NC Policy Watch

With the 2026 midterm elections less than 100 days away, it a great time to check in with one of the state's foremost experts on politics and elections, Western Carolina University Professor of Political Science, Chris Cooper. This past week, Newsline got a chance to catch up with Cooper for an extended conversation in which we delved into an array of front burner topics. In Part One of our chat, we focused on the issue of our elections, themselves – how they're run, how President Trump has repeatedly sought to sow distrust in their honesty and how they're run, and how Trump's Republican allies in North Carolina have taken a number of recent actions that they say will improve voting and elections, but that critics argue are really just thinly disguised efforts to discourage participation by voters the GOP fears will vote for Democratic candidates. In Part Two of our conversation, Cooper shared some of his thoughts on the career of longtime South Carolina U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham in light of his recent passing, as well as his take on the state of two high-profile North Carolina races on the ballot this fall – the U.S. Senate Race between Roy Cooper and Michael Whatley and western North Carolina congressional race between Chuck Edwards and Jamie Ager. Click here to listen to the full interview with Western Carolina University political scientist Chris Cooper.

One in four Americans is 60+ and one in two lacks the income to pay for basic needs. That’s where “Meals on Wheels” makes a difference serving 13 million seniors nationwide. Recently, NC Newsline sat down with two staff members from the Wake County operation: Director of Development and Communications Sara Walker and main office Home Delivery Site Manager Melissa Evers. Click here to listen to the full interview with Sara Walker and Melissa Evers of Wake County Meals on Wheels.

State Rep. Marcia Morey of Durham County is one of the many experts who've expressed concerns about how the state budget debate played out.  While she's happy about raises that some teachers will get, she's concerned about those teachers and state employees who will receive a relative pittance. And as Morey also pointed out to Newline during an extended conversation this past week, there were a lot of other very important (and in some instances deeply concerning) provisions in the budget – some of which have only come to light in recent days as she and other lawmakers and advocates have finally gotten a chance to fully dissect the hurriedly enacted 600-plus page document. In Part Two of our discussion, we examined some other policy matters of importance as the legislature prepares to return to Raleigh in late July, including the recent and troubling spate of late-night teen takeovers in some communities that have raised discussion of issues like curfews and gun regulation, as well as ongoing Republican efforts to further alter state voting laws and election oversight for partisan purposes. Click here to listen to the full interview with Rep. Marcia Morey. 

State Rep. Marcia Morey of Durham County is one of the many experts who've expressed concerns about how the state budget debate played out.  While she's happy about raises that some teachers will get, she's concerned about those teachers and state employees who will receive a relative pittance. And as Morey also pointed out to Newline during an extended conversation this past week, there were a lot of other very important (and in some instances deeply concerning) provisions in the budget – some of which have only come to light in recent days as she and other lawmakers and advocates have finally gotten a chance to fully dissect the hurriedly enacted 600-plus page document. In Part Two of our discussion, we examined some other policy matters of importance as the legislature prepares to return to Raleigh in late July, including the recent and troubling spate of late-night teen takeovers in some communities that have raised discussion of issues like curfews and gun regulation, as well as ongoing Republican efforts to further alter state voting laws and election oversight for partisan purposes. Click here to listen to the full interview with Rep. Marcia Morey. 

After more than a full year of delay at the legislature, North Carolina finally has a new state budget and as is almost always the case, what the new budget does and doesn't do for public education is among the matters receiving the most attention. The good news is that a lot of teachers will get some decent raises this fall. Unfortunately, the bad news is that those raises don't apply to all teachers or school personnel. What's more, thanks to inflation and the rising cost of health insurance premiums, most teachers remain stuck in the mud financially or even worse off than they were just a couple of years ago. So, what should we make of this situation? Are lawmakers making encouraging strides in lifting up our public schools or is the new budget just the latest in a series of inadequate measures. Newsline caught up with the veteran executive editor of the nonprofit group Public Ed Works, David Rice, to learn more. Click here to listen to the full interview with Public Ed Works executive editor David Rice.

After more than a full year of delay at the legislature, North Carolina finally has a new state budget and as is almost always the case, what the new budget does and doesn't do for public education is among the matters receiving the most attention. The good news is that a lot of teachers will get some decent raises this fall. Unfortunately, the bad news is that those raises don't apply to all teachers or school personnel. What's more, thanks to inflation and the rising cost of health insurance premiums, most teachers remain stuck in the mud financially or even worse off than they were just a couple of years ago. So, what should we make of this situation? Are lawmakers making encouraging strides in lifting up our public schools or is the new budget just the latest in a series of inadequate measures. Newsline caught up with the veteran executive editor of the nonprofit group Public Ed Works, David Rice, to learn more. Click here to listen to the full interview with Public Ed Works executive editor David Rice.

