‘Shrimpgate’ brings hundreds to Raleigh in protest
Good morning and welcome to Under the Dome. I’m Sophia Bailly, reporting from the General Assembly where the energy drink supply stock is running low.
Time is of the essence for an array of bills that could fall under the rug if both chambers don’t come to agreements by the end of the week. Expect long evenings at the Legislative Building this week.
The top item on today’s menu: shrimp.
THE ‘SHRIMPGATE’ SAGA COMES TO AN END (MAYBE)
A bill that originally flew under the radar has become one of the hottest legislative topics in the past week.
For coastal North Carolina, shrimping is a family business, a community passion and a way of life. The trade has tapered significantly in the past decade, and a bill set to ban inshore trawling – within a half-mile of the coast – would likely bring those numbers down even more.
To defend their legacy, hundreds of shrimpers and fishermen drove an average of three hours from the coast Tuesday to protest House Bill 442 at a rally.
The bill’s critics cite the risk that shrimpers traveling into deeper waters will face with the limited equipment local businesses have.
Supporters argue the trawling ban will reduce bycatch, or unwanted fish scooped up, and prevent ecosystem damage; shrimpers argue sustainability has long been at the industry’s forefront.
The Senate approved the bill in a 39-4 vote last week, but the House is expected to lay the bill to rest. It could be picked back up in the fall when the General Assembly returns from a recess.
A companion bill that will pay shrimpers impacted by the trawling ban (if it passes) through Oct. 1, 2028, passed the Senate on Tuesday. But it will not move forward without its sister.
The success of the Raleigh rally has yet to be seen, but the House is certainly at odds with the Senate on the matter.
— Sophia Bailly
FAMILIAR FACE JOINS WCU BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Republican Senate leader Phil Berger is recommending former state labor commissioner Josh Dobson join the Western Carolina University Board of Trustees — one of a long list of appointments included in Senate Bill 770, filed and heard in the chamber’s rules committee Tuesday.
Dobson, a Republican, served one term as labor commissioner beginning in 2021. He did not seek reelection and resigned days after the November election to become president of the North Carolina Healthcare Association. He previously served eight years in the state House representing Avery, McDowell and Mitchell counties.
On the WCU board, Dobson will fill the remainder of another trustee’s unexpired term.
Campus trustees are appointed in odd-numbered years by the UNC System Board of Governors and the General Assembly, with the House speaker and Senate leader each making recommendations. House Speaker Destin Hall has not yet announced his nominations.
— Korie Dean
BILL EXPANDING NC AUDITOR POWERS HEADS TO STEIN’S DESK
Lawmakers gave final approval to a bill expanding the powers of Republican State Auditor Dave Boliek on Tuesday, sending the measure to Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s desk.
The bill, House Bill 549, would empower Boliek to investigate non-governmental entities — such as nonprofits and businesses — that receive state funds. It would also significantly expand his office’s access to government databases.
House members passed the bill 62-48 along party lines with little debate.
It’s the latest in a series of efforts by the Republican-controlled legislature to give more authority to the auditor’s office.
Last year, lawmakers voted to give Boliek control over appointments to the State Board of Elections — upending over a century of precedent in which the governor has made those appointments.
Republicans have also proposed a separate bill called the DAVE Act, which would create a new Division of Accountability, Value and Efficiency headed by Boliek to recommend job cuts and potentially the wholesale elimination of entire state agencies.
That bill has passed the Senate and is awaiting action in the House.
— Kyle Ingram
WHAT ELSE WE’RE WORKING ON
- Republicans remain divided over the state budget and Hurricane Helene recovery aid. After the Senate passed a stopgap funding bill Tuesday with bipartisan support, House Republicans proposed two different bills to address some funding needs, including raises. Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi looks at whether a compromise is possible, and where the chambers differ on Helene recovery.
- The Senate approved a bill that expands the rights of parents to object to school library books and assignments that clash with their beliefs, Ronni Butts, Keung Hui and Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi report.
- Lawmakers have reached a deal on a cellphone ban for North Carolina public school students. Keung Hui explains.
- The aforementioned “Shrimpgate” has spurred death threats against state lawmakers, The N&O’s Avi Bajpai and Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan report. A Brunswick County man (and former state auditor candidate) was arrested Friday after he allegedly threatened to kill Republican Sen. Bill Rabon and others in a Facebook post. Rabon vocally supported the ban last week.
- As of Tuesday, Republicans hold the majority on all of the state’s 100 local elections boards. This marks the first partisan flip since 2016, The N&O’s Kyle Ingram reported from a State Board of Elections meeting.
- The question of how to regulate hemp products, which come from the cannabis plant, is facing last-minute proposals from lawmakers. The N&O’s Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi has followed the debate for months. She reports the newest version of a House bill, with more limited regulation, did not reach the floor Tuesday.
Today’s newsletter was by Sophia Bailly, Korie Dean and Kyle Ingram. Check your inbox Thursday for more #ncpol.
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This story was originally published June 25, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "‘Shrimpgate’ brings hundreds to Raleigh in protest."
