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ICYMI: Tom Jensen discusses where things stand in 2016
With the 2016 election campaign already well underway and early voting for the March 15 North Carolina primary scheduled to commence March 3, Tom Jensen of Public Policy Polling catches us to speed on where things stand and what’s likely to happen both on the state and national level.
BTC Brief: Tax cuts hurt education for all
Tax cuts in North Carolina’s biennium budget will cost the state $841.8 million through June 2017, according to a new report from the N.C. Budget & Tax Center. Gutting these funds would deal a heavy blow to support for programs in areas like early childhood development and public schools. Check out the full brief here.
N.C. Policy Watch reporters blocked from McCrory press events (updated)
Education reporter Lindsay Wagner was kicked out of a North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE) annual meeting today, a press event listed on McCrory’s public schedule that was sent out to media outlets, including N.C. Policy Watch. When pressed for an explanation, a representative who appears to be from NCBCE — which operates under […]
Students push for tuition equity in higher education
Students from across North Carolina gathered on Halifax Mall outside the General Assembly today under the banner of “One State, One Rate” to advocate tuition equity in higher education for high school graduates with undocumented status. The Adelante Education Coalition led the “Undocugraduation” event as part of their “Let’s Learn NC” statewide campaign. Donned in […]
Renee Ellmers on data-driven policy solutions to poverty
Rep. Renee Ellmers showed up to a panel at the South By Southwest conference Sunday to talk about how big data can transform poverty policy. Ellmers, who was also here on Saturday to talk about broadband competition in the communications space, appeared at this panel in place of Rep. John Delaney (D-MD), who sponsored a […]
Your Soapbox — The Tax Shift: North Carolinians speak about tax changes and what that means for their quality of life
The Tax Shift: North Carolinians speak about tax changes and what that means for their quality of life State legislative leaders said tax plan changes were supposed to help most North Carolinians, while groups like the N.C. Budget and Tax Center cast skepticism at those claims, predicting that the average North Carolinians would see their […]
Vigil for slain Muslim American students in Chapel Hill, Charlotte
By now, you’ve probably heard about the murders of three Muslim-American students from UNC Chapel Hill and N.C. State. If not, here is the background story from WNCN: http://www.wncn.com/story/28075915/shooting-reported-in-chapel-hill There are calls over social media for donations to charities for which these students volunteered. A vigil will be held 7 p.m. tonight at the Peace […]
State of the State Address: A BINGO game to keep you engaged
Governor Pat McCrory will be giving his State of the State speech tonight at 7pm. What all will he talk about? The North Carolina Justice Center (a parent organization to NC Policy Watch) has put together some BINGO cards to keep you engaged. One of the cards include topics that the NC Justice Center anticipate […]
Death sentences at 40-year low; death penalty remains threat to innocents, justice
The NC Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty reports that the number of exonerations have reached a record pace, with North Carolina in its eighth year without executions. However, the death penalty remains a threat to innocent people “sentenced to die on the thinnest of evidence,” many of whom have been incarcerated for more […]
Asians and Latinos: Growing demographics and a history of solidarity
Asian Americans and Latinos are the fastest growing minority groups in the country. Particularly in North Carolina, Asian American population has grown more than 80% from 2000 to 2010 (see Advancing Justice’s recent report on the Asian American demographic in the South here), while Hispanic/Latino populations has grown more than 110%, according to the US […]
Catawba County school cancels play because two male characters “fall” in love
While same-sex couples finally won the right to marry last week in North Carolina, a Catawba County school decided to cancel a student theater club’s production of the romantic comedy Almost, Maine, which has a scene in which two male characters fall in love. Principal Rob Bliss of Maiden High School issued a statement on […]
You get a marriage, and you get a marriage, and you get a marriage
From Rockingham County to New Hanover, from Mecklenburg County to Jackson, Register of Deeds offices across North Carolina are issuing their first same-sex marriage licenses this morning. QNotes reports that as of this morning, all counties are issuing same-sex marriage licenses: As of Monday morning, all 100 counties in North Carolina were issuing licenses to […]