Despite listing many concerns, Gov. Josh Stein signed the $34 billion state budget bill into law on July 7. One high-profile area that state employees and teachers felt didn’t go far enough was in compensation for those who keep North Carolina’s public structures and services up and running. While the budget does include decent, if long overdue, raises for some, for most it's a paltry 3% that fails to keep up with inflation and rising health premiums. Newsline sat down with Ardis Watkins, the executive director of the State Employees Association of North Carolina, for a broader look at the spending plan and why she says it was a mistake to eliminate hundreds of important jobs from the final document. Click here to listen to the full interview with Ardis Watkins, the executive director of the State Employees Association of North Carolina.

North Carolina’s new state budget runs more than 600 pages and includes dozens of other law changes unrelated to spending – many of which are only slowly coming to light and public awareness. NC Newsline state government reporter Brandon Kingdollar followed the twists and turns of the budget making process and recently joined us to discuss some of the controversial pieces of legislation included in the $34 billion spending package. In Part Two of our discussion, we turned our attention to legislative efforts to ban hemp products and to alter the rules governing our elections and how people vote. Click here to listen to the full interview with NC Newsline state government reporter Brandon Kingdollar.

There's a longstanding pattern in American politics that in most off-year elections, the party of the president tends to lose support and right now, that's looking more and more like what we'll see this fall in North Carolina. According to new polling from the Catawba College YouGov Survey, support for President Trump, the Republican U.S. Senate nominee Michael Whatley, and other GOP candidates generally has waned significantly – especially among unaffiliated voters. So, what's driving this shift and how significant is it? Recently NC Newsline sat down to discuss these questions and more with Catawba College political scientist and pollster, Michael Bitzer. And as our nation celebrates its 250th birthday, we also got a chance to ask Bitzer about his recent poll that gauged what North Carolinians think about one of the country's most important founding documents and the principles it espoused. Click here to listen to our full interview with Catawba College political scientist and pollster, Michael Bitzer.

Republican leaders at the North Carolina General Assembly have pursued few objectives with more zeal than their crusade to overhaul state elections. Repeatedly, GOP leaders have advanced new laws that make voting more difficult and the oversight of elections more partisan. A new omnibus bill that sprang up at the legislature in recent weeks doubles down on that strategy. To get a better idea of what's been going on and what's at stake, NC Newsline sat down for an extended conversation with the executive director of the North Carolina Black Alliance, Marcus Bass. Bass said while such proposals may be dressed up and marketed as being about promoting election integrity, the real objectives aren't that hard to discern. Click here to listen to our full interview with North Carolina Black Alliance director Marcus Bass.

News deserts. At first blush, it seems like strange term in an era in which most people are regularly inundated on their devices with boatloads of emails and other messages about developments in the world around them. Unfortunately, as even a cursory look at the news landscape across the United States right now quickly reveals, vast swaths of the country – including many parts of North Carolina – are today totally bereft of local newspapers and trained journalists dedicated to carefully watching and reporting on their communities. And as Newsline learned in a recent conversation with WRAL-TV documentary producer Cristin Severance, the spread of news deserts is having a big and negative impact on the health of the impacted communities and our democracy more generally. The documentary is entitled “Left Uncovered: Inside North Carolina’s News Deserts.” Click here to listen to the full interview with WRAL-TV Documentary Producer Cristin Severance.

After more than a year of waiting, it appears the North Carolina General Assembly will vote later this week on a comprehensive budget for the new fiscal year that begins July 1. Newline recently sat down for an extended conversation with New Hanover County State Representative Deb Butler to discuss the lack of open debate in crafting the final spending plan and the public's right to know. In part two of our chat, we turned our attention to some other matters of controversy in Raleigh right now – including the latest effort by Republican lawmakers to erect new roadblocks to voting, a proposal to end North Carolina's longstanding and science-based ban on sea walls at the coast, and the spread of energy sucking data centers and their impact on the electricity bills paid by residential consumers. Click below for the full interview with Rep. Deb Butler.

