News
NC school construction fund stretched as lottery’s education share shrinks
School districts competing for construction grants are feeling the effects of a dip in lottery proceeds earmarked for education.
Opinion
Federal funds are going away
Remember last year when state leaders said the federal government would cover 90% of the cost if North Carolina expanded Medicaid? Forget about it.
Opinion
State reserves may not be enough
Employers are hiring people back, but not as robustly as we need them to. North Carolina’s labor market is still down 326,000 jobs since February.
Opinion
Tapping into the N.C. school construction debate
One hopes statewide school bond supporters can consider alternatives that address the same goal.
Opinion
Rainy-day rules attract near-unanimous support
Lost beneath headlines highlighting the rancorous repeal of House Bill 2, N.C. lawmakers took another vote on the same day that could produce major long-term positive benefits for state government finances. With no fanfare, the N.C. House voted 111-2 on Thursday to accept the Senate’s version of House Bill 7. It establishes new rules regarding...
Opinion
Defining ‘rain’ in the N.C. rainy day fund
Legislators consider new rules to guide use of N.C. state government's emergency savings reserve.
Opinion
Fund Transfer Finally Ends
More than $200 million a year in revenue collected from motorists will now be used to maintain, refurbish, and expand the roads and bridges they traverse across North Carolina.
Opinion
To Bond Or Not To Bond
Lawmakers should give careful consideration to Gov. Pat McCrory’s proposed bond packages for transportation and infrastructure.
Opinion
Borrow When It Saves
In 1998, the total cost of servicing North Carolina’s state debt was $166 million. By 2013, debt service had risen to $843 million.
Opinion
UNC System Avoids Budget Chopping Block
While lawmakers prioritized public school teacher pay raises and filling holes in the Medicaid budget, the state's public university system still saw its state funding grow.
Opinion
A Political Contest Worth Treasuring
The state treasurer’s race is the most important political contest in North Carolina that isn’t making the daily headlines.
Opinion
Can we afford more public debt?
RALEIGH — The hundreds of millions of dollars of new public debt, perhaps billions, that would be added to the burden of future generation of North Carolinians if Constitutional Amendment #1 passes Nov 2 does not fit into the definition good public debt. It would be a good thing, however, for a few property owners, real estate agents, developers, bankers, a few politicians and other deal makers who benefit at the public expense.
