North Carolina Politics

North Carolina's outgoing governor pardoned on Monday the Wilmington 10, a group of civil rights activists convicted of firebombing a white-owned grocery store in a black neighborhood 40 years ago.

Outgoing North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue pardoned Monday the Wilmington 10, a group of civil rights activists convicted of firebombing a grocery store four decades ago.

Voters in North Carolina have approved a state constitutional amendment forbidding gay marriages, civil unions and domestic partnerships, still divisive social issues in the United States.

Voters in North Carolina approved a state constitutional amendment explicitly forbidding gay marriages, civil unions and domestic partnerships.

Bill Clinton, NC Governor Bev Perdue, Senator Kay Hagan and Clay Aiken are among those featured in a final ad to defeat Amendment One. ?Former President Bill Clinton, NC Governor Bev Perdue, Senator Kay Hagan and Clay Aiken are among those featured in a final ad to defeat Amendment One. North Carolina voters on Tuesday will decided on the amendment, which would bar the state from recognizing gay and lesbian couples with marriage, civil unions and possibly domestic partnerships. The 3-minute ad features some of the most high-profile politicians, faith leaders, celebrities and everyday folks who have spoken out against the amendment. ?I'm going to vote against it,? Governor Perdue says in the ad. Amendment One has ?far reaching, negative consequences,? Hagan says. Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx and former Mayors Harvey Gantt, a Democrat, and Richard Vinroot, a Republican, also speak out against the measure. ?You ought to vote against Amendment One on May 8th,? Vinroot says. ?There is nothi

North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue is urging voters to reject a proposed constitutional amendment which would ban gay marriage. ?North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue is urging voters to reject a proposed constitutional amendment which would ban gay marriage in the state. The 65-year-old Perdue on Thursday released a video on YouTube in which the Democrat said that the amendment, if approved on May 8, could hurt families and businesses in the state. ?Amendment One is a proposed constitutional amendment that could harm families and businesses across North Carolina,? Perdue said in the video. ?Whatever your personal, moral, religious views may be, writing discrimination into North Carolina's Constitution is just plain wrong.? ?It would ban the state from recognizing civil unions, strip away domestic partner benefits, and it actually could eliminate legal protections for all unmarried couples in this state. The amendment could also harm children, because some children of unmarried parent

North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue on Friday tweeted against a proposed amendment which would ban gay marriage in the state. North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue on Friday tweeted against a proposed amendment which would ban gay marriage in the state. ?Amendment 1 is wrong: the Constitution is for guaranteeing rights, not taking them away. We must protect all NC families,? she messaged to her nearly 9,000 followers. If approved on May 8, Amendment 1 would bar the state from legalizing marriage, civil unions and possibly domestic partnerships for gay and lesbian couples. Perdue's tweet was prompted by news that President Barack Obama had come out against the amendment. ?While the president does not weigh in on every single ballot measure in every state, the record is clear that the president has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same sex couples,? said Cameron French, spokesman for Obama's North Carolina campaign. ?That's what the Nort

President Barack Obama on Friday issued a statement in opposition to a proposed gay marriage ban in North Carolina. ?President Barack Obama on Friday issued a statement in opposition to a proposed constitutional amendment which would define marriage as a heterosexual union in North Carolina. The Obama campaign called the amendment discriminatory in a statement, the News & Observer reported. ?While the president does not weigh in on every single ballot measure in every state, the record is clear that the president has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same sex couples,? said Cameron French, spokesman for the North Carolina campaign. ?That's what the North Carolina ballot initiative would do ? it would single out and discriminate against committed gay and lesbian couples ? and that's why the president does not support it.? Evan Wolfson of Freedom to Marry applauded the president's comments. ?The White House's strong restatement of President O

RALEIGH, N.C., Jan 26 - North Carolina Democratic Governor Bev Perdue, facing difficult re-election prospects this November, said on Thursday she would not seek a second term.

