General Assembly

Lawmakers in Raleigh are considering a bill that could make it easier to permit new nuclear plants and extend deadlines for Duke Energy to clean up coal ash dumps at its North Carolina plants.

North Carolina won't be revising its outdated energy efficiency rules for new homes anytime soon. On Wednesday, the House and Senate both voted to override Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of House Bill 488. The new law blocks the state Building Code Council from updating key sections of the state building code until 2031. Some parts of the current code date from 2009. The law also reorganizes the council and limits the governor's appointment power.

Two former federal emergency management officials say they're concerned that a bill to block some updates to North Carolina's residential building code could disqualify local communities from federal grants to make buildings stronger and safer.

Republican leaders at the North Carolina General Assembly said this week that they'll take a break until Aug. 7. That means no votes on bills, no overrides of vetoes by Gov. Roy Cooper, and no vote on a $30 billion state budget for the fiscal year that began three weeks ago. To find out what's going on in Raleigh, WFAE's David Boraks talked with Colin Campbell, the Capitol bureau chief at WUNC.

North Carolina House Majority Leader John Bell and Rules Chairman Destin Hall say they'll run for House speaker after Tim Moore steps down at the end of next year.

The North Carolina Home Builders Association and the governor-appointed state Building Code Council have battled all year over proposed updates to energy efficiency standards for new homes. With the council poised to adopt the changes, the Republican-controlled legislature stepped in to pass a bill that would block any new standards. Email messages show that the home builders lobby helped write the legislation. Energy efficiency advocates are crying foul on the bill, which the governor vetoed and could come up for an override vote this week.

A coalition of businesses wants North Carolina lawmakers to fund a study of the potential benefits of introducing competition to the state's electricity market.

Democrats in the state Senate have filed legislation to penalize elected officials who switch parties in the middle of their term.

Democrats addressed reporters on Monday to assail a Republican-backed bill that could reshape elections in North Carolina.

A bill that would block updates to North Carolina's building code and energy efficiency rules passed the state House of Representatives Tuesday, with some changes.