After more than a year of waiting, it appears the North Carolina General Assembly will vote later this week on a comprehensive budget for the new fiscal year that begins July 1. Newline recently sat down for an extended conversation with New Hanover County State Representative Deb Butler to discuss the lack of open debate in crafting the final spending plan and the public's right to know. In part two of our chat, we turned our attention to some other matters of controversy in Raleigh right now – including the latest effort by Republican lawmakers to erect new roadblocks to voting, a proposal to end North Carolina's longstanding and science-based ban on sea walls at the coast, and the spread of energy sucking data centers and their impact on the electricity bills paid by residential consumers. Click below for the full interview with Rep. Deb Butler.

With a new state government fiscal year set to commence on July first, North Carolina state legislators have still yet to pass a budget for the year that's coming to an end on June 30th. We're the only state in the union in which this is the case. While the state has continued to function at a basic level, the lack of funding certainty, and even minimal raises for teachers and other state employees, has caused enormous hardship. Meanwhile, even as the budget and the negotiations around it remain shrouded in secrecy, other important proposals – including more changes to how the state conducts elections – continue to advance. This past week, Newsline caught up with Wake County state Senator Lisa Grafstein to learn what Republican legislative leaders are telling rank and file members, and why from her perspective, average North Carolinians should be deeply concerned. We also discussed legislation that would place new burdens on local government by capping property taxes and limiting their options for dealing with homeless populations, and yet another new effort to alter coastal policy without first hearing from and listening to the science experts. Click here to listen to the full interview with Senator Lisa Grafstein.

With a new state government fiscal year set to commence on July first, North Carolina state legislators have still yet to pass a budget for the year that's coming to an end on June 30th. We're the only state in the union in which this is the case. While the state has continued to function at a basic level, the lack of funding certainty, and even minimal raises for teachers and other state employees, has caused enormous hardship. Meanwhile, even as the budget and the negotiations around it remain shrouded in secrecy, other important proposals – including more changes to how the state conducts elections – continue to advance. This past week, Newsline caught up with Wake County state Senator Lisa Grafstein to learn what Republican legislative leaders are telling rank and file members, and why from her perspective, average North Carolinians should be deeply concerned. We also discussed legislation that would place new burdens on local government by capping property taxes and limiting their options for dealing with homeless populations, and yet another new effort to alter coastal policy without first hearing from and listening to the science experts. Click here to listen to the full interview with Senator Lisa Grafstein.

When a utility company like Duke Energy plans for the future, it tries to predict how much electricity its customers will need a decade from now. Unfortunately, and not surprisingly, much of that process amounts to a guessing game in which utility company profits often play a much bigger role than keeping ratepayer bills low or protecting our natural environment. And right now, this appears to be very much the case at the state Utilities Commission as it reviews Duke's latest carbon plan for the years to come. As NC Newsline learned in a recent conversation with the Environmental Defense Fund's North Carolina Policy Director, Will Scott, while Duke's current proposal calls for building a fleet of new gas power plants by 2033, expert testimony indicates that North Carolinians should be deeply skeptical and supportive of alternative proposals that would emphasize improvements to the electric transmission grid and continued rapid development of less expensive and sustainable energy sources like wind and solar power. Click here to listen to the full interview with the Environmental Defense Fund's North Carolina Policy Director Will Scott.

When a utility company like Duke Energy plans for the future, it tries to predict how much electricity its customers will need a decade from now. Unfortunately, and not surprisingly, much of that process amounts to a guessing game in which utility company profits often play a much bigger role than keeping ratepayer bills low or protecting our natural environment. And right now, this appears to be very much the case at the state Utilities Commission as it reviews Duke's latest carbon plan for the years to come. As NC Newsline learned in a recent conversation with the Environmental Defense Fund's North Carolina Policy Director, Will Scott, while Duke's current proposal calls for building a fleet of new gas power plants by 2033, expert testimony indicates that North Carolinians should be deeply skeptical and supportive of alternative proposals that would emphasize improvements to the electric transmission grid and continued rapid development of less expensive and sustainable energy sources like wind and solar power. Click here to listen to the full interview with the Environmental Defense Fund's North Carolina Policy Director Will Scott.

