For many people, renting is a convenient option. It offers flexibility and may require less responsibility for maintenance. But owning a home can offer a different set of long-term benefits. Instead of paying rent to a landlord each month, homeowners are investing in a property that can potentially increase in value over time. That means your home may become an asset as you continue to live in it.
Home ownership can also provide more control over your living space, from decorating to renovations that really fit your lifestyle. And here's something that many people don't realize: there are education programs and financial assistance options available for first-time homebuyers.
Some of these programs even offer grant funding that may help cover part of the upfront cost, and grants typically don't have to be repaid. That's why learning about home ownership options can be an important step toward making the best decision for you and your family. To learn more, visit toolsforhomeownership.com. Woo! It's 5.05 and welcome in to a Wednesday edition of the Carolina Journal News Hour on Charlotte's FM News Talk, 107.9 FM.
WBT, I'm Nick Craig. Good morning to you. President Donald Trump has jumped into the race in North Carolina's 11th congressional district and endorsed State Representative Jennifer Balcombe, the Republican from Henderson County. She is the candidate that Republicans last week recently tapped to replace U.S. Representative and Congressman Chuck Edwards on the ballot to represent most of Western North Carolina, all 16 counties in North Carolina's 11th congressional district in the upcoming 2026 midterm election.
The president took to Truth Social this week to write in part. It is my great honor to endorse America First Patriot Jennifer Balcombe, who is running to represent the wonderful people of North Carolina's 11th Congressional District. A highly respected state representative, small business owner, and civic leader, prior to running for Congress, Jennifer has dedicated her life to serving her community. Her opponent, Jamie Ager, is a radical left Democrat who is opposed to no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on Social Security. And if he and the Democrats ever got it, all of these things will be terminated.
He wants massive tax increases, open borders, men playing in women's sports, and transgender mutilation of your children. Jamie Ager is reckless, radical, and dangerous. President Trump went on in his endorsement post saying, On the other hand, as your next congresswoman, Jennifer will fight tirelessly to grow our economy, champion our amazing farmers and ranchers, cut the taxes and regulations, unleash American energy dominance, promote made in the USA, strengthen our brave military and veterans, keep our borders secure, safeguard our elections, and protect our always under siege Second Amendment. Jennifer Bulcombe has my complete and total endorsement to be the next representative from North Carolina's 11th congressional district. She will never let you down.
Signed, President Donald Trump. Bulkhum thanked Trump for his endorsement in a response on EXA just hours later, saying, quote, Thank you, President Trump. I am incredibly grateful for your support, and I'm proud to stand and fight for the people of Western North Carolina. In Congress, I'll work with you to continue rebuilding Western North Carolina after Helene, delivering real results for our community, and the right to make life more affordable for hardworking families. I am ready to get to work.
On August the 10th, the Republican Executive Committee for the district selected Bulcombe to serve as Edwards' replacement in the November 2026 general election as Edwards announced just days earlier that he would not be seeking re-election following a report from the U.S. House Ethics Committee finding him to be guilty of violating the House Code of Official Conduct regarding sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment. This report followed an ethics investigation into Edwards, which was initially announced in May. Reports also show that Edwards allegedly used campaign funds on a trip to Las Vegas with a female staffer. Put a pin in that.
We'll get into that here in just a second. Edwards was initially under investigation by the House Ethics Committee regarding reports of an inappropriate relationship with two young female staffers in his office, while Edwards denied his behavior with a, was romantic or a sexual. In any nature, the report concluded that he inappropriately lavished the women with expensive and reoccurring gifts like jewelry, pink guns, roses, trips, commenting on their appearance and attire, sending notes of affection, and inviting them to intimate private one-on-one dinners.
