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Three more NC incentive deals fall through
State officials have terminated three more incentive packages worth millions of dollars that would have created almost 1,000 new jobs.
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The curse of JDIG: why latest announcement may not be such good news for NC
Gov. Roy Cooper’s announcement on Tuesday that Siemens Energy, Inc. will be adding an additional 559 jobs to the over 3,500 positions it already has in North Carolina made headlines across the state.
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Another NC incentive deal falls through as Bandwidth pulls out
North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Economic Investment Committee (NCEIC) officials terminated yet another incentives package Tuesday with a Raleigh-based communications software company after the company said it couldn’t follow through with the required hiring goals.
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Gastonia replacing fixed-route buses with microtransit
The Gastonia City Council recently announced plans to phase out its fixed-route bus system in favor of a new microtransit system with the ability to reach more of Gastonia’s residents. Microtransit is comparable to current rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft. In a press release, the city council stated that a 36-month, $1.65 million...
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The 2023 North Carolina state budget: Here’s what you need to know
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.
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Commission recommends 40% funding increase for DOT months after an audit showed excess spending
Less than a year after an audit of the N.C. Department of Transportation found massive overspending, a blue-ribbon panel is recommending the department get a 40% budget hike. The N.C. First Commission, created by former Transportation Secretary Jim Trogdon to assess the state’s transportation priorities, recently suggested that state transportation should get an additional $2...
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Year without a state fair leaves North Carolinians sad, nostalgic
For the first time in more than 20 years, Chef Felicia Daniel has no plans for autumn in North Carolina. It’s a muggy, Friday afternoon on Aug. 7 when I phone Daniel, the operator of the N.C. State Fair’s popular Chef’s D’Lites concessions booth. She picks up on the second ring, and her voice lifts after...
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Pro-union bill in U.S. House a serious threat to gig economy in North Carolina
North Carolina’s “gig economy” would take a major hit under a pro-labor union bill that may soon be heard in the U.S. House, experts say. House Resolution 2474, “Protecting the Right to Organize Act,” is a nightmarish collection of pro-union provisions that could wither state economies and hurt individual workers, say several economists and researchers....
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Rural county gets medical machines, but also opens path to government intervention
When they unveiled their plans, the room was crammed with hundreds of people —a stunning turnout for their home in rural Appalachia. Juanita Colvard knew many of these people lost someone. Her own best friend died of breast cancer in her 50s. Another woman watched her father and two brothers die of kidney failure. And most blamed the health care...
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GoTriangle partnering with Uber, Lyft to provide free rides in RTP
Starting Monday, Aug. 5, bus riders to Research Triangle Park will be able to get free or discounted rides from Uber or Lyft to reach the last stretch of their destination. One transportation expert says this is a sign that public transit is on the way out. “The partnerships between transit agencies and ride-hailing companies...
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Ride-sharing safety bill raises red flags for government overreach
A woman in South Carolina was killed when she mistakenly got into a car she thought was an Uber. N.C. lawmakers have introduced legislation to prevent something similar from happening here, but a policy expert from the free-market R Street Institute warned of the potential for over-criminalization in the pursuit of enhancing public safety. Nick...
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House transportation budget maintains emphasis on priority projects
The N.C. House, as lawmakers began reviewing the budget May 1, supported a sprawling transportation budget, allocating $2.3 billion for North Carolina’s Highway Fund, and $1.6 billion for the state’s Highway Trust Fund for fiscal year 2019-20. Spending for the Highway Fund is up $156 million. The Highway Trust Fund, which is mainly used...