As the effects of climate change continue to grow and spread at an alarming rate, it can be easy to become overwhelmed. But as author Dr. Katharine Wilkinson documents and explains in her new book, “Climate Wayfinding: Healing Ourselves and the Planet We Call Home,” the keys to tackling and adapting to climate change are, despite the recent national policy reversals, there for individuals and communities to embrace — and fast becoming so obvious and cost-effective that no amount of cynical politics will likely be able to derail them. Recently, NC Newsline sat down with Dr. Wilkinson for a special extended conversation, to learn more. In Part One of our conversation, we discussed the vast and rapid changes that are altering our world for the worse as a result of climate change, as well as the fundamental need that people have for finding a way to chart a better path forward – one in which we come to terms with our collective and individual fears and worries and yet also are not paralyzed by them. In Part Two, we turned our attention to the fact that, whether our leaders acknowledge the climate crisis or not, as she puts it, “the Earth itself is making known the challenge at hand.” We also explored the encouraging fact that the combination of scientific advances and, in many instances, the profit motive, are driving an array of advances that have enormous positive potential to help rapidly end our addiction to fossil fuels and promote the kind of healing our planet so desperately needs. Click here to listen to the full interview with Dr. Katharine Wilkinson, author of “Climate Wayfinding: Healing Ourselves and the Planet We Call Home.”

One of the most expensive and worrisome immediate impacts of climate change and the weather disasters it spawns is the fast-rising cost of homeowners insurance. Here in North Carolina and in many parts of the country, these soaring costs are a big contributor to the housing affordability crisis that plagues so many communities. As Newsline learned in a recent conversation with Natural Resources Defense Council climate adaptation expert, Dr. Hope Thompson, there are several practical and affordable regulatory steps that we can take to address the problem – steps that will both make buildings more resilient and assure the availability of affordable homeowners insurance in the future. Click here to listen to the full interview with Natural Resources Defense Council climate adaptation expert, Dr. Hope Thompson. Click here to read Dr. Thompson’s latest commentary: Navigating North Carolina's home insurance affordability crisis 

One of the most expensive and worrisome immediate impacts of climate change and the weather disasters it spawns is the fast-rising cost of homeowners insurance. Here in North Carolina and in many parts of the country, these soaring costs are a big contributor to the housing affordability crisis that plagues so many communities. As Newsline learned in a recent conversation with Natural Resources Defense Council climate adaptation expert, Dr. Hope Thompson, there are several practical and affordable regulatory steps that we can take to address the problem – steps that will both make buildings more resilient and assure the availability of affordable homeowners insurance in the future. Click here to listen to the full interview with Natural Resources Defense Council climate adaptation expert, Dr. Hope Thompson. Click here to read Dr. Thompson’s latest commentary: Navigating North Carolina's home insurance affordability crisis 

Since Donald Trump's return to the White House, hardly a day goes by in which there is not some brazen, precedent shattering action by the president or his allies. Indeed, the orders, directives, proposals and court rulings are coming at such a rapid pace that it's easy to become numb to them and what they might portend for our country. Fortunately, many excellent journalists continue to chronicle and analyze these developments. One of the best is States Newsroom Democracy Reporter Jonathan Shorman. And recently, Newsline caught up with Shorman for an extended conversation about some of the most important current stories. In Part One of our conversation with Shorman, we dug into President Trump's unprecedented effort to establish a special fund that would enable him to dispense taxpayer money to allies of his who he says were harmed by the Biden administration. We also looked at the aggressive gerrymandering efforts that Trump and his fellow Republicans have undertaken this year in hopes of preserving a narrow GOP majority in the U.S. House in the fall elections. In Part Two of our chat, we dug deeper into the politics surrounding the fall elections, the big challenges that Republicans face given the state of the economy and the fact that Trump himself will not appear on the ballot, and some of the controversial actions Trump has taken or threatened to take in order to directly impact who can vote and how they do it. Click here to listen to the full interview with States Newsroom national democracy reporter, Jonathan Shorman Click here to read more of Shorman’s reporting on NC Newsline.  

Genuine food insecurity in which people don't know where their next meal is coming from is a subject that merits a lot of attention. By any fair assessment the fact that literally millions of North Carolinians – a large percentage of them children – go to bed hungry in the world's richest nation is, or at least ought to be, a gigantic scandal. As grim as some of these numbers are, recent actions in Washington – most notably big cuts to federal food assistance and the rising prices caused by the war in Iran – have conspired to make the situation even more dire. Recently, to take stock of just how desperate things have gotten and some of the things average folks can do to help respond, Newsline recently caught up with the President and CEO of the Foodbank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, Amy Beros. Click here to listen to the full interview with Amy Beros, President and CEO of the Foodbank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.

