CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV)- The North Carolina Senate released its state budget proposal late Sunday night.

It's a  $20.6 billion dollar plan that includes adjustments to Medicaid, education reform, and a big change for the State Bureau of Investigation.

Senate leaders have been looking for ways to trim costs, and to prevent any tax increases, and they're proposing consolidation as a tool to do so.

But the SBI proposal is starting to look like a convoluted case.

Attorney General Roy Cooper stood with a dozen law enforcement officers today to oppose the move. Cooper says putting the SBI under McCrory's control could create a conflict of interest, and that it would cripple the organization's independence and investigative techniques.

The SBI currently handles public corruption cases, and in the past it's investigated more than 500 public officials, including the past two governors' administrations.

SALISBURY - Two days after racing in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, NASCAR driver Mike Harmon found himself being charged, again, by Rowan County Sheriff's detectives in an ongoing feud he's having with fellow driver and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team owner Jennifer Jo Cobb.

On Sunday Harmon was charged with obstruction of justice and released on $20,000 bond.

Harmon is accused of stealing Cobb's race hauler.  On Friday night he had his cell phone confiscated by deputies as they investigate the crime.

WBTV has learned that authorities with the Rowan County Sheriff's Officer took driver Mike Harmon's cell phone around 4:30 p.m. on Friday after obtaining a search warrant.

Deputies are reportedly using his cell phone to track Harmon's GPS, text messages and phone calls.

SALISBURY - A familiar face on WBTV and other local and national television, radio, and print outlets will now serve as the acting provost at Catawba College.

Dr. J. Michael Bitzer will serve as Catawba College’s acting provost beginning June 1. President Brien Lewis made that announcement to the campus community on May 20.

Bitzer, an associate professor politics and history and chair of the Department of History and Politics at Catawba, joined the faculty in 2002.  He will fill a vacancy left by the departure of Dr. W. Richard “Rick” Stephens, Jr. who will lead the academic administration at Alfred University.

At Catawba, Bitzer has been active in faculty governance, having chaired the Admissions Committee and served on the Curriculum Committee and the Assessment Committee.