Alanna Joyner
Over the past four decades, raises for North Carolina educators and state employees have ranged from zero to 10%, with most falling in the 5% area, according to The News and Observer. In the latest Republican-led Senate budget bill passed last month, state employees and educators would receive the short end of the stick, with…
Read MoreThe Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones declined a tenured position at her alma mater, UNC-Chapel Hill. Hannah-Jones is set to create the new Center for Journalism and Democracy at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Her decision comes as after nearly six weeks of controversy, the UNC Board of Trustees voted to approve the tenure…
Read MoreRecently, State Superior Court Judge David Lee issued the latest order in the Leandro v. State lawsuit – directing the state to address the longstanding violation of the constitutional right of North Carolina public school children to a “sound basic education”, by implementing a comprehensive funding plan developed by the state itself. The Comprehensive Remedial…
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A new legislation passed on Monday will delay more than 30 municipal elections in North Carolina until 2022. Under the new legislation, municipalities across North Carolina, including Ahoskie, Edenton, and Raleigh among others, will delay elections which were originally scheduled for later in 2021. Due to delays in the census caused by the pandemic and…
Read MoreThe budget proposal the Republican-led state Senate passed last week, and which House members started formally reviewing Tuesday, is chock-full of proposals that fail to meet the needs of North Carolinians. Amid an influx of federal funding and billions in unreserved state funds, Republicans chose to prioritize tax cuts for the wealthy few and corporations…
Read MoreOn Thursday, President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Raleigh as part of his continued efforts to encourage people across the country to get vaccinated. This marks President Biden’s first visit to North Carolina since taking office. The North Carolina visit comes as part of President Biden’s “National Month of Action,” a nationwide effort by…
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The Republican-led state Senate rolled out a $25.7 billion state budget proposal Monday, with measures that cut corporate income taxes, a measly 1.5 percent annual pay raise for educators and a provision that would limit a governor’s power during states of emergency. The proposed budget fails to include the $5 billion in unreserved funds and…
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Concerned North Carolinians and local organizations denounced on Monday a group of bills advancing through the state Senate that would make changes to absentee voting and limit sources of funding for election administration in North Carolina. Republican backed Senate bills 326, 724 and 725, which are expected on the Senate floor this week, mirror the…
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Last week, Republican House and Senate leaders in the NC General Assembly announced their proposed total spending figure for the state budget, which consists of spending $25.7 billion in 2021-2022 and $26.7 billion in 2022-2023. Details of the budget have not been finalized, yet the state legislature has already contemplated cutting taxes for corporations and…
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Across the country, passing restrictive election laws has been one of the top priorities for Republican state legislators this year. In a coordinated effort, Republicans, including legislators in North Carolina, are working from similar playbooks to restrict old policies, create voting barriers for Black and Brown communities — with some states pushing for measures that…
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