In addition to my role as State Senator for North Carolina’s 35th district in the State General Assembly, I am also a small business owner, helping run my family-owned business, Johnson Insurance Management. As both a State Senator and small business owner, I want to speak out in opposition to proposed federal legislation that claims to be in the interest of small business owners like me and many others across North Carolina but, in reality, only benefits big businesses.
RALEIGH — Because I’m a fiscal conservative, you might think I reflexively oppose government borrowing. You’d be mistaken. I believe that public finance and toxicology share a common rule: the dose makes the poison.
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) released the following statement after Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem today, announced $155 million in public assistance reimbursements for Western North Carolina.
Open enrollment starts Nov. 1. Higher premiums and expiring tax credits could combine for spikes in costs.
Raleigh, NC — North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall issued the following statement on the resignation of Rep. Cecil Brockman (D-Guilford):
(RALEIGH) Today Governor Josh Stein announced that the State of North Carolina will grant $10 million to local food banks across the state. The State is joined by AmeriHealth Caritas, which will give $5 million, The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation, which will accelerate $2.5 million from a previously announced $10 million gift, and other donors. These announcements come as food banks prepare for an influx of need following the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s decision to suspend the distribution of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November.
RALEIGH — According to the latest count by the U.S. Census Bureau, North Carolina has added yet another metropolitan area. Has our state become an urban colossus?
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) published an op-ed in The Hill entitled, “China’s crackdown on religious freedom demands American sanctions,” arguing for strict American sanctions to hold Chinese Communist Party officials accountable for their repeated record of brutality toward religious minorities. Senator Budd’s op-ed follows the largest the reported crackdown on practicing Christians in China since 2018 that occurred earlier this month.
(Raleigh, N.C.) — The North Carolina Retirement Systems (NCRS) is modernizing and improving the user experience. Beginning in early 2026, the ORBIT member portal will launch a streamlined, single sign-on (SSO) login powered by ID.me — a trusted digital identity platform used by federal and state agencies nationwide.
(RALEIGH) This week, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein is leading the multi-state delegation at the Southeast United States (SEUS)/Japan Annual Joint Meeting in Tokyo, Japan. Governor Stein is joined by Department of Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley and EDPNC CEO Christopher Chung. The Governor will meet with Japanese business leaders and promote North Carolina as a top state for investment and partnership.
Raleigh, N.C. – Last week, the N.C. House of Representatives forced the Senate to return four ineligible bills after nonpartisan staff attorneys determined they could not be considered under the General Assembly’s agreed-upon adjournment resolution. Beyond just being ineligible for consideration, the quartet of bills poses additional problems.
RALEIGH – Today, Attorney General Jeff Jackson issued a formal warning to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) after the agency informed states that it may refuse to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the ongoing federal government shutdown. SNAP provides food assistance to low-income families, and any interruption would be devastating for North Carolina – 1.5 million people, including roughly 600,000 children, rely on it to eat.
RALEIGH — Having spent nearly 40 years analyzing and writing about North Carolina politics and public policy, I often find myself placing today’s challenges and controversies into historical context.
This week, the General Assembly passed a new congressional map, updating the boundaries of North Carolina’s 1st and 3rd districts. On Wednesday, House Majority Leader Brenden Jones delivered a floor speech calling out radical blue state Democrats—like California Gov. Gavin Newsom—for trying to tilt control of Congress in their favor and undermine President Trump’s America First agenda.
After wasting hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to rig congressional maps, the House passed a few bills that were dead on arrival in the Senate. But Senate leadership took the extraordinary step of outright refusing to accept the bills from the House because they were so outside the bounds of regular order.
(RALEIGH) Today, Governor Stein announced he has signed one bill into law.
Raleigh, N.C. – This morning, the Senate Rules Chairman was forced to return four ineligible bills to the House of Representatives for violating the General Assembly's agreed-upon adjournment resolution for the October session. The Chairman’s ruling was confirmed by the Senate Principal Clerk’s Office and nonpartisan central staff attorneys.
Raleigh, NC — As of this week, the North Carolina House of Representatives has passed three clean, stand-alone bills to fund the state’s Medicaid rebase and protect patients from Governor Josh Stein’s unnecessary, politically-motivated rate cuts. State health officials confirm that any of the three proposals would lead the administration to drop their cuts.
(RALEIGH) Today Governor Josh Stein announced that the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) has awarded more than $25 million to local and state efforts to promote transportation safety across the state.
Raleigh, NC — Today, the North Carolina House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 378, "Align Medicaid Eligibility with Federal Law," which prohibits Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood.