So, with that, the president has endorsed Jennifer Balcombe in North Carolina's 11th congressional district 76 days until Election Day. A lot will go on in Western North Carolina in NC 11. We'll be keeping an eye on the details right here. Keeping the thread on NC 11, text messages included in the report from the House Ethics Committee indicate that Representative Chuck Edwards allegedly used campaign funds for a trip to Las Vegas with a female staffer. As we mentioned, back on August the 3rd, he was found in violation of the House Code of Official Conduct.
The report confirms allegations initially reported. Back in the month of May. That is when Axios reported allegations that Edwards vacationed with one of his female staffers in Las Vegas after she left his office. Receipts obtained by Axios indicated that Edwards booked two rooms at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas November 8th through 11th. Text messages between Edwards and his staffer, which the committee released, indicated when Edwards booked the flights, and according to details from the North Carolina News and Observer, the Raleigh News and Observer, excuse me, the dates match recorded flights listed in his official campaign finance report.
Paul Shoemaker, advisor for the Edwards campaign, told the NNO this week, I'm focused on polling and messaging and all of that. I do not know that members of Congress can use campaign funds for travel and things of that nature. That is outside of my official business. And they supplement that all the time, so that's part of it, but I would not think that that is unusual at all.
However, an attorney at Harmon Curran, Brent Capel, who tracks campaign finance, lobbying, and government ethic laws, said that the trip, if followed through, violated both House rules and Federal Election Commission. That's FEC. laws according to details. The attorney said, under no circumstances may members convert campaign funds to personal use for themselves or anyone else. Campaign funds may not be used to advance an individual's lifestyle for personal enjoyment or entertainment or to pay an individual's personal obligations.
Text messages included in the House Ethics Committee report include screenshots indicating a 7 a.m. flight from our Raleigh-Durham RDU airport to Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport on November the 9th and a return flight departing Las Vegas at 10 p.m. on November the 11th. Edwards said in a text message with one of his young female staffers, quote, I'm practically bouncing off the walls thinking about this. It's going to be a great trip.
In one of the text messages, the staffer thanked Edwards for the flowers that he had sent to her, but stated that the message made her feel uncomfortable. Edwards followed up by saying, just want to make sure this trip isn't meant to be anything. It is not, the staffer asked Edwards. Edwards apologized for making her uncomfortable, but insisted that nothing was meant by sending flowers to his young female staffer. And that was a quote, cute play on the name of the arrangement.
Text messages further indicated that Edwards was called to DC earlier than planned. The staffer offered to change the flight so that other staff members did not have to handle logistics or know about the trip. The staffer on the Vegas trip indicated that she would have to purchase her ticket in person at the airport. Edwards sent her his credit card information to purchase the flight. Text messages indicate that there were many other instances in which Edwards sent the staffer flowers, bought her dinner, or gave her other gifts.
It is not clear whether campaign funds were used for those purchases. This all came to a head on August the 4th at 3.32 a.m. when Congressman Edwards took to X and his Facebook page to announce that he would not be seeking reelection in the upcoming November midterms, saying in part, after much prayer and reflection, I've decided to withdraw my re-election campaign. I will complete my current term. Serving Western North Carolina has been the honor of my life.
Thank you for your trust, prayers, and support. God bless Western North Carolina and America. As I just highlighted in the week that followed that, we learned that State Representative Jennifer Bulkham, the Republican from Henderson County, would take over in that position. She was. Voted in a first ballot last week by the Executive Committee of North Carolina's 11th District GOP as the nominee to run in the 11th congressional district against Democrat Jamie Ager.
Getting the endorsement from President Donald Trump this week, we will be keeping a very close eye on Western North Carolina in the weeks to come. We've got coverage on both of these stories: Trump endorsing Bulkham for the race and some of these questionable purchases from Edwards using campaign funds. Both of those articles this morning available over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com. Both of them written by our friend Katie Zender. Those details, CarolinaJournal.com.
For many people, renting is a convenient option. It offers flexibility and may require less responsibility for maintenance. But owning a home can offer a different set of long-term benefits. Instead of paying rent to a landlord each month, homeowners are investing in a property that can potentially increase in value over time. That means your home may become an asset as you continue to live in it.
Home ownership can also provide more control over your living space, from decorating to renovations that really fit your lifestyle. And here's something that many people don't realize: there are education programs and financial assistance options available for first-time homebuyers.
Some of these programs even offer grant funding that may help cover part of the upfront cost, and grants typically don't have to be repaid. That's why learning about home ownership options can be an important step toward making the best decision for you and your family. To learn more, visit toolsforhomeownership.com. Oh. This Monday.com ad was created by a team of people and AI agents.
Reese, our content agent, wrote the copy based on our best practices, like mentioning Monday.com three times. That was the second. Johnny, our coordination agent, built the timeline and kept everyone aligned. Olivia, our human creative director, stayed in the loop because agents are great, but they don't always know when a joke lands. She had one note: tell listeners it only takes minutes to build an agent, so, minutes.
Create your own AI agent today on Monday.com. Mm. It's 5:20. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, Charlotte's FM News Talk 107.9 FM, WBT, and some statewide news this morning. North Carolina is set to receive nearly $300 million in federal funding to eliminate railroad crossings, build grade separations, and expand track capacity in Guilford, Durham, and Wake counties.
This is according to recent details from the United States Department of Transportation. The North Carolina Department of Transportation. That is, NCDOT will provide a 28.53% non-federal match, which rolls out to about nearly $86 million for the projects. North Carolina Transportation Secretary Daniel Johnson said in a press release: This federal investment demonstrates our partners' confidence in North Carolina's ability to deliver major rail projects. We thank the Federal Railroad Administration, Amtrak, the North Carolina Railroad Company, and Norfolk Southern for supporting this important project to modernize and improve safety and travel times along the routes between Raleigh and Charlotte.
According to NCDOT, NC by Trains has posted record ridership for four consecutive years. Ridership increased from just over 463,000 passengers in 2019 to nearly 740,000. Passengers in 2025. That is a massive 59% increase and the highest annual total in the service's 35-year history. Governor Josh Stein said the investment comes at a critical moment when the demand for passenger rail continues to grow across the Tar Heel State.
The governor is saying in a press release: Investments in North Carolina's rail infrastructure support our state's growing population and the economy. This federal investment will make passenger rails safer and more reliable, reduce delays and improve connectivity from Raleigh to Charlotte. As more North Carolinians choose NC by train, we are building a stronger transportation network that will keep North Carolinians moving safely and efficiently for decades to come. The 2026-2027 North Carolina state budget allocates $45.4 million for the rail division. In 2025, that division received around the same amount, $45.3 million in state appropriations and allocated $20.9 million to fund the Freight Rail and Crossing Safety Improvement Program.
The money awarded to NCDOT through the Federal Railroad Administration, that is the FRA, is part of a $5.3 billion nationwide rail investment announced recently by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. In the announcement of more than $5.3 billion nationwide, Duffy said, it's simple, simple. Boomdoggles are out and safety is in. Instead of wasting billions of dollars on trains to nowhere, we are fixing thousands of grade crossings, saving lives and improving communities across America.
We are also committed to making an unprecedented investment in Amtrak because President Trump and I are committed to making passenger rail in America great again. In North Carolina, the funding will close six at-grade railroad crossings and build two grade separations in Guilford County. In Durham County, it will close three crossings and build two additional grade separations as well. The awards will also fund double track segments, trespassing prevention efforts and other infrastructure improvements in Guilford, Durham and Wake. The most extensive projects that will be taken up will be these grade separations which use bridges or underpasses to separate vehicle traffic from railroad tracks, eliminating the point where vehicles and trains cross at the same level.
