NC Policy Watch's the Progessive Pulse

You’ve got to hand it to the tobacco corporations and their high-priced lobbyists; when it comes to deceptive messaging and tactics, no one does it better than the merchants of death.  Apparently, nearly a century of practice really does make perfect in developing lies … Read More...

Pre-K

The week started off with somewhat good news: on its third reading, the bill that would limit access to the state’s award winning pre-K programs for at-risk students passed with slightly better terms than expected.

Lawmakers modified HB 935… Read More...

The Wall Street sharks who want to buy up our public education system do not appear inclined to go away quietly. After being rebuffed by state education officials and failing thus far to get what they want in the courts, K-12, Inc. … Read More...

Today the federal Department of Health and Human Services announced $150 million in grants to community health centers around the nation aimed at making the centers a major player in enrolling people under the Affordable Care Act.

This is a … Read More...

Earlier this morning, members of the House Committee on Government approved the so-called Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) bill, which is a constitutional measure that would impose a crippling and arbitrary formula to determine how much we spend on … Read More...

Probably something like: “Don’t you ever send me over there again!” Or maybe, “There are some seriously troubled souls in that place!”

As you’re probably already aware, the North Carolina House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill this afternoon championed … Read More...

This is the first of a four-part blog series that presents voices from other states that have unsuccessfully pursued versions of comprehensive tax “reform.”

Commentary provided by Alan Essig, Executive Director of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute in Atlanta, … Read More...

Our friends over at the NC Council of Churches have posted on their blog a conversation between our own Nicole Dozier and Council of Churches Volunteer Program Associate Sandy Irving about the legislature’s decision to block Medicaid expansion.

Here is … Read More...

Scotusblog’s Lyle Denniston has this enlightening look at what’s likely going on inside the U.S. Supreme Court as the justices consider their positions on the two marriage equality cases argued there six weeks ago.

On whether public opinion and state … Read More...

Three days after the release of a website/commercial describing the general outlines of a state tax “reform” plan by North Carolina Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, it’s becoming increasingly evident that the initiative is well on its way to political oblivion.

Not only … Read More...

Richard Wolf reminds us in this piece in USA Today that, as the U.S. Supreme Court winds down this term, two cases that could redefine how we address racial discrimination in this country are pending for decision:   Fisher v. University … Read More...

After two full days of hearings in February, and a request in early April for additional argument from counsel regarding evidence, the three-judge panel hearing the redistricting case called the attorneys together for a conference late today to discuss … Read More...

Comprehensive tax reform remains vague and “short on details” as the 2013 legislative session is beyond its halfway point. Nevertheless, stand-alone bills continue to make their way through the legislative process that would provide tax cuts to the state’s wealthiest … Read More...

In response to a controversial NC House bill that would impose new and unprecedented restrictions on the ability of teens to obtain health care services, Chapel Hill freelance writer Jennifer Ferris shared the following extremely personal, but powerful story with NC … Read More...

Can we just agree that Governor McCrory proclaiming today as NC “Golf Day” at the same time his allies in the state legislature are rolling out a tax plan that gives millionaires a huge tax cut while increasing taxes on … Read More...

Today marks the one-year anniversary of Amendment One’s passage in North Carolina.

Stuart Campbell with Equality North Carolina joins us on News & Views with Chris Fitzsimon to discuss how opinions on marriage equality have changed nationally since the constitutional … Read More...

Throughout the ongoing tax reform debate, we’ve been hearing the same tired claims that North Carolina’s economy is failing to compete with our neighboring states. And during yesterday’s preview of the Senate tax reform plan, we heard it again as … Read More...

States’ rights. Gun rights. Equal rights. We toss them around, selectively, as givens in our country, grounded in our constitution.  Yet we’re not quite sure how those rights came about and how they can peacefully co-exist.

Last night PBS aired … Read More...

Elizabeth Malm, an economist with the conservative Tax Foundation, yesterday voiced support for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) at a debate about tax reform in North Carolina, highlighting how out-of-touch North Carolina’s leadership is when it comes to … Read More...

NC Policy Watch and the North Carolina Justice Center are proud to announce a very special Crucial Conversation luncheon:  

Why courts matter (and why North Carolinians should be paying a lot more attention to them)
Featuring the Honorable James A. Wynn, … Read More...