RALEIGH — North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Caldwell) had created a 23-member select committee to evaluate potential reforms of the state’s property-tax system. That is a fine idea, a sensible reaction to surging property values and changing fiscal conditions. But members ought not be distracted by out-of-state chatter about repealing the property tax entirely. That is a bad idea, destined to fail.
(RALEIGH) Today Governor Stein visited Saluda to tour a home repaired by the Housing Assistance Corporation, a volunteer organization working to rebuild homes across western North Carolina. In October, the nonprofit was awarded a $300,000 grant to repair at least 20 homes in Polk, Henderson, and Transylvania counties as part of the state’s ongoing efforts to support volunteer organizations active in housing repair and replacement activities in western North Carolina.
Childhood vaccines continue to be a major point of discussion here in North Carolina and across the country. As a respiratory therapist, I help patients of all ages manage and treat breathing and cardiopulmonary disorders. For babies with breathing issues, this care helps strengthen lung function and overall respiratory health. Given how even minor respiratory issues can be serious for small, vulnerable infants, I encourage parents to have personal conversations with their doctors about vaccines so they can make carefully considered, medically supported decisions.
Raleigh, N.C. - The state’s seasonally adjusted November 2025 unemployment rate was 3.8 percent. The national rate was 4.6 percent. October 2025 data are unavailable due to the lapse in appropriations.
RALEIGH — It was 250 years ago this week that a displaced governor issued a proclamation intended to restore him to power in North Carolina. Instead, it led to the first major engagement of the Revolutionary War in the Southern colonies — and a decisive defeat for his cause.
There is, of course, nothing new about the spectacle of everyday people being forced to endure great suffering because of the whims, foibles, fears and egos of powerful rulers and politicians. From the forced labor that helped construct the pyramids to the countless wars waged to boost a leader’s domestic political standing, millions of people throughout history have suffered greatly because of a powerful man’s – and it’s almost always been a man’s – desire for power.
Members of the North Carolina Council of State kicked off the new year with a direct message for the General Assembly: Finalize the budget and properly fund state agencies.
For the first time in state history, registered Republicans now outnumber registered Democrats in North Carolina, according to the most recent voter registration snapshot based on data from the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
(RALEIGH) Today Site Selection magazine ranked North Carolina the Top State for Workforce Development for 2026. Governor Josh Stein celebrated this ranking during a visit to Machine Specialties Inc. (MSI) in Whitsett, where he highlighted the state’s workforce investments and the recent recommendations of the Governor’s Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships.
RALEIGH — While our state continues to best most others in economic performance, not all our households and communities are sharing in North Carolina’s prosperity. Some are struggling to replace lost jobs with new ones. Other folks are gainfully employed but see their real incomes being eroded by the rising costs of housing, health care, transportation, and other necessities.
Earlier this month, U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) joined members of the North Carolina congressional delegation in sending a bipartisan, bicameral letter to the Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Dr. Mehmet Oz, expressing strong support for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Service’s (DHHS) Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) application.
RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Office of the State Auditor (OSA) has released the statutorily required financial statement audit of the North Carolina Education Lottery.
RALEIGH – Attorney General Jeff Jackson is suing to protect Congressionally-mandated funding for federal consumer protection efforts after the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) threatened to unlawfully and unconstitutionally refuse to fund the agency’s operations. The CFPB has returned more than $21 billion to more than 205 million Americans in the 14 years it’s been in operation, but without any additional funds it will run out of money in January. North Carolina and other states work closely with the CFPB to defend consumers’ rights and win back money for people who have been unfairly treated by businesses and lenders.
(RALEIGH) Today Governor Josh Stein announced that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved North Carolina’s proposal to bring high-speed internet service to homes and communities across the state under the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. This approval paves the way for the state to award more than $300 million of its $1.53 billion allocation for projects to expand high-speed internet access to more than 93,000 homes, businesses, and other community institutions across North Carolina.
RALEIGH — Two hundred and fifty years ago this week, thousands of Carolinians were trudging through deep snow. They weren’t in search of Christmas trees, or heading over the river and through the woods to their grandmothers’ houses for holiday feasting. These were Patriot militiamen, from both Carolinas, hunting for Tories in modern-day Greenville County, South Carolina.
I live every day managing numerous chronic conditions including gout, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Years ago, I was obese, and it took serious medical care, discipline, and access to effective treatments to turn my health around. Today, I rely on five prescription medications to keep these conditions under control. Without them, my quality of life and my future would be at risk.
I am thankful to the Democrats in every corner of North Carolina who have stepped up to run for office next year. These are our most consequential legislative races in a long time. I look forward to House Democrats competing hard to earn the trust of voters in communities all over our state. Recent elections in neighboring states and a strong 2025 for municipal races across North Carolina show that we have the potential to put seats in play that have previously felt out of reach.
