STATE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PANEL CALLS FOR DECRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA: A panel appointed by Gov. Roy Cooper called Wednesday for decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, saying arrests for such crimes disproportionately affect Black residents. The North Carolina Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice, which is chaired by Attorney General Josh Stein and Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls, also called for studying the prospect of further legalizing the cultivation, sale and possession of marijuana in the state. "You cannot talk about improving racial equity in our criminal justice system without talking about marijuana," Stein said in a statement. "White and Black North Carolinians use marijuana at similar rates, yet Black people are disproportionately arrested and sentenced."
https://www.wral.com/state-panel-calls-for-not-prosecuting-possession-of-small-amounts-of-marijuana/...

LITTLE TIMMY MOORE RE-ELECTED AS SPEAKER OF THE NC HOUSE: Incoming North Carolina House Republicans in a meeting Monday formally backed Speaker Tim Moore to lead their chamber for another two years, a result of the GOP expanding their majority in the Nov. 3 election. The fact that “we actually expanded our numbers shows that we have a mandate to continue the legislative leadership that we’ve had,” Moore said at a news conference at state GOP headquarters, where returning House Republicans met and approved his nomination by acclamation. “We'll continue to do all we can to to allow the ‘Old North State' to be even greater." Moore, 50, joined the House in 2003 and became rules committee chairman under then-Speaker Thom Tillis. Moore succeeded Tillis in 2015 when Tillis moved to the U.S. Senate.
https://www.wral.com/moore-poised-to-win-record-tying-fourth-term-as-n-c-speaker/19388670/

VOTERS TO LEGISLATORS: STOP FIGHTING THE GOVERNOR, COOPERATE AND COMPROMISE: We hear a clear message from North Carolinians in their vote for governor. They want a government that meets the state’s needs with quality services and is striving for the best – whether that be schools, health services, economic opportunity or quality of life. They have had enough of the legislature’s wasteful, bargain-basement mediocracy. Being just OK, muddled and middling, isn’t good enough and doesn’t meet the expectations of the electorate. This means that there needs to be an end to legislative leaders take-it or leave-it modus operandi. It is time for legislators to work WITH the governor and not uncompromisingly against him. When the General Assembly convenes on Jan. 13, 2021, Berger and Moore should signal, in clear terms., they have abandoned their chintzy, cut-rate, run-of-the-mill expectations and they, too, want excellence for North Carolina.
https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/editorial-voters-to-legislators-stop-fighting-governor-cooperate-an...

CHERI BEASLEY NOW LEADS PAUL NEWBY IN CHIEF JUSTICE RACE: The race for Supreme Court chief justice changed leaders Thursday as county boards of election continued to count absentee ballots. Since Election Day on Nov. 3, Justice Paul Newby, a Republican, led incumbent Chief Justice Cheri Beasley but Beasley took over that lead by 1,101 votes, according to unofficial returns at 9:38 p.m. on the State Board of Elections website. Newby and Beasley both hold seats on the Supreme Court bench but their terms expire at the end of the year. County Boards of Elections have been meeting to count votes in recent days and have updated results in increments. They’re expected to canvass votes Nov. 13. The race was one of six statewide races that was too close to call on Election Night, The News & Observer reported.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article247124949.html

AFTER TRUMP FIRES ESPER, TONY TATA GETS PENTAGON PROMOTION: In a memo obtained Tuesday by Defense One, acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller — who was put in that job on Monday after Trump fired former Defense Secretary Mark Esper by tweet — announced that Tata would take the policy role. Tata could not get the Senate to confirm him for the position earlier this summer in part due to a string of false statements he has made in the past, including calling former President Barack Obama a “terrorist leader,” a comment for which he ended up penning a letter of apology to Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla, who was helping oversee his Senate confirmation. Tata is replacing Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy James Anderson who resigned early Tuesday following the firing of Esper.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/nation-world/national/article247104512.html