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The CEO of PepsiCo, Inc., a company with roots in North Carolina, has written Gov. Pat McCrory, asking him to repeal the new law preventing specific anti-discrimination rules for LGBT people for public accommodations and restroom use. In a letter hand delivered to McCrory on Friday, PepsiCo head Indra Nooyi called the law inconsistent with how her company treats its employees. …

The move is the latest political response to Republican Gov. Pat McCrory's Friday approval of legislation by the N.C. state assembly that maintains, in instances of gender-specific facilities, individuals must use that which is identified on his or her birth certificate. In addition, the law bans cities and municipalities from passing laws that would seek to circumvent the overarching state law.

Every once in a while somebody comes along with a solution that makes you smack yourself on the forehead and say, why didn’t I think of that? We’ve now seen such a piece of innovative thinking coming out of North Carolina where Governor Pat McCrory has just signed a new bill into law which will effectively outlaw the idea of so called “sanctuary cities” in his state. One down, 49 to go. (Fox News) North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed a bill into law Wednesday that bans any policy that interferes with the enforcement of federal immigration laws.The Protect...

Government officials in North Carolina can refuse to perform same-sex marriages by citing religious objections under a law enacted on Thursday by the Republican-led legislature, which voted to override the governor's veto. The law protects the jobs of magistrates and other officials who refuse to perform marriages of gay couples by citing a “sincerely held religious objection.” Governor Pat McCrory, also a Republican, had said the officials who swore to defend the Constitution and perform their duties of office should not be exempt from upholding their oath. The state House of Representatives overrode his veto by reaching the three-fifths majority...

Dear Governor McCrory, With all due respect to your office and your many years of service to the people of North Carolina, I must say that I read your response to the congressional override of your veto to Senate Bill 2 with real disappointment. Are you the same man who stood so strongly against gay activism when you were the mayor of Charlotte? I remember, sir, sitting next to you at a luncheon at First Baptist Church in Charlotte in 2006 when Pastor Mark Harris commended to you my statement to the local gay and lesbian community, one in which...

A measure allowing some court officials to refuse to perform gay marriage responsibilities because of their religious beliefs became law in North Carolina on Thursday, with the state House voting to override the governor's veto of the bill. The Senate had voted to do the same with Republican Gov. Pat McCrory's veto a week ago. Thursday's House vote of 69-41 was just over the three-fifths majority needed. Ten House members were absent and didn't vote. The law, taking effect immediately, means some register of deeds workers who assemble licenses and magistrates to solemnize civil marriages can decide to stop performing...

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Gov. Pat McCrory says he has signed legislation that makes North Carolina one of several states with 72-hour waiting periods for an abortion. McCrory's office sent an email Friday evening which announced that he had signed pardons for two brothers wrongfully imprisoned for three decades in the killing of an 11-year-old girl. At the bottom of the email, it was noted that McCrory had also signed nine bills, listing each bill by their number without referring to their specific title.

As the debate over First Amendment Freedom of Religion laws raged back in May with Republican Governors backing down under business pressure in Indiana and Arkansas, the Republican governor of North Carolina, Pat McCrory, said his state didn't need such a law. The legislature has been acting, though, the House passing a bill to allow government officials to object to gay marriage, the bill now in the Senate as Senate Bill 2. But today Governor McCrory says he will veto the bill. A news release describing it is headlined "Governor McCrory defends Constitution". McCrory speaks of 'sincerely held religious beliefs...

In a Trans-Atlantic debate over cigarette packaging, North Carolina’s governor poses a rhetorical question to the Irish and French governments: Would Guinness be recognizable labeled simply as “beer?” Or would champagne sell as well in a bottle lacking its distinctive curves? Gov. Pat McCrory has written letters to French and Irish officials decrying plans in those countries to force manufacturers to package their cigarettes in plain containers. McCrory argues farmers and manufacturers in the top U.S. tobacco-producing state would be hurt by the proposals to remove brand logos and colors from cigarette boxes. “Plain packaging laws are a direct assault...

North Carolina Democrats and African-American leaders are calling on Gov. Pat McCrory (R) to schedule an earlier special election for the seat of former congressman Mel Watt (D-N.C.), who was recently confirmed as head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. McCrory has said the special election for the remainder of Watt's term will be held on the regular Election Day, Nov. 4, with the winner serving until the 114th Congress is sworn in early January.

