The Board of Governors' Committee on Budget and Finance met Tuesday to discuss funding allocations of the 2020 COVID-19 Recovery Act and the UNC System Debt Capacity Study for the 2019 fiscal year. The N.C. General Assembly appropriated $44.4 million to the UNC System in April.
The North Carolina Policy Collaboratory received $29 million as part of a $1.5 billion coronavirus relief package signed by Governor Cooper earlier this week. UNC-Chapel Hill was one of five North Carolina universities to receive funding for COVID-19 research.
The COVID-19 relief package Governor Roy Cooper signed into law Monday includes appropriations for UNC Medical Center and for the University to conduct COVID-19 treatment research. Orange County representatives highlighted the importance of the bill's allocation of funds for schools, food banks and rural communities.
As with many other things, COVID-19 has disrupted the ability for lawmakers to convene to discuss and debate upcoming bills and other proceedings. While many hope to return to in-person gatherings, for the time being they proceed with remote calls and meetings.
N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) has convened a select committee to begin forming the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. However, some lawmakers and experts have raised concerns that the General Assembly might not be able to act soon enough on some of the state’s most pressing needs.
The U.S. Department of Education recently announced that states would be able to bypass federal standardized testing requirements for the 2019-2020 school year due to complications imposed by the COVID-19 outbreak.
N.C. environmental departments have lost funding and staff as pollution complaints continue to rise.
With the closing of all public schools until March 30, students in CHCCS and OCS face a new struggle: remote learning.
In Dec. 2016, a month before Roy Cooper took office, two laws were passed by Republicans that limited the governor's powers. By the end, the number of positions that worked directly for the governor was cut from 1,500 to 300, meaning those appointed to these positions by former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory would remain. Now, a group of plaintiffs led by advocacy group Common Cause N.C. has appealed to the N.C. Supreme Court to overturn those laws. But some experts say this claim is a long shot and would require a landmark ruling.
CHCCS Board of Education Member Rani Dasi said she was wary that a state budget would even be approved for the next fiscal year. She said while the budget impasse continues, government institutions continue to operate by the previous budget’s stipulations.
Raising Wages NC held a rally at First Baptist Church in Raleigh on Friday to advocate for a $15 minimum wage. The group said the rally was intended to make governor, General Assembly and labor commissioner candidates say their stance before the upcoming elections later this year.
“I want to see who has the best chance of winning North Carolina because along with wanting us to have a strong Democratic presidential candidate, I want a candidate that will help us win the North Carolina House and Senate."
The N.C. General Assembly has adjourned until April without passing a budget. Here's what that means for UNC faculty.
“It’s an expensive program. I mean, Governor Cooper’s budget, his projections are over the first two years it would cost just over $6 billion, for the federal state share, just for two years.” Looking into the details of the Medicaid expansion and teacher pay policies reveal these programs have tangible effects for large populations of North Carolina, including the fact that they are primary reasons the state budget is unable to pass through the general assembly.
During this past long session, the General Assembly was unable to pass a budget. “Our 2019 session actually ran over into 2020,” Insko (D-District 56) said. “We didn’t pass the budget. We didn’t pass Medicaid expansion. We didn’t cut taxes.”
North Carolina is officially the last state to adopt the Raise the Age law, but what does the law entail?
Following the resignation of Sen. Floyd McKissick Jr., D-Durham, Henry "Mickey" Michaux was formally appointed as the senator of District 20.
North Carolina has never had an openly transgender individual serve in the state legislature. In 2020, that could change. Two openly transgender candidates are seeking seats in the N.C. Senate four years after the state passed House Bill 2, which could bring new perspectives and progressive change to the state. “There’s a lot of voices not being heard in North Carolina,” Angela Bridgman of Wendell said. “Democracy is broken in North Carolina.”
The North Carolina Division Sons of Confederate Veterans Inc. has for years been violating federal tax laws, operating a political action committee in violation of its tax-exempt status and facilitating political donations through illegal means, according to numerous individual first-hand accounts, a slew of internal communications provided to The Daily Tar Heel and multiple expert legal opinions. The Confederate group, classified as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in North Carolina, brought in $2.6 million of UNC System money last November through controversial dealings with Board of Governors members.
In the past decade, tax cuts and education have been the main issues affecting budget proposals for the state.