Ever since Republicans captured control of the state legislature at the outset of the last decade, North Carolinians have been witness to a steady stream of proposals designed to make voting harder and more complicated and make the day-to-day oversight and regulation of elections more partisan. And now, with yet another national election of great importance just over five months away, new proposals are being introduced. One such measure in the state Senate would reduce the state's early voting period from 17 days to 10 despite the enormous bipartisan popularity of the current system. In addition, a series of proposals at the GOP-controlled state Board of Elections would make it easier to both toss out provisional ballots and mailed ballots on technicalities and restrict nondisruptive demonstrations designed to get voters to the polls. And recently to learn more about these proposals and how average North Carolinians can weigh in on them, Newsline spoke with the Policy Director of Common Cause North Carolina, Brooks Fuller. Click here for the full interview with Brooks Fuller, Policy Director of Common Cause North Carolina.

North Carolina state lawmakers are in the midst of the 2026 legislative session and, as had been expected, several important proposals are advancing that could impact everything from alcohol sales to the state constitution. On the alcohol front, it appears that the recent ongoing trend to move the state away from longstanding blue laws continues as the demands of retailers and producers seem to slowly be overcoming the objections of religious conservatives and other alcohol opponents. And recently, as part of a wide-ranging two-part conversation with NC Newsline government and politics reporter Brandon Kingdollar, we dug into precisely what's under consideration and what the competing sides are saying. In Part One of our recent extended conversation NC Newsline government and politics reporter Brandon Kingdollar, we examined the ongoing debate at the General Assembly over our state's regulation of alcohol sales and how proposals to liberalize and privatize the process and move away from older, more restrictive regulatory schemes appear to be making headway. In Part Two of our chat, we turned our attention to a series of constitutional amendments that Republican leaders are moving to place on the fall ballot that deal with an array of subjects – some of them potentially hugely impactful and some more symbolic that appear to be designed mostly to help drive conservative voter turnout. Click here for the full interview with NC Newsline government and politics reporter Brandon Kingdollar.

Republican state legislative leaders made headlines in recent days by announcing that they have finally reached agreement on a new state budget. But even as that long overdue news was being made, the lawmakers also moved to advance a series of state constitutional amendments that would, if enacted, have massive implications for future state budgets and core public services. Topping the list: a proposal to slash the already existing cap on state income taxes and another to cap local property taxes — moves that would almost certainly further eviscerate the state's already torn and threadbare public education system. Earlier this week, to get a better handle on the amendments and the new budget and what all of it means for the state going forward, Newsline caught up with one of the state's preeminent nonpartisan fiscal policy experts – the executive director of the North Carolina Budget & Tax Center, Alexandra Sirota. Click here to listen to the full interview with the executive director of the North Carolina Budget & Tax Center, Alexandra Sirota.

Republican state legislative leaders made headlines in recent days by announcing that they have finally reached agreement on a new state budget. But even as that long overdue news was being made, the lawmakers also moved to advance a series of state constitutional amendments that would, if enacted, have massive implications for future state budgets and core public services. Topping the list: a proposal to slash the already existing cap on state income taxes and another to cap local property taxes — moves that would almost certainly further eviscerate the state's already torn and threadbare public education system. Earlier this week, to get a better handle on the amendments and the new budget and what all of it means for the state going forward, Newsline caught up with one of the state's preeminent nonpartisan fiscal policy experts – the executive director of the North Carolina Budget & Tax Center, Alexandra Sirota. Click here to listen to the full interview with the executive director of the North Carolina Budget & Tax Center, Alexandra Sirota.

Earlier this month, regulatory commissions in North and South Carolina approved a merger between the two energy monopolies that dominate electricity production and distribution in our state: Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress. The merger comes at a time of rapid consolidation in the energy industry. Indeed, even as the merger of the two Duke entities is moving forward, Florida-based NextEra announced that it is acquiring Dominion Energy, which serves part or northeastern North Carolina. So, what does all of this mean? What do the companies say about why it's taking place? What are the potential benefits? What are the potential concerns – both for residential consumers and the wellbeing of our environment as the effects of climate change grow ever-more concerning? Recently, to get a handle on these questions and some others of importance, Newsline had an extended conversation with the Director of Energy and Climate Policy at the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability at Duke University, Dr. Jackson Ewing. Click here to listen to the full interview with Dr. Jackson Ewing, Director of Energy and Climate Policy at the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability at Duke University.

It appears that, finally, after a year-long delay that has left North Carolina the only state in the union without a budget for the current fiscal year, Republican state legislative leaders may soon give final approval to a comprehensive budget plan and send it to Gov. Josh Stein. Of course, as is usually the case, funding for public education was and remains one of the most hotly debated budget items. And while it appears that teachers will finally receive some long overdue but still modest raises, as we learned in a conversation with Wake County State Rep. Phil Rubin, the plan does little if anything to address the fundamentally skewed funding priorities that have long plagued and worn down our public schools. As Rubin explained to NC Newsline, not only does the budget plan continue to favor unaccountable private voucher schools at the expense of public schools, new plans to impose a one-size-fits-all scheme on county property taxes could make funding problems even worse. Click here to listen to the full interview with Rep. Phil Rubin. 

When it comes to politics and policymaking, the present era is among the most divided and rancorous in modern American history. At the national level, the U.S. seems as if it's more divided than ever on a host of basic issues. But is this really the case? CEO of the national nonprofit, the NewDEAL Forum, Debbie Cox Bultan, says when you dig a little past the surface, it becomes evident that, in many ways, Americans are not as divided as it might seem. Especially at the state and local levels, it turns out that large majorities are actually in agreement on many of the issues that matter most and in their desire that public officials of all parties work together to find common ground solutions. In Part One of Newsline's extended conversation with Bultan, we explored her group's findings about the many fundamental issues on which large majorities of Americans agree and their shared desire that elected leaders of all stripes find ways to work together and compromise to promote the common good. In Part Two, we learned more about how the New Deal Forum is working to lift up the notion that public service can and should remain a thoroughly honorable profession. We also discussed the importance of combating the scourge of gerrymandering and election rigging that is afflicting our politics in the aftermath of a recent Supreme Court ruling that guts the federal Voting Rights Act. Click here to listen to the full interview with the NewDEAL Forum's Debbie Cox Bultan.

One of the greatest achievements of the American Civil Rights movement was the enactment more than 60 years ago of a law known as the Voting Rights Act. Though it had several provisions, the basic objective of the law was simple – it was to eliminate centuries of deep-seated racial discrimination that had infected and polluted U.S. elections by assuring that all the nation's citizens had an opportunity to be full participants in our democracy. Unfortunately, despite the progress the law has helped usher in and the fact that the country still has miles to travel in overcoming racial discrimination, opposition to the law and excuses for weakening it have been a constant ever since its enactment. And last month, opponents and excuse makers succeeded in convincing the U.S. Supreme Court to gut a key provision that had barred politicians from rigging elections to dilute the impact of minority voters. And recently, to get a better handle on this troubling news, Newsline caught up with Southern Coalition for Social Justice Senior Counsel Chris Shenton for a special two-part conversation in which we examined the ruling and the damage that it will cause. Click here to hear the full interview with Southern Coalition for Social Justice Senior Counsel Chris Shenton

Last week was national Teacher Appreciation Week, a time to celebrate educators who show up for their students every day. Unfortunately, for many of the teachers in North Carolina, underappreciated – especially from state lawmakers – is the main thing they're experiencing these days. On May 1st, thousands of educators, advocates and allies converged on Halifax Mall behind the state Legislative Building in Raleigh to protest the lack of a state budget and scheduled corporate tax cuts that may leave school districts with even less money next year. NC Newsline spoke with several of those attending the rally about the message they would like to deliver to legislators during the ongoing legislative session. Click here to hear the full interview with North Carolina educators Marie Delgado, Tennille Simms, and Jane Miller.

Thousands of North Carolina public school teachers and their supporters converged on Raleigh this past Friday to demand that state lawmakers end their chronic lack of support for public schools. That the participants in the “Kids over Corporations” rally had a strong case to make is hard to deny. Their event took place just days after a new report placed North Carolina 46th in the nation for teacher pay for the current school year — down three spots from last year — and 39th in the nation for per pupil spending. One expert who was there on Friday, knows the ins and outs of state education policy like the back of his hand, and indeed, lives it every day, is Charlotte-Mecklenburg 7th grade language arts teacher Justin Parmenter. And prior to the rally, Parmeter joined NC Newsline to talk about the urgent needs he sees in our schools and why he hopes so fervently that state leaders will listen and act. In Part One of our recent conversation, we discussed the increasingly dire situation that confronts the public schools in our state and why it's essential that state lawmakers heed the demands of educators by dramatically improving public education funding. In Part Two of our chat, we continued our discussion of the need to better fund teacher pay in particular and public schools generally. We also discussed a pair of high-profile policy priorities of the political right – immigration enforcement and private school vouchers – that have only served to further undermine the stability, mission and morale of traditional public schools. Click here to listen to the full interview with middle school teacher Justin Parmenter.