The Federal Railroad Administration identifies grade crossing crashes as the second leading cause of rail fatalities across the United States, with Federal Rail Administrator David Fink saying that the awards would give states more resources to address some of those major safety risks and concerns. He recently said the projects we announced today will help make our nation's rail network much safer because now state DOTs across America will have the funds they need to eliminate dangerous grade crossings across the nation. The Federal Rail Administration also collaborated with Amtrak over a two-year period to determine how to best distribute these funds so that passenger trains can run on time and freight isn't delayed. The North Carolina grant comes through the National Railroad Partnership Program, previously known as the Federal State Partnership for Passenger Rail Program. The program was expanded under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Acts and can fund projects that improve things like rail safety, address infrastructure backlogs, improve passenger rail performance, or expand intercity passenger rail Services.
The federal government, however, cannot cover more than 80% of a project's total cost under the grant program. The nationwide package also includes a little over $2 billion for Amtrak to acquire 43 U.S.-made train sets and $140 million to overhaul 41 locomotives. DOT said that the Carolinian and Piedmont, both serving North Carolina, are among the routes slated to receive new train sets as Amtrak seeks additional passenger capacity across its network. The Piedmont route currently operates between Raleigh and Charlotte with four daily round trip trains. Those stops include Durham, Burlington, Greensboro, High Point, and Salisbury.
The Carolinian route currently operates one daily route between Charlotte and New York City. In North Carolina, it stops. Include Cannapolis, Salisbury. High Point, Greensboro, Burlington, Durham, Carey, Raleigh, Selma, Slash, Smithfield, Wilson, and Rocky Mount. The new federal awards build on other rail work already underway here.
The North Carolina Railroad Company previously received a little over $105 million through a separate federal program for the Carolinian and Piedmont passenger and freight improvement projects. That funding supports new siding capacity, track replacement, and other improvements intended to reduce conflict between Amtrak passenger trains and Norfolk Southern freight trains that run on many of those same tracks. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027 and completed by 2030. There's been a lot of discussion in recent years about passenger rail across the state of North Carolina. We have seen some pretty massive increases over the last couple of years, a 59% increase in ridership between 2019 and 2025, the highest annual total in the services.
35-year history here across North Carolina and set to receive nearly $300 million in federal funding to make those routes run more efficient and improve safety for regular passenger vehicles that many times intersect with rail crossings across North Carolina. We've got a lot of detail on this story. It's available this morning over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com. Look for the headline story: NC lands nearly $300 million for rail safety, comma track upgrades. For many people, renting is a convenient option.
It offers flexibility and may require less responsibility for maintenance. But owning a home can offer a different set of long-term benefits. Instead of paying rent to a landlord each month, homeowners are investing in a property that can potentially increase in value over time. That means your home may become an asset as you continue to live in it. Home ownership can also provide more control over your living space, from decorating to renovations that really fit your lifestyle.
And here's something that many people don't realize: there are education programs and financial assistance options available for first-time homebuyers.
Some of these programs even offer grant funding that may help cover part of the upfront cost, and grants typically don't have to be repaid. That's why learning about home ownership options can be an important step toward making the best decision for you and your family. To learn more, visit toolsforhomeownership.com. Hey, I've got the campaign brief ready, built from last quarter's data and the competitive landscape. Approved?
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Somewhere with a lot more tabs open. Create your first Monday agent in minutes at monday.com. It's 5.36. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, Charlotte's FM News Talk, 107.9 FM, WBT. I'm Nick Craig.
Good Wednesday morning to you. We have got an interesting decision out of the Wake County Superior Court as it relates to North Carolina's constitutional obligation to protect fisheries. This is, of course, incredibly relevant for our audience in the eastern half of North Carolina and, in large part, folks that visit the state of North Carolina, maybe travel from the western half of the state. The coastal economy, in large part, deals a lot with its quick access to the Atlantic Ocean. To bring us up with the latest on the details out of Wake County Superior Court this morning, Mitch Coke from the John Locke Foundation joins us on the Carolina Journal News Hour.
Mitch, an interesting decision from this judge. What's the latest?
