Exempt employees Coverage

Judges deliver split decision in fight between Cooper, lawmakers

A three-judge panel on Friday gave both Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican legislative leaders a victory and a stinging defeat in their ongoing power struggle.

Mark Binker and Matthew Burns

Power struggle between Cooper, lawmakers in hands of judges

Lawyers for Gov. Roy Cooper argued Tuesday that state lawmakers illegally undercut his authority before he even took office in January, while lawyers for legislative leaders maintained that the General Assembly has the power to give certain powers to the governor or take them away.

Matthew Burns

Cooper expands challenge to new state laws

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper on Tuesday challenged more provisions of state laws passed last month by the Republican-controlled legislature.

Matthew Burns and Laura Leslie

Cooper sworn in as 75th NC governor

Roy Cooper was sworn in shortly after midnight Sunday as North Carolina's 75th governor, taking the reins of a deeply divided state and facing an openly hostile legislature as he tries to accomplish an agenda calling for improved schools and a stronger economy for middle-class families.

Laura Leslie

Cooper chooses to be sworn in shortly after midnight

Gov. Roy Cooper took his oath of office shortly after midnight, about a week before the official inauguration on Jan. 7.

Cooper: GOP proposals 'more ominous' than power grab

Gov.-elect Roy Cooper blasted Republican lawmakers Thursday for trying to push through legislation stripping him of some powers before he takes office, threatening to sue the General Assembly if he deems any of the new proposals to be unconstitutional.

Matthew Burns and Mark Binker

Lawmakers poised to undercut Cooper, deliver boons to McCrory

Lawmakers have filed bills to change election laws, environmental regulations and school funding during a surprise special session. They also plan to confirm two new judges for the state's Business Court.

Mark Binker

More political appointees could mean more turnover in state government

Now that the governor's race has been decided, hundreds of Gov. Pat McCrory's political appointees are busy updating their resumes and references because their jobs aren't guaranteed once Gov.-elect Roy Cooper takes office.

Laura Leslie

Ethics form exemption leaves out some agency leaders

The state's ethics law contains a loophole of sorts that allows lower-salary state workers covered by the ethics act to opt out of filing a conflict of interest statement. And changes in the personnel act have sent the number of excepted workers way up.

Tyler Dukes

Top state museum scientist leaving Nature Research Center

The top scientist at the Nature Research Center is leaving her post three years after taking the helm of the science museum's new $56-million wing. The move comes four months after the museum's new director effectively demoted her.

Tyler Dukes

Search McCrory's newest at-will workers

Public information about Gov. Pat McCrory's list of newest at-will workers is now available in WRAL's exempt employee database.

Tyler Dukes

Uptick in at-will workers worried science museum leadership

After learning earlier this year that his top leaders would lose job protections that would normally prevent political hiring and firing, the director of the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences moved quickly to ensure the action wouldn't affect the institution's ongoing accreditation process.

Tyler Dukes

Personnel experts: DHHS settlement may violate state constitution

Department of Health and Human Services officials may have violated the North Carolina Constitution when they cut a $37,000 check to an outgoing worker on the job for only a month, personnel experts say.

Tyler Dukes

Methodology: Exempt salaries database

Find out more about how WRAL compiled its database of state positions exempted by the governor.

Database: Exempt employees

Explore which state workers made the governor's list of "exempt" personnel - a designation that strips employees of civil protections and allows them to be fired at will.