Need to talk to a lawyer but can’t afford one? Then check out Wake County’s Lawyers in Your Library program!
At each session of Lawyers in Your Library, attorneys will be available to provide free 30-minute consultations to clients on any issues related to family law — from child custody and support to alimony and adoption.
The attorneys will help advise, counsel, provide form documents and drafting suggestions, and more for many families who may not otherwise have access to legal advice as they navigate the complicated system.
Sessions will take place from 9 a.m.–noon. Appointments are available (but not required) at wake.gov/LIL, with additional slots open for walk-ins.
- Saturday, Sept. 14: Oberlin Regional Library in Raleigh
- Saturday, Dec. 14: North Regional Library in Raleigh
In a couple of months, citizens all over North Carolina will enter yet another voting season. You may be asking yourself: what’s changed about the voting requirements? Will I need an ID? What type of ID? How will absentee ballots work?
Though the General Assembly passes the voting laws, administering those laws falls to the North Carolina State Board of Elections. All questions about how to vote should be directed there.
Fortunately, the NCSBE has put together an excellent page of voting resources here. Of particular interest are the following:
- Voter ID requirements (includes a helpful video)
- Voting by mail
- Provisional voting
Curious about how the voting districts will look for the 2024 election? Maps are available here.
For more information, feel free to contact the library at 919-733-9390 or [email protected].
Did you know our state has adopted three constitutions in its history? That’s roughly one every hundred years!
You can learn other cool constitutional facts from this guide on the library website. It links to a digital version of each constitution, along with info about the amendment process and other resources.
Questions? Contact us here.
Who are my state legislators?
Where do I look up bills?
How do I find a statute relevant to my situation?
These are a few of the questions that can be answered by our new online tutorials. These short videos walk you step-by-step through some of the vast content on our General Assembly website.
Questions? Feel free to contact us at [email protected].
It’s time for another legislative Throwback Thursday! Check out this 1991 General Assembly documentary, The Voice of the People, by former Raleigh journalist Grady Jefferys.
We’ve added new photos, documents, and other curiosities to our web page commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Legislative Building.
Check out the web page here!
On May 4, 2023, the North Carolina General Assembly passed S.B. 20, the Care for Women, Children, and Families Act, which outlaws abortion in North Carolina after 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Governor Cooper vetoed the bill, and on May 16, the General Assembly overrode the veto. S.B. 20 is now law in North Carolina.
Videos of the override sessions, including floor debate and votes, are available here:
On May 4, 2023, the North Carolina Senate debated and passed S.B. 20, the Care for Women, Children, and Families Act, which outlaws abortion in North Carolina after 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Video of the May 4 Senate session is available here.
The House of Representatives voted on this bill the day before, May 3. Audio of that session is available here.
After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in last year’s Dobbs v. Jackson case, many observers wondered whether non-surgical abortions–i.e., abortions caused by certain medications–would become illegal.
There are now two competing court decisions about this issue.
This Texas-based decision, issued on April 7, ordered the Food and Drug Administration to withdraw its approval of the abortion pill mifepristone.
On the same day, another federal court ordered the FDA not to withdraw mifepristone approval in the following states:
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Illinois
- Michigan
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Hawaii
- Maine
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- Pennsylvania
- Washington
The Texas decision is currently stayed (i.e., not in effect) for seven days to allow for appeals.
Because two federal courts have disagreed, it is likely that the U.S. Supreme Court will issue a ruling to settle the matter. When such a ruling might happen is unknown.
Do you need committee minutes? Old North Carolina statutes? Study reports?
These sorts of documents and more are available on our Legislative Publications page. Here are the highlights:
- Constitutions – Copies of the 1776, 1868, and 1971 North Carolina Constitutions. Also links to a list of all amendments to the 1971 Constitution, which the Legislative Library maintains.
- Superseded statutes – Scanned images of North Carolina statutes from 1821-1983. This is a work in progress, courtesy of the State Library of North Carolina.
- Committee meeting minutes – Scanned full text of standing (1997-2016) and non-standing (1963-1987, 1997-2017) committee minutes.
- Agency reports – Full text of reports submitted to the General Assembly by North Carolina administrative agencies. Most are from 2010 forward.
Looking for something that you can’t find on our website? Contact the Legislative Library at 919-733-9390 or [email protected].