Benefits cliffs occur when a small wage increase puts a family over the threshold to stop receiving public benefits. One study found that a single mother of two children would require a 67% raise at an annual income of $32,000 in order to overcome losses in benefits from bringing in more income.
North Carolina lawmakers on Thursday heard from experts on the so-called “One Door” welfare reform policy implemented by Utah, a policy that advocates say helped to streamline the system and get more welfare recipients back into the labor force.
During the 2023 fiscal year, the federal government ran a $1.7 trillion deficit. That’s an increase of $320 billion, or 23%, over last year’s deficit. And the worst is yet to come. The best estimate of Washington’s unfunded liabilities over the next 75 years is a staggering $80 trillion, attributable mostly to Social Security and...
For many North Carolinians, the Christmas season is looking to be a lot less merry this year. That’s due to stubbornly high prices for the holiday season essentials like gifts, meals, and trips to see family and friends.
North Carolina ranks 6th out of the 50 states, only bested by New Hampshire, Florida, Tennessee, Texas, and South Dakota.
Guilford County is considering an additional 1% Prepared Food and Beverage Tax, with the support of Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan. Critics worry that could harm local restaurants as they recovers from the pandemic, while advocates say it will boost revenue for the county.
Last month, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a $30 billion state budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year. Gov. Roy Cooper, disappointed with many provisions but keen on the bill’s expansion of Medicaid, allowed the $30 billion budget to become law without his signature. That’s the way the event was widely described last month, not...
Focusing on tax cuts and development projects in the more than $30 billion budget, Tuesday evening the leaders announced that the Senate will vote on the conference report at 2:00 PM Thursday with final votes at 9:30 AM Friday. The House is planning to hold budget votes on the floor on Wednesday and Thursday. Their agreement does not contain legalization for casinos or video lottery terminals.
The judicial system in North Carolina would see plenty of changes if the proposed budget bill is passed, including a boost in the mandatory retirement age.
House Republicans announced on Tuesday that they will not hold any more votes this week and plan to come back into Raleigh next week. The state budget, originally expected to finalize by the end of June, has fallen victim to differing House and Senate priorities. A quick run of the vote math shows that Republican leaders are unlikely to reach an agreement this month.
House Speaker Tim Moore told reporters last week that the North Carolina General Assembly is unlikely to craft and approve a state budget deal before Labor Day. That’s more than two months into the 2023-24 fiscal year that began July 1. The good news is that, in stark contrast to the rules of the federal...
