-Carrboro school leaders testified before lawmakers as 💥Republicans consider an effort to ban books on gender identity, sexual orientation and sexual activity from elementary school libraries.” See also NCNewsline 4/23, WUNC 4/23, Carolina Journal 4/23 (GOP spin).

  • North Carolina lawmakers hit pause on hospital tax break changes NC Health News 4/20/26 “After intense lobbying, proposals to scale back property and sales tax exemptions for nonprofit hospitals do not advance.... “I think somebody told me I probably shouldn’t say this, but we were all bombarded with calls from lobbyists,” said Julia Howard, a Republican member of the state House of Representatives from Davie County, last week.... Another lawmaker shot back: “Yes, you were told not to bring that up.””

  • See also 2026 Elections, above, for GOP state legislators’ “investigation” of Roy Cooper.

• Sounds an awful lot like our NC legislature: The Ohio Republican Party Has Built a Laboratory of Autocracy 4/21/26 “In the heavily gerrymandered Buckeye State, the GOP-controlled legislature rules without fear of voters, and it’s hard at work dismantling democracy.”

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In the Courts

• 💥 Federal appeals court moving forward on North Carolina abortion pill restrictions case NCNewsline 4/17/26 “The 4th Circuit will allow filings in the NC case following a separate ruling permitting West Virginia to restrict access to the drug mifepristone.”

• Leandro school boards to seek rehearing from NC Supreme Court Carolina Journal 4/23/26 “Five local school boards filed a motion Wednesday in a trial court to “stay the execution of the mandate” of the Supreme Court’s April 2 decision. The motion from the Cumberland, Halifax, Hoke, Robeson, and Vance school boards mentioned a “forthcoming petition for rehearing.””

• Defendants blast Rockingham Co. defamation suit as anti-casino effort Carolina Journal 4/23/26 “Defendants in a defamation lawsuit at the North Carolina Court of Appeals accuse the plaintiff of using the suit to continue his political campaign against casinos in Rockingham County. Former county commissioner Craig Travis filed suit against three current and former commissioners, a local Republican Party official, and three conservative groups in 2024.”

Pink ladyslipper: