NC Policy Watch's the Progessive Pulse

The North Carolina House approved legislation Tuesday that would fine doctors for performing an abortion where sex-selection is a “significant factor” in a woman’s decision. Under House Bill 716,  a doctor could be fined at least $10,000 for performing … Read More...

The North Carolina Senate’s tax reform plan released today is long on promises and short on details. It is unclear how fair the purported “Tax Fairness Plan” will prove to be. Several red flags are raised by this plan, which … Read More...

Jared Bernstein, former chief economic advisor for Vice President Biden, debated tax reform with Elizaebth Malm of the Tax Foundation today at an event co-hosted by the Budget and Tax Center, the Civitas Institute, and the Institute on Emerging Issues … Read More...

One of the few points of consensus that the right and left can come to on North Carolina’s tax system is that it’s badly in need of fixing.

The particulars how to do that, and how much taxes different groups … Read More...

STATEMENT FROM THE N.C. BUDGET & TAX CENTER:

Senate tax proposal shifts burden from the rich to the poor

RALEIGH (May 7, 2013) — The Senate leadership has released a proposal that will harm working families and the broader economy.… Read More...

Maybe it’s no coincidence that Senator Phil Berger’s new plan to cut taxes at the top, reduce public services and raise taxes on the working poor appears to have a lot in common with Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal’s failed tax plan. … Read More...

In a 6-1 decision, Louisiana’s highest court ruled today that Gov. Bobby Jindal’s funding mechanism for his private school tuition voucher program is unconstitutional.

Taking public money that is designated for public schools and using it to pay for private school tuition … Read More...

Ready to cry “uncle” yet? The folks running the North Carolina General Assembly hope so.  As Chris Fitzsimon will discuss this afternoon in today’s Fitzsimon File, the reactionary legislation is coming so thick and fast these days at the General Assembly … Read More...

This is starting to be a really big deal.  Over the last few years, health costs in the US have grown at their slowest pace in the last 50 years.  This is important because projections of the federal budget … Read More...

The experts at the N.C. Budget and Tax Center will be out with more detailed analyses in the hours and days to come, but here are some preliminary takes on state Senate President Phil Berger’s big tax plan announcement/opening salvo … Read More...

The NC House voted 76-38 Monday evening to expand gun rights – allowing concealed carry permit holders to carry their guns on college campuses, greenways and bike paths, and restaurants serving alcohol.

Republicans blocked five attempts by Democrats to amend … Read More...

Tomorrow afternoon, the North Carolina Senate is set to vote on SB 337, which creates a Public Charter School Board that is separate from the State Board of Education and does away with the Charter School Advisory Council.  This … Read More...

Senator Earline Parmon has resorted to a relatively unusual tactic in an effort to unearth a piece of common sense legislation that has been buried in the Senate Rules Committee for the past two months. The Winston-Salem Democrat gave notice last … Read More...

Today the United States Senate is scheduled to debate and possibly vote on a bill titled the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013, which would authorize states to require businesses to collect state and local taxes for products sold via … Read More...

The good people at Action NC and Progress NC are out with some new poll results courtesy of Public Policy Polling. The poll asked North Carolina voters four questions about education policy during the last week of  April. Here’s the Action NC … Read More...

In his report on the pro-business tilt of the U.S. Supreme Court in Sunday’s New York Times, Adam Liptak confirmed what we reported back in April: that the court hears conservative voices weighing in on cases in the form of friend-of-the-court … Read More...

With the NC House set to vote this evening on legislation that would change the definition of “at-risk” and lower the number of children able to access Pre-K, the Fayetteville Observer weighs in this morning with an editorial questioning the … Read More...

Among the things on tap for a very busy week in the state capital: the 15th annual Defenders of Justice Awards Dinner. 

The Defenders of Justice Awards are presented  each year by the North Carolina Justice Center to honor individuals or organizations … Read More...

Research has long shown that the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for working families significantly encourages work—especially among single mothers—and reduces child poverty more than any other existing policy tool. Although the EITC is largely a temporary support, new research… Read More...

The virtual charter school company that launched an unsuccessful bid to open up an online-based school in North Carolina has been having a rough time in other states.

Cyber (also called online or virtual) schools allow students to take their … Read More...