A top North Carolina elections official has quit over a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage. ?A top North Carolina elections official has quit over a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage. Sherre Toler, a Democrat, resigned from her 11-year post as Harnett County elections director, saying she could not in good conscience preside over the upcoming vote. The move allows Toler to speak out against the bill, something she was discouraged from doing as a state election worker. ?The rights of a minority group being put to a popular vote,? Toler told the Associated Press. ?It's immoral and unconstitutional.? In an interview with progressive blogger Pam Spaulding, Toler added that ?discrimination is discrimination in whatever form it takes.? ?The Supreme Court acknowledged in the Loving case that the 'freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides in the individual, and cannot be infringed by the State.' ? The same constituti

(Reuters) - North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue on Wednesday vetoed an effort by legislators to gut a two-year-old law that lets death row inmates appeal their sentences on the basis of racial bias.

(Reuters) - North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue on Wednesday vetoed an effort by legislators to gut a two-year-old law that lets death row inmates appeal their sentences on the basis of racial bias.

Gingrich slams Romney on immigration, Obama on taxes

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina (Reuters) - North Carolina cannot require abortion providers to show and describe to pregnant women images from ultrasounds performed before the procedures, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday.

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina (Reuters) - Representative Gabrielle Giffords will begin two weeks of intensive therapy sessions in North Carolina on Monday as part of her continued recovery from a gunshot wound to the head earlier this year, her office said.

BEIJING (Reuters) - A group of U.S. governors visiting China skirted national-level bilateral trade frictions on Wednesday and instead made their best pitches for Chinese investment they hope will spur their foundering economies back home.

A new survey finds a majority of North Carolina voters support a proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. A new survey finds a majority of North Carolina voters support a proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. Voters in May will decided on a far-reaching amendment that would make it unconstitutional for North Carolina to recognize gay and lesbian couples with marriage, civil unions and possibly even domestic partnerships. The Public Policy Polling survey of 760 voters found 61 percent of respondents in favor of the ban and 34 opposed. When broken down along political affiliations, majorities exist among Republicans (80/17) and independents (52/43). Democrats narrowly favor the ban, 49 percent to 44. However, a narrow majority (51%) of respondents support either giving gay couples full marriage rights (22%) or civil unions (29%). ?The problem for those trying to defeat the amendment is that 37% of voters who support gay marriage or civil unions are still

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina (Reuters) - The highway linking North Carolina's Outer Banks to the mainland reopened on Monday, restoring traffic to parts of the barrier islands more than a month after Hurricane Irene damaged the road.

North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue announced on Friday she'll vote against a gay marriage ban. North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue announced on Friday she'll vote against a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage in the state, the AP reported. Voters in May will decide whether to bar the state from legalizing marriage, civil unions and possibly domestic partnerships for gay and lesbian couples. Perdue, a 64-year-old Democrat, said she's opposed to allowing such unions but added that the economy must take precedence over social issues. Referring to her 1996 vote in the state Senate in favor of a law banning gay marriage, Perdue said, ?I continue to support that law today.? ?But I'm going to vote against the amendment because I cannot in good conscience look an unemployed man or woman in the eye and tell them that this amendment is more important than finding them a job.? ?Right now, my focus, the General Assembly's focus, and North Carolina's focus needs to

A majority of North Carolina residents oppose an amendment to the North Carolina constitution that would ban gay marriage. ?A majority of North Carolina residents oppose a proposed amendment to the North Carolina state constitution that would ban gay marriage, Raleigh-based WRAL reported. According to an Elon University Poll released Friday, 56 percent of residents oppose the amendment lawmakers earlier this month okayed for ratification by voters in May. Thirty-nine percent of respondents say they support the measure, a drop of 4 percentage points since March, 2009. The survey of 594 people conducted between September 25 ? 29 has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.02 percentage points. While respondents don't want to enshrine the state's prohibition against marriage equality in the constitution, a majority also object to gay marriage. Only 33 percent of respondents said they support full marriage rights for gay couples, an increase of 12 percentage points since March, 2009. ?The bal