Tax Caps Head to NC Ballot

North Carolina voters will decide this November whether to cap the state income tax rate at 3.5% and limit local governments’ power to raise property taxes, after the GOP-led General Assembly approved both constitutional amendments this week.

Republicans argued the measures lock in a decade of tax cuts. The income tax amendment would lower the constitutional ceiling from the current 7% to 3.5%. Voters dropped it from 10% in 2018.

The property tax amendment doesn’t set a specific cap. Sponsors say exact limits will be written into law after ratification. But Republicans argued municipal governments have been hiking rates unnecessarily, pricing residents out of their homes.

Democrats called both amendments political theater aimed at boosting GOP midterm turnout, warning the caps could force cuts to schools and services. Constitutional amendments bypass the governor’s veto, so Democrat Gov. Josh Stein can’t block either from reaching voters.

House Overrides Stein’s School Choice Veto

The North Carolina House voted 73-46 on Wednesday to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of HB 87, the Educational Choice for Children Act, marking the ninth successful override attempt against Stein since he took office.

The bill conforms state law to a federal program offering dollar-for-dollar tax credits of up to $1,700 per year for donations to scholarship-granting organizations. Supporters say the program expands options for public, charter, private, and home school students at no direct cost to North Carolina.

Two key votes came from Reps. Carla Cunningham and Nasif Majeed—Mecklenburg County lawmakers who switched from Democrat to unaffiliated after losing their March primaries—giving Republicans the three-fifths majority needed.

Stein vetoed the bill in 2025, citing Treasury Department guidance and wanting public schools to benefit as well. The Senate must still hold its own override vote for the measure to become law.

NASCAR Champion Kyle Busch Dies at 41

Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch died Thursday at age 41. He’d withdrawn from this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte due to a severe illness.

Known as one of the sport’s fiercest competitors, Busch amassed 234 wins across NASCAR’s top three series, including 63 Cup victories. He claimed championships in 2015 and 2019, earning a reputation for sharp wit and deep passion that built a loyal “Rowdy Nation” fanbase.

Busch made his mark in NASCAR while racing for Huntersville, North Carolina-based Joe Gibbs Racing. He joined another North Carolina-based team, Richard Childress Racing, after the 2022 season.

The family requested privacy as they mourn alongside the motorsports community.

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➤ Statewide: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is giving the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season a 55% chance of below-normal activity. The season runs from June 1 to November 30. (More)

➤ Wake County: Superior Court Judge Jennifer Bedford accepted a deal ending a GOP lawsuit against the State Board of Elections, requiring the removal of noncitizens identified through jury questionnaires from voter rolls. (More)

➤ I-77: The Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization pulled support for the I-77 Toll Lane Project on Wednesday, effectively canceling it. Funding could be redirected to other projects across the state. (More)

➤ Charlotte: City employees are pushing back against a proposed $4.5 billion budget offering the mayor a 14.6% raise—to $57,054—while most workers are set to receive just 4%. (More)

➤ Iredell County: Animal Services, working with the Bureau of Land Management and the Sheriff’s Office, has captured seven of 10 wild mustangs that escaped a local property on May 11. Three remain at large. (More)

➤ Fort Bragg: North Carolina’s full congressional delegation backed the fiscal year 2027 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which passed 400–15 and includes $55 million for a special ops facility at Fort Bragg. (More)

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➤ The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series kicks off at Charlotte Motor Speedway tonight for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200. (More)

➤ State lawmakers are considering raising the state’s 18% tax on sports betting operators to as high as 30%to help fund state employee raises. (More)

➤ No. 2 UNC takes on No. 7 Virginia Tech today at 11 a.m. in the ACC baseball tournament. (More)

➤ Duke’s baseball season ended with a 6-4 loss to Virginia in the second round of the ACC tournament. The Blue Devils led 2-1 entering the sixth before the Cavaliers scored four runs to pull away. (More)

➤ Duke’s softball team, however, opens their super regional series against No. 5 Arkansas today. (See Schedule)

Yesterday’s Results: NFL | MLB | NHL | WNBA | PGA | LPGA

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➤ Two Kings Casino Resort opened its first phase near Kings Mountain on Wednesday, replacing the temporary gaming facility that had operated since 2021. The Catawba Indian Nation’s $1 billion project will eventually include a hotel and entertainment complex. (More)

➤ NC data centers face new scrutiny under legislation the House advanced this week. The bill would cap water use, regulate ownership structures, and shield ratepayers from AI-driven energy costs as facilities multiply across the state. (More)

➤ Whataburger has filed permits for its first Asheville location along Smokey Park Highway, city records show. If approved, the Texas chain would become the latest national brand to bet on Asheville’s continued growth. (More)

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➤ Three great white sharks were tracked off the coast near Kitty Hawk on Wednesday by OCEARCH Shark Tracker, as the animals migrate northward along the Outer Banks shoreline. (More)

➤ Wounded Warrior Project cyclists, riding 1,000 miles total, stopped at the Wright Brothers Memorial on Wednesday afternoon, with more than 20 stopping to take a group photo. (More)

➤ Fort Fisher State Historic Site opens its summer season May 30 with Civil War artwork on display and live artillery demonstrations for the public. (More)

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What’s your favorite Memorial Day weekend activity?

1. Visiting a memorial
2. Cooking out
3. Pool or beach time
4. Attending a party
5. Watching movies
6. Other

Yesterday’s Results:

Should voters or the governor select the state superintendent of education?

1. Voters: 59%
2. Unsure: 16%
3. Governor: 13%
4. Others: 12%

What’s the name of the largest great white shark OCEARCH has ever tagged in the Western North Atlantic?

Show me the answer