Twelve-year-old Madison Kimrey may not be old enough to vote, but she is determined that North Carolinians should be able to do so without any kind of suppression. more...

Author’s Note: If you are concerned about this kind of spending in higher education, please contact Governor Pat McCrory at http://www.governor.state.nc.us/. His remarks about liberal arts education have been right on target. He gets it. I think the time has come for a line item veto in higher education. The people of North Carolina are being bankrupted by higher education spending that is simply not academic in nature. The problem was once confined to UNC’s flagship campus in Chapel Hill. But now it has spread like a cancer throughout the entire UNC system. For example, this week (February 4-8,...

Associated Press | RALEIGH — Pat McCrory was officially installed as North Carolina’s governor on Saturday, getting sworn in during a low-key, 15-minute ceremony that belied momentous changes marked by new Republican dominance within state government. Chief Justice Sarah Parker administered the oath of office to the former Charlotte mayor shortly after noon Saturday in the House chambers of the old Capitol building. McCrory kept to themes from his campaign of tackling problems and finding concord in brief remarks after becoming the state’s 74th governor. “Our goal was not to get a title. Our goal was to lead and to...

Brant Clifton, writing at his Daily Haymaker blog, had what we think is an excellent explanation for why Lt. Governor Dan Forest is the most feared man in North Carolina politics. You can read what Brant has to say about Forest here: Link

Days after denying interest in a congressional run, Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory has opened the door to a rematch with Democratic Gov. Bev. Perdue. In a Q&A with Raleigh's WRAL, McCrory, a Republican, was asked whether he would consider running for governor again or even the Senate. "Yes," he replied. "Running a state-wide race was a great experience (except for election night!!!) and I am proud of the campaign we ran. We participated in (and most believe we won) every debate and proved that a candidate can run an effective, positive campaign. We lived within our fundraising means, didn’t take...

For the fifth time this year, two of the three gubernatorial candidates met for a debate. This time, it was a different two. Republican Pat McCrory and Libertarian Mike Munger debated the economy, health care and education in an hour-long event hosted by UNC-TV, agreeing more than they disagreed. Democrat Beverly Perdue skipped the debate. Though they agreed more than they disagreed during the debate, McCrory and Munger differed on offshore drilling and the death penalty. McCrory argued drilling would lower gas prices eventually, while Munger said it was a gimmick but worth doing anyway. McCrory said he would move...

Lieutenant governor demonstrates she is not ready to lead in a crisisCharlotte, N.C. – During an interview yesterday on WBT Radio in Charlotte, Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue advised motorists to get out and “get our gas tanks as full as they’ll let us do it during in the next 24 or 48 hours” due to Hurricane Ike. When questioned by host Al Gardner if this would create a panic, Perdue flip-flopped and said people should not overact and “there is no need for anybody to rush right out.” In sharp contrast, Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory demonstrated responsible leadership in an...

In an election for North Carolina Governor today, 07/15/08, Democratic Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue and Republican Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory are effectively tied, according to this latest SurveyUSA election tracking poll conducted exclusively for WTVD-TV in Raleigh. Today, it's Perdue 47%, McCrory 46%, within the survey's 3.8 percentage point margin of sampling error.

Raleigh, N.C. — Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue and Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory are neck-and-neck in the North Carolina gubernatorial race, according to a new WRAL News poll. A survey of 500 likely voters on Tuesday by the polling firm Rasmussen Reports showed Perdue, the Democratic nominee, with 47 percent of the vote and McCrory, the Republican nominee, with 46 percent. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points. Perdue erased the slight lead McCrory held immediately after the state's May 6 primary. In a poll conducted then, McCrory held a 45 to 39 percent...

Mayor McCrory questions art proposals for the future light rail system; others question whether taxpayers should be funding art at all... Charlotte: Charlotteans can add a new phrase to the city's lexicon: "plop art". "Plop art" is Mayor Pat McCrory's not-so-affectionate term for the artwork proposed for the city's South corridor light rail project, scheduled to open in the fall of 2006. The South corridor light rail will be the first of five light rail lines built throughout the city, and will run along a ten-mile corridor from Uptown Charlotte to Interstate 485, just north of Pineville. The Charlotte Area...