NC Policy Watch's the Progessive Pulse

The Brennan Center for Justice released a report last week addressing the consequences of  ”Anti-Sharia Law” bills like H695 now pending in the Senate here.

As pointed out in the Executive Summary, foreign law bans are currently a solution in … Read More...

The proposed Senate tax plan and the recently released House tax plan aim to eliminate the personal income and corporate income taxes. These two taxes raise more than $11 billion and represent over half of the state’s total tax revenue. … Read More...

One thing that’s become increasingly clear about the Senate “budget” bill that received final approval this morning is this: it’s a heckuva lot more than just a budget. As today’s edition of the Fitzsimon File highlights powerfully, a more apt moniker … Read More...

In 1988 North Carolina had the nation’s highest infant mortality rate. The state decided to tackle this tragedy in a variety of ways. One approach, championed in a bipartisan effort by Republican Governor Jim Martin, was to expand Medicaid … Read More...

House Bill 786, the “RECLAIM NC” Act, will be up for a vote soon on the NC House floor.  In spite of the restricted driving permit that could be offered to some immigrants, it is on balance a bill … Read More...

This just in from the Budget and Tax Center:

BTC Statement: Senate budget “fiscally irresponsible”
This budget harms the foundations of economic growth, sets stage for tax plan which will force most to pay more

RALEIGH (May 23, 2013) —

Here’s another item that keeps rearing its ugly head in Republican budgets, despite widespread opposition: Repeal the law authorizing public campaign funding for judicial races.

Judges want to keep it.

The public wants to keep it.

Other states want … Read More...

In case you missed it, the Wilmington Star has a thoughtful editorial about the new taxes on fuel efficent cars in the Senate budget.

The fossil-fuel industry couldn’t have written a better bill to discourage North Carolinians from buying hybrid and

Funding for teachers, textbooks and school buses are just some of the areas that Senate lawmakers are choosing to cut from public education in North Carolina, according to the Senate budget proposal submitted Sunday night.

SB 402, the Appropriations … Read More...

The Senate budget proposal currently being discussed in the Senate chamber will be passed without a review of the Senate tax plan. What we do know of that plan, however, is that it will subject food and prescription drugs to … Read More...

New from Planned Parenthood:

NC Senate Diverts Women’s Health Funds to Religious-based Non-Medical Provider
NC Senate budget provides $250,000 to umbrella group of so-called “crisis pregnancy centers”

Raleigh—The Senate budget being heard and voted on today diverts $250,000 from

The good people at Imagine 2050, a group committed to making America’s increasingly diverse and multi-racial society work for everyone have posted a report on the cookie-cutter legislation passed last week by the House that seeks to respond to the imaginary threat of … Read More...

Initial reports of the Senate’s proposed budget focused on the transfer of 2,500 North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten (NC Pre-K) slots to the child care subsidy in 2013-14 and 5,000 slots in 2014-15.  However, the actual number of students being served will … Read More...

Over the weekend, Governor Pat McCrory continued on his theme of “Medicaid is broken and costs are out of control” in a number of interviews.  This reflects the talking points in this week’s NC Senate budget release that blame … Read More...

Given the utterly vacuous conversations he conducted with Lt. Governor Dan Forest a few weeks back (“interview” would be too generous of a word), it’s no particular surprise that WTVD reporter Larry Stogner turned in this half-baked 129 seconds with Governor McCrory yesterday.  

Still, Stogner … Read More...

The criminal trial against former state Rep. Stephen LaRoque began in earnest Tuesday, with testimony from former board members of his non-profit and federal agriculture officials who oversaw the rural lending program he ran.

Yet to be mentioned are a … Read More...

Last night, the DREAMers did it again. They took a hopeful message and their own personal stories to a new audience, asking members of the Winston-Salem City Council to support a resolution on in-state tuition for North Carolina high school … Read More...

Members of the House Education Committee will wait until next week to vote on the “Opportunity Scholarship Act”, but State Superintendent June Atkinson left them with something to ponder at Tuesday’s hearing.

Dr. Atkinson told lawmakers if public schools … Read More...

Close to 100 attorneys, progressive advocates and Triangle-area residents gathered today to discuss the continuing judicial vacancy on the U.S.District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, growing numbers of federal judicial vacancies elsewhere, delayed U.S. Senate confirmations of presidential … Read More...

Perhaps the biggest news story of the week is the release of the Senate leadership’s budget proposal. Yesterday, the Budget and Tax Center provided an overview of what the budget pays for. Today, we took a close look at how … Read More...