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
Fiscal Policy
COPs and Robbers: Certificates of Participation Replace Bond Referendums
In light of the rapid expansion of long-term state debt and changes in how capital projects are being financed in North Carolina, it is imperative that legislators restore public ... Keep Reading
Public Employee Collective Bargaining: Bad Policy for North Carolina
Both the House and the Senate are currently considering legislation that would overturn the state’s ban on collective bar- gaining for public employee unions. Extending ... Keep Reading
Outside the General Fund
The General Fund Availability Statement of the House budget states that General Fund appropriations are $20.3 billion. This sum is paid with revenues from taxes, fees, transfers ... Keep Reading
Coverage Mandates: Is Mental Health Next?
A coverage mandate is a legal requirement that dictates that all health insurance policies sold in North Carolina cover certain services, providers, and groups of people. Mandates ... Keep Reading
A Tale of Broken Promises…House Budget Keeps “Temporary” Taxes, Lacks Fiscal Discipline
The newly released House version of the 2007-2009 budget increases spending by 7.4 percent, continues the “temporary” taxes yet again, and features some proposed ... Keep Reading
Budgeting for the Future
Sometimes, the “face value” of new items in a budget is only the tip of the iceberg. And in some cases, the rest of the iceberg can be pretty substantial. Projects ... Keep Reading
House Budget Misses Opportunity for Tax Relief to Working Poor
The FY2007-09 budget currently being debated by House members includes a proposed 5 percent state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) aimed at providing assistance to North ... Keep Reading
Seeing Green … A Roundup of the North Carolina “Green” Budget
North Carolina’s proposed budget for the next biennium is peppered with nods to Big Green. As the following highlights from the House budget (HB 1473) reveal, these measures ... Keep Reading
Middle-class Welfare: The House Budget and Education
Remember this number: $10.7 billion. This figure represents how much North Carolina expects to spend on education in the $20.1 billion state budget currently under consideration in ... Keep Reading