Thousands of North Carolina public school teachers and their supporters converged on Raleigh this past Friday to demand that state lawmakers end their chronic lack of support for public schools. That the participants in the “Kids over Corporations” rally had a strong case to make is hard to deny. Their event took place just days after a new report placed North Carolina 46th in the nation for teacher pay for the current school year — down three spots from last year — and 39th in the nation for per pupil spending. One expert who was there on Friday, knows the ins and outs of state education policy like the back of his hand, and indeed, lives it every day, is Charlotte-Mecklenburg 7th grade language arts teacher Justin Parmenter. And prior to the rally, Parmeter joined NC Newsline to talk about the urgent needs he sees in our schools and why he hopes so fervently that state leaders will listen and act. In Part One of our recent conversation, we discussed the increasingly dire situation that confronts the public schools in our state and why it's essential that state lawmakers heed the demands of educators by dramatically improving public education funding. In Part Two of our chat, we continued our discussion of the need to better fund teacher pay in particular and public schools generally. We also discussed a pair of high-profile policy priorities of the political right – immigration enforcement and private school vouchers – that have only served to further undermine the stability, mission and morale of traditional public schools. Click here to listen to the full interview with middle school teacher Justin Parmenter.

One especially vexing public health issue that continues to plague North Carolina is the persistent crisis in the wellbeing of Black mothers and other moms of color. Time and again, statistics show that women of color face scandalous mortality rates that are far out of proportion with the general population. Fortunately, studies and real-world experience confirm that there are many relatively simple and effective policy solutions that can make a big difference in combating the problem and recently NC Newsline caught up with a state lawmaker – Orange and Caswell County State Rep. Renee Price – who champions and explains them in simple, commonsense terms. Newsline also got a chance to ask her about two other important issues on which she's pushing for action this spring – mental health services and public education. Click here to listen to the full interview with State Rep. Renee Price of Orange and Caswell Counties.

With the North Carolina General Assembly back in Raleigh for the 2026 session, the state of our public schools is once again at the top of the public policy agenda. Unfortunately, despite the talk we often hear from legislative leaders, the hard truth is that our schools are and have been struggling mightily for several years thanks to a chronic lack of funding. What's more, as Newsline was reminded in a conversation this past week with the President of the nonprofit Wake Ed Partnership, Keith Poston, the situation figures to get worse and soon unless lawmakers decide to pause the regressive tax cuts that are scheduled to take effect in the near future. What's more as Poston also noted, even the efforts of well-off counties like Wake to supplement state school funding could be in jeopardy if lawmakers follow through with a new plan to enact one-size-fits-all rules on local property taxes. Click here for the full interview with Keith Poston, President of the nonprofit Wake Ed Partnership.

State support for preschool education hit record highs for enrollment, quality, and funding in the 2024-2025 school year, according to a new report entitled “The State of Preschool 2025” from the National Institute for Early Education Research. That said, some states advanced more than others. This year’s report brings to the forefront for the first time one state that excels at both access and quality standards: Georgia. Unfortunately, in North Carolina, preschool enrollment actually declined as did state government investments. To learn more about what the numbers mean and why state policymakers should prioritize pre-k, NC Newsline recently sat down with the institute's Senior Director and Founder Steve Barnett and the lead author of The State of Preschool Yearbook, Associate Research Professor Allison Friedman-Krauss. Click here to listen to the full interview with NIEER’s founder Steve Barnett and associate research professor Allison Fiedman-Krauss.  Learn more about this year’s rankings.

It's been 20 years now since North Carolina started its state lottery and with only a very few exceptions, state lotteries are now an almost universal phenomenon. Interestingly, however, the rise of lotteries has coincided with the massive growth of legalized private gambling, and this has posed challenges for state officials to keep their lotteries relevant and revenue producing. Recently, to gauge how these efforts are faring, Robbie Sequeira, a reporter for the national news outlet Stateline, took a look at the state of U.S. lotteries and last week he was kind enough to join NC Newsline to share his findings.  Newsline also got a chance to ask Sequeira about another topic on which he's recently reported and found a somewhat unusual degree of bipartisanship in state government – the national shortage of affordable housing. Click here to listen to the full interview with Stateline reporter Robbie Sequeira.

