The board overseeing the health insurance plan for North Carolina workers and retirees voted Friday to raise most enrollees’ premiums to help cover a deficit that has grown to $507 million this year.
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North Carolina to cut Medicaid rates by 3% across all providers in October
Inpatient services and autism treatment will see cuts of up to 10%, while coverage for GLP-1 drugs for weight loss will cease.
North Carolina State Health Plan Premiums Finalized for 2026
The State Health Plan (Plan) Board of Trustees met today to set premiums for 2026. State Health Plan members include teachers, state employees and retirees. This is the final step in the three-pronged effort to provide financial stability as the Plan faces a half a billion-dollar deficit.
John Hood: Democrats Will Soon Fall to Third Place
RALEIGH — The likely Democratic nominee for North Carolina’s Senate race next year, former Gov. Roy Cooper, led likely Republican nominee Michael Whatley by six points in the first independent poll commissioned after the two men announced their campaigns last month.
Budd Applauds $409.4 Million EPA Award to North Carolina to Rebuild, Improve Drinking Water Infrastructure
U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) applauded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s recent allocation of $409.4 million to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) for public water systems. This funding will improve local drinking water utility infrastructure so systems across the state are better equipped to withstand natural disasters.
NC General Assembly confirms statewide appointments to boards and commissions
The North Carolina General Assembly has confirmed hundreds of appointments to boards and commissions across the state. The selections include leadership roles in education, transportation, public safety, and economic development.
John Hood: Germans Played Role in Carolina Revolt
RALEIGH — As Americans continue to celebrate our country’s semiquincentennial — the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the war for American independence — I will continue to highlight the pivotal role that North Carolinians played in these historic events.
Ideas for helping NC child care industry are solidifying, but a top suggestion faces headwinds
Halee Hartley is the owner of a preschool with three locations in Boone and has a master’s degree in educational psychology. Kid Cove does not bring in enough money for Harley to pay herself a salary, so she works a second job as a property manager.
Auditor recommends splitting off North Carolina DMV from Department of Transportation
North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek called for the separation of the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles from the Department of Transportation in an audit report released Monday.
Governor Stein Takes Action on Three Bills
(RALEIGH) Today Governor Josh Stein signed two bills into law and vetoed one bill.
Governor Stein Underscores Commitment to Supporting Military Families, Joins Blue Star Families’ “Do Your Part” Initiative
(RALEIGH) Today at Fayetteville Technical Community College, Governor Josh Stein announced that North Carolina is becoming a Do Your Part State, a joint initiative between Blue Star Families and the National Governors Association. Recognizing that community support for military families is crucial to military recruiting and readiness, this initiative helps states identify, prioritize, and implement the most effective policies and programs to support military families.
Budd Joins Britt, Colleagues in Effort to Ban Noncitizens from Voting in D.C. Elections
U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) joined Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) and 20 other Republican senators in introducing legislation that would ban noncitizens from voting in elections held in Washington, D.C.
N.C. Schools Issue Bonds in N.C. Thanks to Policy Change
An effort to keep state dollars in North Carolina came to fruition today at the N.C. Capital Facilities Finance Agency (NCCFFA) meeting. This group, chaired by State Treasurer Brad Briner, adopted new guidelines earlier this year aimed at making it easier for nonprofit institutions, particularly schools, to issue bonds in North Carolina. Today, two schools used the flexibility afforded by that policy change to bring projects before the NCCFFA and the Local Government Commission.
John Hood: Tariff Threats Hurt Carolina Workers
RALEIGH — Daimler Truck North America operates some of North Carolina’s largest manufacturing facilities, including a Freightliner truck plant in Mount Holly, a Freightliner and Western Star plant in Cleveland, a components and logistics center in Gastonia, and a Thomas Built Buses plant in High Point. It employs some 6,800 North Carolinians in the Charlotte area alone.
Sen. Budd, Colleagues Urge DOL to Repeal Biden-Era Rules Harming Farmers, Ease Accessibility for Visas Used by Ag Producers
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.-5) recently led a bicameral, bipartisan coalition of 84 of their fellow federal lawmakers in sending a letter to Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer urging the Department of Labor to roll back enforcement of Biden-era regulations that have dramatically increased costs for American farmers. Rules increasing the complexity of the H-2A visa program have increased deficits for farmers and created obstacles for producers seeking to enroll in the program.
Sen. Budd, Senate Colleagues Urge Secretary Lutnick to Probe DeepSeek AI’s Connections to Chinese Military, Intelligence Apparatus
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) recently led a group of Senate colleagues in urging Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to probe allegations made by U.S. officials that DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence has provided support to the People’s Republic of China’s military and intelligence operations. The letter requests that the Department of Commerce investigate these allegations and thoroughly review threats posed by other Chinese open-source models that may be feeding information back to servers with ties to the Chinese government.
John Hood: Three Policy Trends Work Against Democrats
RALEIGH — I don’t know for certain who will win North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race next year — and neither do you.
Senators Budd, Kelly Introduce SEIZE Act to Authorize Transfer of Confiscated Iranian Weapons to U.S. Partners
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) introduced the bipartisan Seized Iranian Arms Transfer Authorization (SEIZE) Act to authorize the use of Presidential Drawdown Authority to transfer confiscated Iranian weapons seized in transit to terror proxies like the Houthi’s in Yemen to U.S. partners for their use. The SEIZE Act would bypass a potentially year-long legal process for the distribution of captured Iranian weapons and equipment held by U.S. CENTCOM, allowing it to be sent directly to U.S. military partners around the globe.
NC House Huddle: Friday, Aug 1
NC House Huddle newsletter for the week of August first.
Senators Budd, Gillibrand, Lummis Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Stop Illegal Use of Digital Assets by Criminals and Terrorists
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) was joined by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) in reintroducing the Financial Technology Protection Act. The bipartisan bill aims to address the illegal use of financial technologies and digital assets to prevent sanctions evasion, terrorist financing, and money laundering.