BUDD AND CAWTHORN USE PROXY VOTE TO ATTEND CPAC: Budd introduced a bill last year that would withhold pay from any lawmaker that voted remotely or by proxy, saying at the time that “outsourcing the duty of a member of Congress is unconstitutional and wrong.” In July, Cawthorn, then a candidate for U.S. House, tweeted that Democrats who vote by proxy are “cowards for hiding and not showing up to work.” But on Thursday and Friday this week, Budd and Cawthorn had Rep. Patrick McHenry, another North Carolina Republican, vote on their behalf. Both Budd and Cawthorn used standard language in their letters to the House assigning someone as their proxy, which are required. They both wrote they were “unable to physically attend proceedings in the House Chamber due to the ongoing public health emergency.”
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article249561758.html

NC BARS CAN NOW SERVE PATRONS INDOORS, AT 30% CAPACITY: For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic nearly one year ago, bars will be able to serve drinks indoors. Starting Friday, Feb. 26, bars can open up inside at 30% capacity. Patrons will still need to stay socially distanced, remaining seated at a table or counter, and will need to wear a mask when not actively eating or drinking. Technically, bars have been open since October 2020, but that only allowed outdoor service and limited capacity to 30%, which in some cases meant only one or two tables. With those limits, many bars remained closed through winter. Bar owners have lobbied for months to reopen and even filed multiple lawsuits against the state, each one unsuccessful. The new alcohol curfew is 11 p.m., pushed back from 9 p.m., where it’s been since December.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article249485640.html

MARK ROBINSON'S CAMPAIGN SPENDING IS A BIG, HOT MESS: Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s campaign report does not explain why $186 worth of medical bills were campaign-related. Or why he bought “campaign clothes and accessories” for $2,840 with the majority being spent at a sporting goods store. It doesn’t explain why his wife needed to be reimbursed $4,500 for campaign clothing or how and where she spent the money. “I think it’s questionable,” Phillips said. “Maybe his wife is someone who is with him and campaigning and there could be a case for additional expenditures ... but that needs an explanation.” And then there are the medical bills. “I have seen some leeway where people buy clothes or even get a haircut,” Phillips said. “But I’ve never seen a doctor’s bill being used or paid for by a campaign contribution and listed in a campaign finance report.”
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article249306585.html

FOR THE SAKE OF OUR CITIES, PASS THE RESCUE ACT: We understand the need for fiscal responsibility. State law requires balanced budgets. Despite our best efforts, the fiscal challenges the pandemic has caused for local governments are unprecedented. The American Rescue Plan will give our cities the resources we need to fund our essential services — such as keeping our police and firefighters on the job. It’ll fund a vaccination program of the scope we need to end this pandemic. It’ll provide economic relief to North Carolinians facing economic desperation — through $1,400 checks, extended unemployment insurance benefits, rental and utility assistance, affordable child care, and emergency food and nutrition assistance — the kind of help we know can make a difference. We need more tools to rescue North Carolina’s small businesses from further pain through flexible grants and low-cost capital.
https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/jay-wagner-nancy-vaughan-for-the-sake-of-our-cities-pass-the-rescue...

CONSERVATIVES LAUNCH AD BLITZ ABOUT OPENING SCHOOLS: The State Government Leadership Foundation (SGLF) and N2 America announced Thursday that their new six-figure “Let Kids Learn” ad campaign will “highlight the true cost of keeping schools closed.” The campaign will target Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina and Virginia, where both groups say “union-controlled politicians” are refusing to reopen schools. The ad campaign is starting just as the Republican-controlled General Assembly passed legislation this week that requires North Carolina school districts — but not charter schools — to offer in-person learning. Senate Bill 37 would also require school districts to offer daily in-person classes to special-education students. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper criticized the bill on Wednesday, saying it falls short of following state Department of Health and Human Services guidance and in giving state and local leaders the ability to respond to emergencies. Duncan is also president of the Republican State Leadership Committee, which helps elect GOP lawmakers around the country.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article249335880.html