NC Capitol Wrap

Capitol Broadcasting

4.5 (24)
NEWS
UPDATED WEEKLY

WRAL News coverage of North Carolina politics and state government. Produced by WRAL News in Raleigh, NC.

JUN 27

NC lawmakers break for the summer with no shrimp ban, but plenty of red meat

The final days of the North Carolina state legislature's session before a long summer break saw shrimpers kill a proposal that would've set back many of their businesses, as state lawmakers also failed to deliver on other high-profile debates including a new state budget. But they approved $500 million in Hurricane Helene relief and, looking ahead to the 2026 primary elections in March, plenty of bills focused on culture-war topics ranging from DEI to guns, immigration, transgender issues and public school library lists. Next on their agenda? The wide-ranging elections overhaul GOP leaders just unveiled.

26 min
JUN 13

JetZero, immigration and guns

JetZero's massive job announcement was the only political kumbaya moment of the week. NC lawmakers spent hours wrangling over immigration bills and gun rights. In the meantime, state House and Senate leaders don't seem to be getting any closer to a budget deal, potentially leaving Hurricane Helene relief hanging during an upcoming break.

23 min
JUN 6

NCGOP convention, the state legislature's summer rush

North Carolina Republican Party chairman Jason Simmons faces a challenge for his job at this weekend's GOP convention, where U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis could also be targeted by party activists. Democrats are canvassing rural North Carolina ahead of the 2026 Senate race against Tillis, but they're also dealing with silence from Roy Cooper on his intentions. Meanwhile in the state legislature, lawmakers are rushing to pass bills on energy policy, immigration, foster care, guns, towing, power grabs targeting Gov. Josh Stein and other hot-button issues ahead of a likely break in July, as tensions simmer over budget disagreements.

27 min
MAR 14

Helene funding bill delayed, death threats growing against NC politicians

State House and Senate leaders have failed to agree on the details of a $500 million Hurricane Helene relief bill, delaying the bill's passage by weeks. Democratic Gov. Josh Stein says he wants to work with GOP lawmakers, and President Donald Trump, on Helene but needs faster action and more funding. State Senate leader Phil Berger said the legislature may have a deal soon, but Stein said in several speeches this week the wait has been too long. Meanwhile, death threats against politicians have been on the rise in North Carolina. And NC Capitol Bureau Chief Laura Leslie breaks news about asbestos concerns inside the state legislative building.

15 min
MAR 7

NC lawmakers target cell phones and DEI in schools, as Trump eyes federal education cuts

Helene relief aid and a bill to invest the NC Pension Plan in Bitcoin and other cyrptocurrencies are moving forward in the legislature. So are bills to ban DEI in public schools or to crack down on students using cell phones during class time. But other education worries could be on the horizon: The state's biggest school district is implementing a hiring freeze, citing in part the efforts by President Donald Trump to eliminate the federal Department of Education, which gives North Carolina over a billion dollars every year.

24 min
JAN 17

Court vs court in Riggs/Griffin race, Stein on repro rights, Tillis on hot seat

On this week's edition of the Wrap, Jefferson Griffin's challenge to 60,000 voters moves forward in both state and federal courts. Which one will rule first? WRAL's Laura Leslie and Will Doran also break down Stein’s executive action on reproductive rights ahead of the Trump inauguration, and doctors opposed to RFK’s nomination to HHS put Tillis on the spot as 2026 looms.

28 min
JAN 10

The Wrap: 2025 session gets underway, state health insurance premiums to rise

WRAL Capitol Bureau Chief Laura Leslie and WRAL State Government Reporter Will Doran talk about the opening of the 2025 legislative session and what legislative leaders say their top priorities will be in the coming week. Plus, the latest twists and turns in the state Supreme Court race, and the new state treasurer says state employees can expect to see higher health insurance premiums soon.

20 min
12/13/2024

NC legislature overrides power shift veto, Supreme Court race battle continues, Helene pricetag becomes clearer

In this week's edition of the Wrap, Republican lawmakers succeed in overriding Cooper's veto of the power shift bill. WRAL's Laura Leslie and Paul Specht also break down the continuing battle over the Supreme Court race, and the pricetag for Helene damage becomes clearer.

19 min

See All (119)

4.5

out of 5

24 Ratings

Great new addition

10/23/2018

Buddhitarian

Laura Leslie and Travis Fain bring sharp minds, broad knowledge, years of experience and just the right amount of attitude to their coverage of North Carolina politics and government. Okay, okay - yes, I am their editor, but this is a perfectly objective endorsement. Give em a listen.
Low Volume

12/10/2023

Listener 7

The show is very low on volume. There are episodes that even if I turn up the volume to the max I still have a hard time hearing the hosts clearly. I listen to number of NC political podcasts and I often have to turn up the volume when it comes to this podcast, and turn it back down for the others!
They TRY to be fair…

06/17/2023

DarleneAgle

I’ve been listening for several weeks now, and I can tell they are trying to be even-handed, but they do not represent the motives/intent behind conservative or Republican stances/actions well. Like yesterday’s episode, where they quickly summarized ESG as simply being good environmental and social governance, insinuating that Republicans are against good environmental and social governance. That is not what they’re against. They’re against giving up the DEFINITION of those things to a small cadre of people who then try to shape society from the top down. Same with how they represent the Right on LGBT issues. There is a fundamental lack of understanding or appreciation that shows itself in a lot of these summaries.
Metatron

02/21/2023

Metatron Lives

NC wouldn't be on quite as regressive of a slope as it is if it didn't have a whole host of access-journalists lobbing softball questions at racists, anti-Semites, misogynists, homo- and trans-phobes, etc.