Economy
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…
Read MoreDuke 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…
Read MoreThe 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…
Read MoreThe 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…
Read MoreInstead 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…
Read MoreState 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…
Read MoreLacking 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…
Read MoreWell, 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…
Read MoreNC 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…
Read MoreThree 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…
Read More