Well, the decision is that the state has failed in its obligation to protect these fisheries. This is a lawsuit, Nick, that started back in 2020. The Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina, and more than 80 individual plaintiffs filed this suit, basically saying that North Carolina, under what's called the public trust doctrine, and also two sections of the state constitution, one of which deals with the protection of natural resources, and one, people might remember from the 2018 election, is protecting the right to hunt and fish. The lawsuit basically said that those constitutional provisions and the public trust doctrine require the state to maintain adequate fisheries.
Now, when this suit first made its way through the court system, the state tried to have it thrown out based on sovereign immunity. And the state court of appeals in 2022 said, no, you can't claim sovereign immunity. Is this constitutional provision, or there are these constitutional provisions requiring the state to provide and protect these fisheries?
So the case goes back to a trial judge. It went back to the Wake County Superior Court and Judge Brian Collins, who ended up earlier this year in a multi-week trial that extended from January into February, dealt with this whole issue of whether the state had maintained its duty to protect the fisheries. Roughly six months later, he came out with a 190-page order explaining why he believes that the state did not and why the state has fallen short of these obligations. Basically, the judge saying, no, the state is required to maintain these fisheries and has not. And so barring any sort of successful appeal on this liability piece, the next stage would be for the two sides to come up with some sort of plan within the next 45 days of how to deal with the remedy.
because of the state. has failed in its obligation and that Judicial ruling stands, then there would have to be some sort of remedy, and that could have a major impact on commercial fishing in North Carolina and other regulations that pertain to these fisheries.
So it's going to be very interesting to see what happens. And this could have a monumental impact on the way fishing in North Carolina moves forward going ahead. And obviously, commercial fishing is a large part of the eastern North Carolina economy, but there's also a lot of tourism as it relates to fishing as well in the eastern half of the state, Mitch. No matter where you go from the Virginia border down to South Carolina, you can hire charter captains that are all up to date with their licenses and whatnot. You can pay.
It's pretty expensive to do. It could be a couple hundred dollars an hour to go out and partake in some of the fishing here in North Carolina.
So as you're breaking down some of these details, what are some of the things that the state of North Carolina was supposed to be doing that they are, in fact, at least according to this Wake County Superior Court judge, not?
Well, it's a very detailed ruling, and people who wanted to read all 190 pages will get to know what Judge Brian Collins thinks about the state falling down on its job. But basically, there are a number of pieces of legislation, in addition to the constitutional protections, that spell out things that the state is supposed to do and to ensure that the amount of fish in the fisheries is meeting the constitutional standard. And basically, in almost every respect, Judge Collins is saying. The state's fallen down on the job. One of the things that he notes near the end of his ruling is that the state made an argument that the plaintiffs have failed to make a case because there's not enough.
data there's inadequate data To make the case about whether the fish have fallen short of what's needed to protect the fisheries. And Collins said that's getting it exactly wrong that the state. Needs to have the data because it has this right, has this obligation to protect the fisheries. And if there's inadequate data, that's evidence of the state's mismanagement. And so he's saying it's not up to the plaintiffs to have to show through data that this mismanagement is taking place.
If there's not enough data, that is proof in and of itself that the state is falling down on the job. And Judge Collins, over the course of 190 pages, goes through several different types of fish and why the evidence and the trial record tends to show that the state has been falling down on its job.
Now, as we mentioned earlier in the first part of this, Case, the state argued based on sovereign immunity, trying to get the case thrown out. The state court of appeals said, no, you can't do that. Then, during the course of the trial in this case, the state saying, look, there's not enough data here. We have shown to the best of our ability that they're meeting this obligation. And basically, the judges not having it and saying, no, the state has fallen down.
It has this constitutional obligation. It also has obligations under state law, and it hasn't been meeting those obligations. We'll get to some of the process as it relates to the remedies here coming up in just a couple of minutes. Mitch, let's zoom out just a little bit and look at the broader context of something like this. For those that are politically aligned, more on the right side of the political aisle, is this just another shining example of a government being woefully inefficient in a job that it's supposed to be doing?
