Details of the Budget Compromise

Posted on June 28, 2016 by admin in Agriculture, Appropriations, Budget, Business, Children, Civil Service, Economic Development, Education, Election Reform, Energy, Environment, Government Reform, Healthcare, Justice, Law Enforcement, Medicaid, Municipal Government, Older People, Public Employees, Public Safety, Tax Reform, Taxes, Transparency, Transportation, Water

Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) and House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) held a joint press conference yesterday to announce details of the $22.34 billion budget agreement reached between Senate and House conferees this past weekend. The compromise budget includes a responsible 2.8 percent spending increase and achieves both chambers’ shared goals with Governor Pat McCrory of […]

Education Bills Worth Watching

Posted on June 22, 2016 by admin in Children, Education, Education Reform, UNC

Best post by Bob Luebke There is no shortage of activity in the North Carolina General Assembly. While most capitol watchers are focused on the short session’s main responsibility, developing and passing a state budget, it’s good to remember other significant education legislation has already been passed or continues to work its way through the […]

Rescuing Chronically Failing Schools

Posted on June 2, 2016 by admin in Children, Education, Education Reform

After a highly contentious debate this afternoon, a bipartisan majority in the House passed House Bill 1080, the goal of which is the creation of a new “Achievement School District” (ASD). The legislation establishes a special turnaround district whereby charter schools gain legal authority to take over and operate five of North Carolina’s chronically underperforming […]

House Passes Budget With Extraordinary Bipartisan Support

Posted on May 20, 2016 by admin in Agriculture, Appropriations, Budget, Business, Children, Civil Service, Economic Development, Education, Election Reform, Energy, Environment, Government Reform, Healthcare, Justice, Law Enforcement, Medicaid, Municipal Government, Older People, Public Employees, Public Safety, Tax Reform, Taxes, Transparency, Transportation, Water

Yesterday, the North Carolina House of Representatives passed its version of the state’s budget for the second year of this session’s biennium. The spending plan cleared the chamber by an overwhelming margin, with a bipartisan vote of 103-12. Representative Bell voted with all of his House Republican colleagues for the Budget, joining with 30 other House Democrats who also supported […]

Some Additional Bathroom Reading

Revenues for the current year are projected to finish $330 million above initial budget projections, according to the latest figures released by the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management and the legislature’s nonpartisan Fiscal Research Division. The latest revenue forecast also boosts projections for FY 2016-17 by $231 million above the certified budget. […]

Setting the Record Straight

Posted on April 19, 2016 by admin in Dan Forest, Education

[youtube_sc url=”https://youtu.be/Q7Kc4cjiuKI” width=”580″ modestbranding=”1″ autohide=”1″ fs=”1″ border=”1″ hd=”1″] Lt. Governor Dan Forest sets the record straight on education funding in North Carolina. For more of Lt. Governor Forest’s informative videos, be sure to visit his YouTube Channel.

The Campus Free Expression Act

Posted on April 12, 2016 by admin in Children, Dan Forest, Education, Free Speech, UNC

On March 7, Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest announced that he would propose a bill be introduced this year that he’s calling the “Campus Free Expression Act.” The legislation would require a discipline policy for any students who interrupt the free expression of others. Forest is working on a draft of the bill with the help of Stanley Kurtz, […]

Vote YES on Tomorrow’s Bond

Posted on March 14, 2016 by admin in Agriculture, Bonds, Economic Development, Education, Elections, Jobs, Transportation, UNC

[youtube_sc url=”https://youtu.be/NfzqkLo_-hg” width=”590″ modestbranding=”1″ autohide=”1″ fs=”1″ border=”1″ hd=”1″] In October of 2015, Governor Pat McCrory signed into law the Connect NC Bond Act, giving voters across the state the opportunity to approve a $2 billion bond during the primary election. The bond referendum that will be on tomorrow’s ballot was passed in the legislature with overwhelming […]

NC Youth Legislative Assembly

Posted on February 4, 2016 by admin in Children, Civics, Education

[youtube_sc url=”https://youtu.be/f51M03MHe_c” width=”590″ modestbranding=”1″ autohide=”1″ fs=”1″ border=”1″ hd=”1″] From the state’s Department of Administration: Governor Pat McCrory is inviting North Carolina high school students to apply for the 46th Annual Youth Legislative Assembly. “Our Youth Legislative Assembly program gives North Carolina students who are interested in government a head-start in learning the process and developing […]

Speaker Moore Tells It Like It Is

Posted on February 2, 2016 by admin in Budget, Education, Speaker Moore, Tax Reform, Unemployment, Unemployment Reform

The following letter to the editor was written by House Speaker Tim Moore and first appeared in the Raleigh News & Observer on Tuesday, February 1, 2016: In recent education discussions, some have helped illustrate a fundamental difference between conservative governance and tax-and-spend liberals. A comment recently made that the state of North Carolina should […]