Economy

As NC Utilities Commission Holds Public Hearing in Triad TONIGHT on Duke Energy Rate Hike Request, State Lawmakers Must Return to Raleigh to Pass Legislation to Ban “Coal Ash Rate Hikes”

By Eleanore Wood / January 29, 2020 / Comments Off on As NC Utilities Commission Holds Public Hearing in Triad TONIGHT on Duke Energy Rate Hike Request, State Lawmakers Must Return to Raleigh to Pass Legislation to Ban “Coal Ash Rate Hikes”

So far, the GOP-controlled state legislature has sided with Wall Street shareholders of the Duke Energy power monopoly and utterly failed to protect ratepayers from Duke’s mammoth coal ash clean up costs. GRAHAM, NC – As the North Carolina Utilities Commission will tonight hold a hearing at the Alamance Co. Historic Courthouse at 7pm in Graham…

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Winston-Salem Journal: Duke Energy is seeking rate hike costing the average residential customer $97 per year. Here’s how you can weigh in

By Alanna Joyner / January 27, 2020 / Comments Off on Winston-Salem Journal: Duke Energy is seeking rate hike costing the average residential customer $97 per year. Here’s how you can weigh in

Duke Energy is asking the NC Utilities Commission to raise electricity rates on its customers by an average of $8 / month for residents or almost $100 / year to pay for coal ash clean-up. The N.C. The Utilities Commission will hold public hearings in Alamance County on Wednesday and Charlotte on Thursday to take…

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The News & Observer 01/14 Letters: Deployment to Middle East will hurt NC towns, families, the economy

By Eleanore Wood / January 14, 2020 / Comments Off on The News & Observer 01/14 Letters: Deployment to Middle East will hurt NC towns, families, the economy

The idea that wars are always good for the economy is simply not true. It is likely that the emotional and economic impact of a war with Iran would be a heavy one, not unlike North Carolina’s experience during previous wars in the middle east. Our state simply can not afford another endless war. From…

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CDC report finds rural/urban divide continues to grow

By Logan Smith / November 18, 2019 / Comments Off on CDC report finds rural/urban divide continues to grow

The health disparity between rural and urban communities across the United States is growing, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In North Carolina, this is made even worse by Republican lawmakers’ refusal to consider expanding Medicaid. About 40 percent of North Carolinians — approximately 4 million people — live in one…

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Lawmakers leave Raleigh without passing budget or expanding Medicaid

By Logan Smith / November 4, 2019 / Comments Off on Lawmakers leave Raleigh without passing budget or expanding Medicaid

Instead of negotiating with Democrats on a budget that works for everyone, Republican leaders decided to adjourn last week and leave Raleigh. Although lawmakers plan to return next week to take up the latest round of court-ordered redistricting, under the adjournment resolution they will not take up budget issues again until January. Before leaving town, Republicans…

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Carolina Public Press: NC legislature lurches toward an ending — for now

By Eleanore Wood / November 1, 2019 / Comments Off on Carolina Public Press: NC legislature lurches toward an ending — for now

State lawmakers are leaving Raleigh on Halloween — 123 days into the not-so-new budget year — without passing a full state budget. Yesterday, Republicans held teacher pay raises hostage to try to get Democrats to override the Governor’s veto of the budget. Completely ignoring the public’s clear mandate to expand affordable health care Republicans tried…

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Statement on NC Senate’s failure (again) to hold budget vote

By Logan Smith / October 29, 2019 / Comments Off on Statement on NC Senate’s failure (again) to hold budget vote

Lacking the votes to override Cooper’s veto, Republicans continue to play games instead of governing RALEIGH — Progress NC Action released the following statement on Tuesday in response to Senate leader Phil Berger’s failure — once again — to hold a vote on Gov. Cooper’s veto of the Republican budget proposal: “How long are Republican…

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GOP in Senate does not have the votes, so budget veto override vote moved to Tuesday… or Weds… or when?

By Logan Smith / October 28, 2019 / Comments Off on GOP in Senate does not have the votes, so budget veto override vote moved to Tuesday… or Weds… or when?

Well, folks, it’s time to hurry up and wait… again. After announcing that the Senate would vote on Monday whether or not to override Gov. Cooper’s veto of the GOP budget Senate Republicans decided, once again, not to vote because all the Democrats showed up. How long are Republican leaders going to keep playing games with the…

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While teachers go without a raise, lawmakers try to pass yet another corporate tax cut

By Logan Smith / October 24, 2019 / Comments Off on While teachers go without a raise, lawmakers try to pass yet another corporate tax cut

NC Senate: “Sorry teachers, we can’t afford to give you a decent raise.”Also NC Senate: “$1 billion in corporate tax cuts? No problem!” RALEIGH — While North Carolina public school educators continue to work without the raises they were promised for the 2019-20 school year, Republican lawmakers are trying to ram through another $1 billion in…

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GOP budget standoff holding up state employee raises, school budgets

By Eleanore Wood / July 31, 2019 / Comments Off on GOP budget standoff holding up state employee raises, school budgets

Three weeks into the GOP budget standoff, July paychecks are going out for many state employees whose pay raises are being delayed by Republican leaders’ unwillingness to negotiate. However, those paychecks aren’t the only things left in limbo by the GOP budget standoff. With the 2019-20 school year approaching, school districts are having to make…

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