North Carolina is a diverse state and that diversity is our strength. It is troubling to see the continued politicization of important state institutions, particularly higher education.
All in Politics
Op Ed: A Request from a North Carolina Public School Graduate
In 1993 Robeson County residents had a median income of approximately $21,000. Respectively, in 2022, residents of Robeson County, NC had a median income of approximately $35,000. This is the county I grew up in and this county remains one one of North Carolina's poorest counties.
John Hood: Can Government Make You Happy?
RALEIGH — Is it the job of government to make you happy? While it may seem like a straightforward question, there are some important subtleties packed into those few words.
Leader Reives Statement on SB20 Anniversary
“Today marks one year in North Carolina since Republican leaders stripped women of their fundamental right to bodily autonomy. SB20 was the first step toward a full abortion ban, and North Carolinians should have no doubt about it," House Democratic Leader Robert Reives said.
Governor Cooper Signs One Bill Into Law
RALEIGH: Governor Roy Cooper signed the following bill into law:
Treasurer Folwell Submits Framework for Draft Legislation to Enact NC 401(k) Employer Match for All State Employees
State Treasurer Dale R. Folwell, CPA, has submitted a framework for draft legislation that introduces a monthly $25 employer match for nearly 350,000 active members in the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System (TSERS), Consolidated Judicial Retirement System (CJRS), Legislative Retirement System (LRS) and the Optional Retirement Program (ORP).
State Agencies Launch Medicaid Expansion Workforce Development Planning
Leaders from the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services formally launched a collaborative process of developing a report to the North Carolina General Assembly on opportunities to provide workforce development services in conjunction with the state’s Medicaid expansion.
John Hood: Universities Should Cultivate Civic Leaders
Most students and their families invest time, effort, and resources into higher education for vocational reasons. They expect the knowledge, skills, and relationships acquired at a college or university will lead to good jobs — which will, in turn, generate income for graduates to support themselves and their families as well as the satisfaction and fulfillment that comes from productive employment or entrepreneurship.
Weatherman wins Republican runoff for Lt. Governor, Boliek for State Auditor
Political strategist Hal Weatherman won the Republican runoff for North Carolina lieutenant governor, defeating Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O'Neill with 74% of the vote. Dave Boliek secured the primary win for State Auditor.
Congresswoman Ross Hosts Affordable Housing Roundtable with HUD, NC and Local Leaders
Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02) hosted a renter-focused affordable housing roundtable at Dorcas Ministries with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development North Carolina office, the Raleigh Housing Authority (RHA), Wake County Department of Affordable Housing & Community Revitalization, and other state and local organizations.
Attorney General Josh Stein Reaches $10.25 Million Settlement Over Deceptive Advertising
Attorney General Josh Stein today reached a $10.25 million multistate settlement with wireless carriers AT&T Mobility LLC, Cricket Wireless LLC, T-Mobile USA Inc., Cellco Partnership, d/b/a Verizon Wireless, and TracFone Wireless Inc., to resolve his investigation into the carriers’ deceptive and misleading advertising practices. North Carolina will receive $220,313.32 from the settlement.
Court Rejects Avid Telecom’s Attempts to Dismiss Attorney General Stein’s Illegal Robocalls Case
Attorney General Josh Stein today announced that the United States District Court in Arizona denied Avid Telecom’s multiple attempts to dismiss and delay a bipartisan, 49-state lawsuit against the company Michael D. Lansky, L.L.C., which does business as Avid Telecom, as well as its owner Michael D. Lansky and its vice president Stacey S. Reeves.
John Hood: On Charlotte Murders, Biden Blew It
RALEIGH — When officers from the U.S. Marshal Service, the N.C. Department of Adult Correction, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, and other agencies approached a home in eastern Charlotte on April 29, their purpose was to serve warrants on a fugitive named Terry Clark Hughes Jr.
State Treasurer Exposes Hospitals' Overcharges in Cancer Drug Pricing
North Carolina State Treasurer Dale R. Folwell, CPA, released a report today finding that 340B hospitals billed state employees an average price markup of 5.4 times their discounted acquisition costs for oncology drugs. Hospitals generated average spread profits as high as $13,617 per claim on cancer drugs paid for by the North Carolina State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees.
North Carolina House Approves SHALOM Act in Bipartisan Vote
The NC House of Representatives have approved HB 942, the SHALOM Act, in a bipartisan vote of 105-4.
Governor Cooper slams GOP's $625M taxpayer vouchers for millionaires
Republican legislators signaled that one of their top priorities this session is using more taxpayer money to fund private school vouchers for millionaires instead of increasing teacher pay or fully funding North Carolina’s public schools where more than 8 in 10 students receive an education.
John Hood: UNC Protestors were treated properly
As you’ve no doubt heard by now, the interim chancellor at the University of the North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Lee Roberts, ordered the removal on April 30 of an “encampment” on a grassy area of campus called Polk Place. Later that day, protestors returned to Polk Place, took down its American flag, and raised a Palestinian flag in its place.
Governor Cooper Announces Three Judicial Appointments
Governor Roy Cooper announced three appointments to the North Carolina District Court.
Senate Approves Funding for Over 54,000 Opportunity Scholarships
The North Carolina Senate approved funding to clear the waitlists for the Opportunity Scholarship and Education Student Accounts programs to ensure that more than 56,000 students can begin planning for the upcoming school year.
Senate Passes ICE Bill, Gives New Enforcement Authority to Attorney General
House Bill 10 requires North Carolina sheriffs to cooperate with federal immigration authorities when a suspected illegal immigrant is in custody for committing a violent crime. A new provision of the bill allows any person, including a federal agency, to file a complaint with the North Carolina Attorney General alleging a sheriff failed to comply with the provisions of this bill.