Woodson Bradley

North Carolina state senator Woodson Bradley is advocating for a domestic violence offender registry following the alleged murder of a 5-year-old boy by his father, Jehaaz-Akil Echoles, who had a history of assault charges. The proposed registry, modeled after Tennessee's system, aims to track individuals with domestic violence histories to prevent future crimes and improve safety for victims.

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein signed the state budget, providing raises and bonuses for state workers and retirees while enabling new projects. The budget received bipartisan support after over a year without a new budget. Stein also signed a modified version of Iryna’s Law, shifting some involuntary commitment evaluations to jails and extending outpatient treatment duration.

North Carolina’s budget is now with Governor Josh Stein after the House and Senate approved it in bipartisan fashion. The budget passed with 8 Democrats in the state Senate voting in favor. Governor Stein has 10 days to sign, veto, or allow it to become law without his signature.

North Carolina lawmakers return to Raleigh as votes on the state budget, which includes income tax reductions and raises for teachers and state employees, approach. The last budget was passed in 2023, and the new one is set to take effect July 1.

North Carolina Democratic senators and advocates warned that access to contraception could be at risk, citing challenges to reproductive rights following the 2021 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court decision. They co-sponsored Senate Bill 413 to codify contraceptive access into state law, while a separate Republican-backed bill proposed defining life as beginning at conception, though it faced criticism and lacked widespread support.