One of the main sticking points during this year’s contentious and drawn out budget process was the debate over whether the “temporary” sales and income tax rates ... Keep Reading
FY2007-09 Budget Roundup…Higher Taxes, Bigger Government
Thanks to the new state budget just passed by the General Assembly and signed by Governor Mike Easley (D), North Carolinians must brace themselves for another significant tax ... Keep Reading
Public Campaign Financing: All Cost, No Benefit
Should taxpayers be forced to finance the campaigns of candidates with whom they disagree? Legislation recently passed by the General Assembly says that Chapel Hill citizens will. ... Keep Reading
Ending “Temporary” Sales Taxes Would Grow Economy, Benefit Working Poor More Than EITC
As the House and Senate continue their budget negotiations, reports from the General Assembly indicate that House members are proposing a plan that would entail extending the ... Keep Reading
Medicaid Swap Raises Deed Stamp Tax, Relies on Unstable Revenue Source
A variety of Medicaid “swap” plans have become major sticking points in this year’s budget negotiations between the North Carolina House and Senate. These plans ... Keep Reading
“Voter-Owned” Elections: Cleaning up Campaign Financing or Limiting Free Speech?
Supporters of HB 1517 gathered in Raleigh yesterday to lobby for the “Voter-Owned Elections Act,” which would appropriate $4.58 million over the next two years to ... Keep Reading
County Medicaid Swap Or Comprehensive Reform?
Senator Dan Clodfelter (D-Mecklenburg) has recently developed a proposal to shift all nonfederal Medicaid costs in North Carolina to the state government. Unfortunately, this plan ... Keep Reading
Mixed Messages: Spending Priorities Don’t Reflect State’s True Needs
As legislators prepare to go into conference to finalize the FY2007-09 budget, the public is getting mixed messages about what programs are really essential to the good of the ... Keep Reading
FY2007-2009 Budget Roundup: A Comparison of the House, Senate and Governor’s Budgets
With the House’s refusal to concur with the Senate budget last night, now is a good time to summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the three different spending plans. The ... Keep Reading
What Lies Beneath: “Hidden” Costs of Government in the Budget
The FY2007-09 budget bill recently approved by the House increases the price of state government by $637 for a family of four compared to last year. This continues an alarming ... Keep Reading
