The Legislative Reporting Service: An Invaluable State Resource

Founded in 1935 by the UNC School of Government, the Legislative Reporting Service (LRS) gives anyone in the state, including legislators, state and local governments, and individual citizens, access to the information they need to understand what’s happening in the General Assembly in real time. That work is especially important this week as the General Assembly will consider a budget and finish up other pressing matters as the short session winds down.

Featuring up-to-the-minute details on every piece of legislation from the moment it’s filed until it either becomes law or dies, the LRS tracks and summarizes every major change.

If it sounds like a gargantuan task, that’s because it is—but the small but mighty team is up for the challenge. Fueled by purpose and the occasional Krispy Kreme donut, the LRS prides itself on supporting the School of Government’s mission to improve the lives of North Carolinians by engaging in practical scholarship that helps public officials and citizens understand and improve state and local government, said LRS Director Christine Wunsche.

Why the LRS Matters

Free and fully available to the public, the LRS is the only resource of its kind in the state of North Carolina. While the General Assembly’s website also shares bill information, it is not designed to provide an “at-a-glance” view of new developments.

Public servants and citizens relying on the General Assembly to track specific legislation would have to click on each bill of interest, one at a time, just to see whether any updates were made. Then, they would need to read the revised version of each bill—and wade through legal jargon—before reviewing previous versions to identify the changes and understand their potential impact. The process is time-consuming, said Dorothy Hester, who has served as the Dare County public information director for nearly 30 years.

The LRS, in contrast, publishes a bill summary every time a bill is filed or changed and posts it immediately on its website. Additionally, they publish the Daily Bulletin, available on the LRS website or via email, which consolidates the day’s developments in one document every single day North Carolina lawmakers are at work.

“The summaries explain what legislation actually does and how it affects state and local law,” said Hester. “Features such as cross-references to existing law, subject-matter categories, bill tracking, and expert commentary make it much easier to understand and monitor legislation [using the LRS] than relying solely on the General Assembly website.”

A Small Team with a Big Responsibility

“I'm very lucky to have such a hardworking and dedicated team,” said Wunsche of her four-person office. 

Attorneys Wunsche and Jennifer Kent write the bill summaries, while staff members Jennifer Henderson and Ivey Byrd monitor legislative activity and coordinate information flow, enabling the office to produce the Daily Bulletin every legislative day.

The team relies heavily on legislators and staff to provide information as bills move through the committee process. In the past, LRS employees attended every meeting in person to obtain the necessary documentation. Advances in technology have helped the office find ways to save time and resources.

Even with those advances, the human touch remains essential. Henderson and Byrd spend much of their day listening to committee meetings and House and Senate floor sessions so they can alert the attorneys when legislation reaches a stage requiring a summary, Wunsche said.

Whether attending meetings in person or watching remotely, staff members provide insight and judgment that technology cannot. "Things still vary from committee to committee," Wunsche said. "A lot of times you have to understand the process to know what they meant to say. That's why having our staff actually listen is so important."

The LRS’s Impact

For government employees, the LRS is a vital resource. “When the General Assembly is in session, it is my primary resource for tracking legislation that could impact Dare County,” said Hester.

One of the first issues Hester recalled using the LRS to follow closely was a proposed sales tax redistribution formula. “The legislation was complex and generated significant public interest, [but] the summaries and analysis provided through LRS helped me clearly communicate the proposal and its potential impact on Dare County.”

Hester relies mainly on bill digests, legislative summaries, and personalized tracking features to stay on top of legislation that could affect coastal counties such as hers, including regulations pertaining to fisheries, shoreline protection, environmental issues, and local government operations. “The ability to monitor bills by subject area and receive expert analysis from School of Government faculty is especially valuable,” she said.

Driven by Purpose

By providing factual, nonpartisan summaries of legislation, the Legislative Reporting Service advances the School of Government's mission.

"We uphold the School of Government's commitment to being nonpartisan and policy neutral," Wunsche said. "That means people can read our summaries and know that we are just providing them with the facts that they need, and we're never going to cloud our summaries with our opinions or any kind of advocacy."

The work is relentless, particularly during the legislative session, when the team may still be grinding after midnight. But the demands of the job are outweighed by a shared sense of purpose.

"We all know that we are doing really important work—and that's what keeps us motivated," Wunsche said.

And when the going gets tough, the tough get treats. When gearing up for a “really bad day,” Wunsche boosts team morale with plenty of sugar. With a Krispy Kreme shop just up the road from the office, donuts and other treats have become a team tradition.

Published June 30, 2026