I think there is some of that. You're also, you know, if you're right of center, one of the other things that you might think is, well, why is the state government involved in this at all? If you had markets, if there was all private property ownership, a lot of this could be taken care of because if you have private ownership of these various places where the fish gather, people will ensure that to protect their own private property rights that they will have enough fish. And so some of the overfishing that's been done, if it has been done, has probably been done because of common public interest in what could be better handled through private property and private markets. But yes, there is.
Some element here of government falling down on the job. I think also another thing that comes to mind is that beware of unintended consequences. When people voted in 2018, to protect the hunt. To protect the right to hunt and fish, I think their thought was: let's stop these left of center groups from blocking us from hunting and fishing. I don't think many people were thinking that a conservation group would try to use this hunt and write and fish to force the government to maintain an adequate stock of fish.
I don't think that was on people's minds when they voted for that right to hunt and fish back in 2018, but certainly that's now being used as part of this suit and is being used as part of the justification of why the government will have to take further steps to ensure that it has enough fish. Because rest assured, if the remedy says that the government has to do something, then you and I are going to be paying for the government to do whatever it is that the courts say that the government has to do to ensure that there are more fish. Yeah, Mitch, that is an absolutely phenomenal point. And many voters like myself that voted in that election back in 2018 absolutely did not think that would be the process that would be playing out here now, almost a decade after voters showed up in November of 2018 to approve that constitutional amendment. You mentioned in your open that the court has set out a timeline for remedies.
Can you recap that again quickly for us? Sure. We don't know yet what the remedies are going to be, but basically, after saying that the state had failed, and so the judgment in the case was going to go toward the plaintiffs, the next step was to deal with a remedy. And so the two sides are ordered to get together at some point within the next month and then to come up with a plan within the next 45 days. How to move forward in the remedy stage of this process.
So, the case itself is not over. It will continue, although it would not surprise me at all if there would be some sort of appeal from the state saying that Judge Collins got it wrong on the liability piece. And so, if there's an appeal on that front, then we would have a delay on dealing with the remedies. But if there's no appeal, then the next step would be some point after that report comes out in 45 days, you would have some additional hearings about how to deal with a remedy, what's the proper remedy, because this isn't a case that you would normally see in a civil lawsuit where someone does someone wrong. And so, the remedy is pay them back or give them their job back or do something of that sort.
In this case, If it stays true to this order that the state has failed and that it needs to step up its game of protecting the fisheries, there's going to be some sort of action plan that's going to be needed to deal with that. The fish aren't adequately being protected now.
So what needs to be done to do that? And that could have an effect on commercial fishing. It could have an effect on, as you mentioned, recreational fishing. There would be some sort of action plan put in place that would have to meet Judge Collins' requirements to say that, yes, now you're doing something that is complying with the state's obligation to maintain these fisheries. Mitch, in closing, is it also fair to say that there will likely become a major political element of this?
As you noted just a couple of minutes ago, if everything stands as it is right now and the state is required and in many cases will be to probably spend a lot of money to remedy some of these solutions, that money is likely going to have to come from some source within the North Carolina General Assembly, and that will obviously involve lawmakers. We do see a very pretty interesting split, a lot of tension in Raleigh right now between Democrats and Republicans.
So it seems like something like this could spill over into either the end of this year, maybe not probably, but into early next year when the General Assembly kicks off their legislative long session in 2027. Yeah. It's certainly going to have some sort of political impact. My guess is that you're right that it won't be taking place this year, that there probably will not be any impact in November. And it's hard to say how soon it would happen in 2027, because remember that this.
Potentially could be an appeal. And if there is an appeal, that could take another couple of years. It might even reach the state Supreme Court at some point, which could extend it out even longer.
So at some point, the General Assembly will have to come into play with money and legislation. But there's also the potential I should throw out there that you have a court that says the state has fallen down on its obligations. There needs to be this action plan, and the state needs to spend X amount of money to deal with this. And the General Assembly could, as it has in some other cases, say that's fine. And then not do anything.
