FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RALEIGH, N.C. – Tonight marked Gov. Roy Cooper’s second State of the State address to the North Carolina General Assembly. While delivering a hopeful and uplifting address at times, almost every solution Gov. Cooper called for requires more spending and more taxes. According to Gov. Cooper, ‘the state of the state’ apparently means it’s time to tax and spend.
This is the sort of vision our state’s voters broke free of in 2011, setting us on a path toward unprecedented economic success and freedom. Wouldn’t it be better if North Carolinians worked together to continue to expand freedom and human flourishing instead of looking to government for our hope and prosperity?
Like Gov. Cooper, we desire to see North Carolinians impacted by Hurricanes Florence, Michael, and Matthew fully recover from the devastation they’ve experienced. Unfortunately, although Gov. Cooper says his administration is determined to help North Carolinians get back on their feet, there has been much more talk than action on behalf of the survivors of these hurricanes.
When it comes to our economy, North Carolina has made wonderful strides, becoming one of the fastest growing, business-friendly states in the nation. In fact, since the conservative tax reforms of 2013, we have moved from being the 7th worst business tax climate in the nation to the 12th best. As a result, our state has enjoyed historically low unemployment, even outpacing the incredibly promising national numbers.
”Candidly, it was disappointing that Governor Cooper believes our economy is strong because of a basketball game and corporate bribes via incentives,” said Civitas President Donald Bryson. “Our economy is and has been strong, but only due to policies that Governor Cooper has vetoed in his first 26 months as executive of our state.”
Our state has also expanded educational opportunities for North Carolina’s parents and children, by empowering families to choose the best education for their child in the form of income-based Opportunity Scholarships, Education Savings Accounts, and removing the cap on charter schools.
This past November, the voters of our state made their will known by passing common sense voter ID requirements. Ensuring election integrity is a responsibility of our government. Unfortunately, Gov. Cooper has stonewalled voter ID every step of the way, calling into question the seriousness of his commitment to keeping our elections fair. From reforming the absentee ballot system to voter ID requirements, the recent events in NC-09 should make it clear that election integrity is of supreme importance.
So, yes, the state of North Carolina is determined, but we have always been determined. The Old North State is also healthy, thriving, and strong. And that’s thanks in large part to the conservative policies our lawmakers have bravely championed over the past several years.
Founded in 2005, the Civitas Institute is a Raleigh, NC-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit policy organization that fights to remove barriers to freedom so that all North Carolinians can enjoy a better life.
