Author
General Assembly’s support for higher education needs to move from hyperbole to reality
To say that the new two-year budget approved by state lawmakers represents “the best budget in a decade” for North Carolina’s public four-year universities (as UNC president Margaret Spellings did in a recent Charlotte Observer op-ed) is hyperbole that reflects a troubling new “normal” in which expectations for our state have been drastically lowered. Facts simply don’t support this inflated claim. The hard reality is that the new budget continues to ignore boosting state support for the UNC system to ensure access to (and affordability of) a high-quality college education. Furthermore, eroding state support for higher education foregoes opportunities that can help keep our state at the forefront of research and innovation – a realm that attracts industry into the state and helps create good-paying jobs in all of our communities.
NC budget proponents’ distorted notion of leaps and bounds
When you lower the bar enough for what’s possible, you create a new normal in which an inch forward can be falsely sold as leaps and bounds. The austerity budgeting that has defined nearly a decade of North Carolina policymakers’ approach to serving their communities has been driven by an insatiable appetite among House and Senate leadership for costly tax cuts. This approach has ushered in a new normal in which expectations have been lowered for what our state can and should be.
What you need to know about the new state budget
Lawmakers miss opportunities for progress; double down on austerity and trickledown economics
Lawmakers have passed a new state budget that will serve as a roadmap for how North Carolina will operate for the next two years — unfortunately, this roadmap has numerous potholes and an unclear destination. It does not reflect the spending decisions that can drive better economic outcomes or strengthen the connection to opportunity for every community across the state.
New budget a roadmap full of potholes and an unclear destination
A new BTC report highlights how the new two-year budget passed by state lawmakers continues to choose austerity and failed trickle-down economics over broadly shared prosperity. House and Senate leadership garnered the needed votes to override Gov. Cooper’s veto of the budget, resulting in approval of the budget. Under the budget, total state spending for […]
Final budget a mixed bag of give, take, and disregard for courts and public safety
The final budget released by state leaders this week includes a mixed bag of give, take, and neglect in regards to public investments that promote safe and healthy communities. At the same time that public investments are made for particular initiatives of interest, lawmakers cut state funding and totally neglect boosting public investments in other […]
Final budget fails to strengthen the foundation of North Carolina’s public schools
The final budget that lawmakers have proposed fails to strengthen the foundation of North Carolina’s public schools. While the public schools area of the budget seems to have a lot going on – one could argue that a lot of special pet projects made it into the final budget – the reality is that little […]
Final budget fails to strengthen the foundation of North Carolina’s public schools
The final budget that lawmakers have proposed fails to strengthen the foundation of North Carolina’s public schools. While the public schools area of the budget seems to have a lot going on – one could argue that a lot of special pet projects made it into the final budget – the reality is that little […]
Lawmakers’ approach to paying for final budget means long-term fiscal challenges for North Carolina
The negotiated conference budget expects the state’s tax system to raise $22.3 billion in base General Fund revenue. This available base revenue is greatly constrained by previously approved tax cuts in recent years, and additional tax cuts in this final budget further reduce available revenue. In addition to base revenue, lawmakers rely on revenue collections […]
At the legislature: One step forward after three steps back in funding local government
Wednesday, members of the House Finance committee voted in favor of House Bill 900 (HB900), which allows North Carolina cities and towns to increase their local sales tax by a quarter cent. This local sales tax increase would have to be approved by a majority of local residents via a local referendum. The proposal is […]
Two innovative programs that fight child hunger and promote learning
Ensuring that children begin each school day with food in their stomach is an important component of providing a high quality education to all North Carolina students. Combating child hunger helps address the unfortunate reality that 1 in 5 North Carolina children do not have reliable access to an adequate amount of affordable, nutritious food […]
Six amendments, six funerals, and one lackluster House budget
The NC House’s quick turnaround in debating and passing its proposed two-year state budget reflects the priorities and choices of House leadership. In less than 24 hours, House lawmakers gave two favorable votes for its proposed budget, but not before rejecting and dismissing a number of proposed amendments that would have boosted public investments that […]
House budget chooses not to promote safer and healthier communities
The proposed budget for Justice & Public Safety (JPS) by the House is notable more for what’s not included rather than what’s included. The JPS reflects the austerity budgeting approach that state leaders have taken in recent years despite an improving economy. Overall, the budget fails to seize upon opportunities to further promote safe and […]