Three Republican senators, including North Carolina’s Sen. Thom Tillis, have introduced legislation addressing the legal status of undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children. In 2012, the Obama administration, through executive action, created a way to allow young undocumented immigrants…
Earlier this month Amazon announced it was looking for a second headquarters in North America. The company said it would involve 50,000 jobs and $5 billion in investment. It is unquestionably a big deal. Nevertheless, some prices are too high, and what Amazon wants in exchange for bringing its headquarters…
If you see a crime, who are you going to call? If you’re civic minded, the state’s toll-free 911 system. In the near future, 911 callers also will be able to send photos, videos, and text messages of a crime in progress.
The Republicans have enjoyed majorities in both bodies of the General Assembly for nearly seven years now, and pretty soon Phil Berger and Tim Moore will be asking for two more. This is an appropriate time to assess their performance on the economy. Even under the Perdue and Cooper governorships, policy outputs were shaped greatly by House…
Charlotte and the Research Triangle Park are joining the growing number of candidates submitting proposals for Amazon’s second headquarters. The tech giant plans to invest $5 billion for construction and hire up to 50,000 new employees. Proposals are due by…
Gov. Roy Cooper has declared a state of emergency in North Carolina to include all 100 counties in anticipation of Hurricane Irma. This comes as residents are still dealing with the effects of a hurricane that barreled into the state almost a year ago. “There is a lot we…
There’s been a lot written about this year’s state budget, and there will be more. That’s what happens when you’re dealing with a 438-page bill allocating $24 billion. A lot of money, a lot of competing interests, a lot of detail. I looked at local government allocations in the budget previously, and it comes…
Gov. Roy Cooper has vetoed a bill that would change the way local governments issue public notices and referred to the measure as an attack on newspapers. It was Cooper’s eighth veto this year. In his veto message, Cooper, a Democrat, said the Republican-led General Assembly “used the levers of big government to…
UPDATE: Gov. Roy Cooper says he is “considering all of the options” when it comes to House Bill 589. Cooper told reporters Tuesday morning that he fully supported the original House version of the bill but has concerns about the bill as approved. The governor plans, “in the next week…
For North Carolina counties, fiscal 2018 starts July 1, meaning counties have to pass and publish budgets. They also have to set property tax rates for the coming year, which are really important for county governments. The most obvious reason is property taxes make up just more than half of…