I mean, that has happened in other cases where the courts have ordered the state to do something. The General Assembly has basically put that order in the circular file, and then nothing happens.
So it remains to be seen what the practical impact is going to be about this, but it's definitely a case to watch because it could have a major impact eventually on fishing of all sorts in North Carolina. Yeah, a little bit of a thanks, but no thanks there from the North Carolina General Assembly. If you're interested in some light reading this morning, we've got the entire 190-page order over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com. We appreciate the update this morning. Mitch Cokei from the John Locke Foundation joins us on the Carolina Journal News Hour.
Many people believe buying a home requires a large down payment and years of saving, but that's not always the case. Across the country, there are programs designed to help first-time homebuyers take the next step toward home ownership.
Some of these programs offer down payment assistance or grant funding that may help cover part of the upfront cost of purchasing a home. Grants are especially helpful because they generally do not have to be repaid. There are also organizations that provide homebuyer education, financial counseling, and guidance to help individuals understand the home buying process before they begin. The goal is simple: to help more families become informed and prepared for home ownership. If owning a home is something you've been thinking about, start by visiting ToolsForHomeownership.com.
This message is brought to you by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling's Paving the Way Forward initiative. This Monday.com ad was created by a team of people and AI agents. Reese, our content agent, wrote the copy based on our best practices, like mentioning Monday.com three times. That was the second. Johnny, our coordination agent, built the timeline and kept everyone aligned.
Olivia, our human creative director, stayed in the loop because agents are great, but they don't always know when a joke lands. She had one note: tell listeners it only takes minutes to build an agent, so, minutes. Create your own AI agent today on Monday.com. Mm. Good morning again.
It's 5:55. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, Charlotte's FM News Talk 107.9 FM. WBT, we've got an update in this COVID bar hearing that we've been talking about pretty frequently over the last couple of months here on the Carolina Journal News Hour. A Superior Court judge will not, will not force former Governor Roy Cooper to offer sworn testimony in a lawsuit brought by North Carolina bar owners. The bar owners are challenging Governor Cooper's executive order during the COVID-19 pandemic that forced their bars to remain closed.
Judge Edwin Wilson announced his decision from the bench Tuesday morning during a hearing in Raleigh. Wilson denied a motion to compel a deposition from Cooper without prejudice, meaning that the bar owners could ask again later to compel Cooper's testimony as the case proceeds. Proceeds. The judge's ruling also applies to testimony from Mandy Cohen, who was Cooper's top health official during COVID-19. Bar owner lawyers raised concerns during Tuesday's hearing that the discovery process is likely to drag on for months without answers directly from the former North Carolina governor.
They want to know what factors prompted Cooper to keep bars closed while restaurants, breweries, wineries, country clubs, and other establishments serving alcohol were allowed to reopen earlier during the pandemic. Lawyer Matthew Vaughan argued Roy Cooper and only Roy Cooper can answer these questions. The bar owners are claiming that they will be floundering in the dark without that information. Added one of the other lawyers in the case. Until we know exactly what was the basis of his decision, we can't say whether that decision was reasonable or not.
Lawyers from the State Department of Justice representing Josh Stein, who became the official defendant in the case last year when he became the governor here in North Carolina, are also the same lawyers representing Cooper and Cohen in the matter of the deposition.
So, as it stands right now, the former governor turned Senate candidate will not be compelled to offer sworn testimony in this case, pitting bar owners against the state of North Carolina due to COVID-19 shutdowns.
However, it was dismissed without prejudice, meaning it could come up later on in the process. More details and coverage of that over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com. That's going to do it for a Wednesday edition of the Carolina Journal News Hour. WBT News is next, followed by Good Morning BT. We're back with you tomorrow morning, 5 to 6, right here on Charlotte's FM News Talk, 107.9 FM, WBT.
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