(The Center Square) – State Board of Elections members are to remain the appointments of the governor of North Carolina and not shift to the state auditor on May 1, a three-judge panel in Wake County Superior Court said Wednesday.

The ruling impacts a portion of the third disaster relief bill from the General Assembly, though not the $252 million designated for western North Carolina’s recovery from Hurricane Helene. The 132-page proposal was heavily scrutinized because only the first 13 pages were related to Helene, and the remainder on changes to authority of elected positions.

Josh Stein was attorney general at the time and governor-elect, and Roy Cooper was in the final weeks of his second four-year term as governor. Both are Democrats. State Auditor Dave Boliek is a Republican.

The five-member state board and five-member county boards of elections are typically three members of the party of the governor, and two members of the state’s other major party.

Neither is the largest voting bloc. The state’s more than 7.4 million registered voters have more signing up as unaffiliated (37.6%) than any of the eight permitted parties.

In making the ruling, the court order said state and county boards “exercise executive functions” and paired that with a state Supreme Court ruling on Article III of the state constitution. It says the governor has “control over” the commissions and boards that are “executive in character.”

Critics say the state and county boards side with respective parties, creating many 3-2 votes. The Legislature, in addition to this attempted change, tried also to reduce the size of the state and county boards and change the appointments through a legislative act.

That, too, failed.

On social media, Stein wrote, “The North Carolina Constitution puts the governor in charge of executing the law. That’s what the voters elected me to do, so that’s what I’ll do.”

Cooper issued a veto of the legislation and each chamber of the General Assembly was successful on an override vote.

The duties of the State Board of Elections are not in the constitution. The auditor’s duties are as “prescribed by law.”

Stein, who advocated for cooperation with the Legislature upon taking his oath on Jan. 1 and in his State of the State address, has additional litigation against lawmakers pending Disaster Relief-3/Budget/Various Law Changes, known also as Senate Bill 382.

(The Center Square) — A Louisiana House committee advanced legislation this week that could reshape how contractors interact with homeowners after storm damage, reigniting debate over consumer protection and insurance industry influence.

At the center of the debate is House Bill 121, which seeks to crack down on unlicensed public adjusting by contractors, particularly in the roofing industry. The measure would keep the current penalty of up to $5,000 per violation but adds clearer restrictions on what contractors can say or do when it comes to insurance claims.

Though the bill was reported favorably without objection from lawmakers, witnesses testimony suggests that the bill could backfire tremendously. 

The bill would explicitly prohibit roofing contractors from assisting homeowners with insurance paperwork before a claim is filed.

A separate, related proposal would broaden that restriction to include all contractors. The bill also bars licensed public adjusters from doing repair work on the same claims they’re handling — a move supporters argue would eliminate conflicts of interest that could inflate costs and premiums.

Opponents say the measure is overly vague and could unfairly penalize contractors trying to help clients navigate the often-confusing claims process.

“This bill is ambiguous,” said Jonathan Davis, a board member of the Residential Roofing Association of Louisiana, during committee testimony. “It talks about claim handling, but that could mean a lot of things,” he said, such as doing a damage assessment or sending in a bid using the insurer’s own software.

Davis raised concerns that even basic communication — like explaining deductibles — could be interpreted as unauthorized public adjusting.

“Just like I can tell you there’s an engine in a car without being a mechanic, I should be able to explain what a deductible is without being a licensed adjuster,” Davis told lawmakers.

Josh Lovell, a sales and project manager with Gator Roofing, echoed those concerns.

“Eighty percent of the homeowners I meet don’t know what to do when we find damage,” he said. “They ask, ‘What do I do?’ and we walk them through it — wind damage, hail damage, hurricane damage — they don’t know the difference or what deductible applies. If we’re not even allowed to explain the process, we’re just handing everything over to the insurance companies.”

Lovell warned that limiting contractor communication with homeowners could leave people vulnerable to underpaid claims and strip them of the support they often rely on.

“People say, ‘I don’t want to talk to my insurance company, can you handle it?’ That doesn’t mean we’re trying to act as adjusters. We’re just helping people who are overwhelmed,” Lovell continues.

Despite the pushback, supporters of the bill say the intent is to protect consumers and preserve the integrity of the claims process.

The House Insurance Committee advanced the bill, though some lawmakers acknowledged the enforcement concerns.

Rep. Edmond Jordan, D-East Baton Rouge, questioned how the state would prove violations without direct evidence.

“If we don’t have something in writing or an audio recording, how do we enforce this?” he asked.

House Bill 121 now heads to the full House for consideration.

(The Center Square) – U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin announced Wednesday that he will not seek reelection in 2026, ending his more than four-decade career representing Illinois. 

The 80-year old from East. St. Louis was first elected to the U.S. House in 1982 and served seven terms. Durbin, D-Springfield, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996, succeeding Paul Simon. 

Durbin made the announcement on social media in a highly-produced segment. 

“The decision to not run for reelection has not been easy,” said Durbin. “I truly love the job of being a United States Senator, but in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch.” 

Durbin served as the Democratic Party whip, the second-highest leadership position within the party. After his father died of lung cancer, Durbin is credited with igniting a movement to ban indoor smoking. 

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said both sides of the aisle should be grateful for Durbin’s service.

“Someone serving us for decades in Washington D.C. representing the state of Illinois with enormous integrity and honor is something we should all appreciate no matter what political party anybody belongs to,” said Pritzker at an appearance in Decatur.   

After the announcement, Illinois Republicans took the opportunity to take a jab at Durbin.

“After decades of speeches and zero real progress for Illinois families, Dick Durbin is stepping aside, proof that even the most entrenched eventually find the exit. Illinois families have a long-overdue chance to turn the page and elect a leader who will fight for lower taxes, less government spending, true support for Israel and our national and economic security,” said ILGOP Chairman Kathy Salvi in a statement. 

Illinois U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Schaumburg, has been mentioned as a possible candidate for Durbin’s seat in 2026. 

“Senator Durbin represents the true meaning of public service. Over the next two years, I know he will continue to fiercely advocate for our state, and I will be honored to fight alongside him as we continue to deliver for Illinois,” he said in a statement.