North Carolina has become a national leader in such policy areas as tax reform, school choice, and transportation funding. Unfortunately, we lag far behind in providing telehealth options to patients.
Government Efficiency in North Carolina’s State Budget
Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and former State Health Director Dr. Betsey Tilson were recognized for their exemplary accomplishments in public health with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Ron H. Levine Public Health Award at the annual North Carolina Public Health Leaders’ Conference on March 13.
NC House Huddle: Latest newsletter from the NC House
House Speaker Destin Hall delivered a powerful live response to Governor Josh Stein’s State of the State address on Wednesday evening.
Former Governor Roy Cooper and Dr. Betsey Tilson Honored with Levine Award for Contributions to Public Health
Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and former State Health Director Dr. Betsey Tilson were recognized for their exemplary accomplishments in public health with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Ron H. Levine Public Health Award at the annual North Carolina Public Health Leaders’ Conference on March 13.
Attorney General and the federal government move to end Google's search monopoly
Attorney General Jeff Jackson, a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general, and the United States Department of Justice proposed an end to Google’s illegal monopoly over internet search engines and changes to restore competition to benefit consumers. North Carolina is one of the states leading the coalition of 38 other states that filed this lawsuit in 2020.
Could enforcing price transparency bring NC health care costs down?
In 2021, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service finalized a rule, initiated in 2019 by an executive order from then-President Donald Trump, that required all hospitals in the United States to list their prices for 300 common services. According to the rule,
NC Senate’s new energy bill provides needed reform to protect ratepayers
In 2021, the General Assembly passed HB 951, a bipartisan energy bill prioritizing regulatory guardrails to protect grid reliability and least-cost generation planning while pursuing Gov. Roy Cooper’s politically favored carbon reduction goals.
Governor Stein Delivers State of the State Address: “We Have the Chance to Build Something Forward-Looking Right Here”
Governor Josh Stein delivered his first State of the State Address, highlighting the ongoing work to recover in western North Carolina and urging the General Assembly to invest in economic opportunity, workforce development, families and children, public schools, and public safety.
North Carolina Senate Passes Bill to Eliminate 'DEI' in Public Education
The North Carolina Senate passed Senate Bill 227, “Eliminating ‘DEI’ in Public Education,” to prohibit promoting discriminatory policies and practices in public schools.
John Hood: Raise Teacher Pay the Right Way
Four Republicans members of the North Carolina House of Representatives — Erin Paré and Mike Schietzelt of Wake County, Donny Lambeth of Forsyth County, and Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg County — have just launched this year’s policy debate on teacher pay in our state.
Op-Ed: Op-Ed: Why the U.S. Must Rethink the Move to Digital-Only Medication Information
Over the past year, hospitals, pharmacies, and patients have been the victims of devastating cyberattacks that have crippled the healthcare system. The wave of healthcare cyberattacks recently led NPR to refer to 2024 as the “year of health care hacks.”
Governor Stein Announces Boards and Commissions Appointments
Governor Josh Stein announced Boards and Commissions Appointments.
Sen. Berger Files Bill to Keep Energy Costs Down for North Carolinians
Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) filed a bill to prioritize energy cost-saving measures and create a new cost-recovery framework to help keep energy more affordable for families and businesses
Lieutenant Governor Hunt Appointed Co-Chair of Child Care Task Force, Visits Child Care Center in Durham
Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt was appointed Co-Chair of Governor Stein’s new Task Force on Child Care and Early Education. The task force was announced during a visit to Kate’s Korner Learning Center in Durham, where the Governor and Lieutenant Governor toured the center, met with providers, and sent time with children in a classroom
Budd Leads Bipartisan Effort to Expedite Disaster Assistance to Farmers
Senator Ted Budd (R-NC), along with Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Representatives Chuck Edwards (R-NC) and Don Davis (D-NC), led a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, urging the department to quickly publish clear guidelines on administering disaster relief aid for farmers.
Op-Ed: Proposed AOM rule is a fiscally responsible way to address obesity epidemic
While running a small business and serving on the Fayetteville City Council, I learned that sound financial management means addressing problems at their source rather than treating symptoms. Whether balancing a city budget or keeping a business profitable, the principle remains: strategic investments today can prevent higher costs tomorrow.
John Hood: Institute Fosters Stronger Public Leadership
RALEIGH — “What’s in a name?” wrote the Bard in his masterpiece Romeo and Juliet. “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
Plans to increase state employee health insurance costs draw criticism
State employees are criticizing plans to make their health insurance more expensive, saying options officials are considering will hurt hiring and recruitment efforts and tarnish a benefit of working for the state.
Op-Ed: Now is the Time to Fix the Debt
The United States faces a mounting fiscal crisis. Our national debt having surpassed $36 trillion poses a significant threat to our economic stability and national security. Interest payments on our debt have reached historic highs, overtaking defense spending as the second-largest budget item. Alarmingly, interest costs are the fastest-growing expenditure in the federal budget, limiting our ability to invest in critical public services and respond to unforeseen emergencies.
Governor Stein Announces 30-Day FEMA Extension for Individual Assistance
FEMA granted Governor Josh Stein’s request for a 30-day extension for disaster survivors to apply for FEMA’s individual assistance (IA) program. The new deadline is April 7, 2025. Governor Stein released the following statement on the extension: