Politics & Elections

The General Assembly's new state budget just landed on Governor Cooper's desk, with a resounding thud.

The plan received final approval Thursday.

Now, the governor has 10 days to sign the budget, veto it, or do nothing and have it take affect when that time runs out.

Latest: Norman Wins SC Congressional Race By Smaller Than Expected Margin

Updated 10:28 p.m.

The final results are in. Republican Ralph Norman has won the special election for South Carolina's 5th Congressional District. Norman received 51.1 percent vote (44,889). Democrat Archie Parnell was 2,836 votes behind, finishing with 47.8 percent.

Voters in South Carolina's 5th Congressional District will choose their next representative in a special election on Tuesday. The election was required after President Trump tapped Republican Mick Mulvaney  to become White House Budget Director.

Democrat Roy Cooper was sworn in as governor on January 1. The one constant over that time has been a series of clashes with the Republican controlled General Assembly.

The latest was kicked off by the U.S. Supreme Court, which recently ruled 28 state legislative districts are illegal racial gerrymanders. Those boundaries must be redrawn.

But when is still an open question. The high court left it to a lower federal court to decide that issue.

On Wednesday, Governor Cooper gave an exclusive interview to WFAE. He spoke with our Political Reporter Tom Bullock.

When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday that 28 state legislative districts were illegal racial gerrymanders they made one thing clear, North Carolina's political maps must be redrawn. What they didn't say is when. They've kicked that decision back to a lower court.

It also kicked off the latest power struggle between Democratic Governor Roy Cooper and the Republican-controlled General Assembly.

Wednesday afternoon, the North Carolina House is scheduled to debate a bill which would, in part, nearly end the need for concealed-carry permits for handguns. Ahead of that debate a group supporting the measure saw fit to publicly release the names, phone numbers and other information of four individuals trying to stop the gun bill.

A bill to move up primary elections in North Carolina is one step closer to being passed.