As state lawmakers return to Raleigh this week for their 2026 legislative short session, there's one issue that looms as the most important and most challenging: the state budget. Thanks to a long series of personal and corporate income tax cuts (and more that are scheduled to take place), the state will soon face a massive new budget shortfall that will endanger an array of core public systems and services that are already being run on shoestring. Now add to this that House and Senate Republicans haven't even been able to agree on a budget for the current fiscal year and it's no wonder that a growing chorus of experts has issued a dire warning about what lies ahead for the state fiscal picture absent swift action, and recently we sat down with one of those experts – the NC Budget and Tax Center's Sally Hodges Copple – to learn more. Click here to listen to the full interview with the NC Budget and Tax Center's Sally Hodges-Copple.

The state of North Carolina finds itself in a fiscal policy mess thanks to a series of regressive income tax cuts, there's no larger or more important public function that will be adversely impacted than public education. For many years now, thanks to the decisions of Republican legislative leaders, North Carolina public schools have listed along near the bottom of national rankings in a host of important funding categories. A landmark lawsuit – the Leandro case — sought to alter this situation by establishing that all schoolchildren in the state have a constitutional right to a sound basic education, but GOP lawmakers ignored the ruling and recently succeeded in getting a Republican majority on the court to effectively gut it. So where do things stand now and what's next for public education in our state? Recently, Newsline sat down to discuss these questions with the Public School Forum of North Carolina’s Senior Director of Policy and Interim President/CEO, Lauren Fox. Click here to listen to the full interview with the Public School Forum's Lauren Fox.

The state of North Carolina finds itself in a fiscal policy mess thanks to a series of regressive income tax cuts, there's no larger or more important public function that will be adversely impacted than public education. For many years now, thanks to the decisions of Republican legislative leaders, North Carolina public schools have listed along near the bottom of national rankings in a host of important funding categories. A landmark lawsuit – the Leandro case — sought to alter this situation by establishing that all schoolchildren in the state have a constitutional right to a sound basic education, but GOP lawmakers ignored the ruling and recently succeeded in getting a Republican majority on the court to effectively gut it. So where do things stand now and what's next for public education in our state? Recently, Newsline sat down to discuss these questions with the Public School Forum of North Carolina’s Senior Director of Policy and Interim President/CEO, Lauren Fox. Click here to listen to the full interview with the Public School Forum's Lauren Fox.

The biggest story in North Carolina politics right now – indeed, it's a big national story – is the recent primary election defeat of longtime state Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger. The veteran Rockingham County Republican lawmaker lost to his local sheriff, Sam Page, by just 23 votes. So, what happened and why and is Berger's defeat indicative of a pattern that reaches beyond the borders of North Carolina? Last week, Newsline caught up with the Durham-based New York Times reporter who covers the politics and culture of our state and the rest of the south, Eduardo Medina, to get his assessment. Click here to listen to the full interview with New York Times reporter Eduardo Medina. Follow Medina’s work in The New York Times.

No world news development of the past few weeks has commanded more attention or spurred greater controversy than President Donald Trump's decision to go to war with Iran. And while, at this point, the ultimate outcome of the war remains very much in question, the war is drawing very high degrees of skepticism from North Carolinians of all political persuasions – especially independents and Democratic voters. Now add to this the largely negative view that most North Carolinians hold right now about the economy and the president's performance in managing it, and it's no surprise that his overall approval ratings have plummeted. So where exactly do things stand, how does this compare to past public attitudes on foreign wars, and what's likely to be the key driver of public opinion during the 2026 election cycle? Recently, Newsline sat down with the director of the Elon University Poll, Prof. Jason Husser, to find out. In Part One of my recent sit down with Elon University pollster and political scientist, Prof. Jason Husser, we discussed his most recent public opinion surveys and what they say about how North Carolinians view the Trump presidency – and why deep-seated skepticism about the war in Iran and the state of the economy are likely to present big problems for the president and his party in the fall elections. In Part Two of our conversation, we turned our attention to North Carolina politics and policy matters, including the fall U.S. Senate race between former Gov. Roy Cooper and challenger Michael Whatley, approval ratings for Gov. Josh Stein, and what North Carolinians are thinking about some high-profile issues, like concealed weapons and the rising costs of health care. Click here to listen to the full interview with Elon University poll director Jason Husser.

No world news development of the past few weeks has commanded more attention or spurred greater controversy than President Donald Trump's decision to go to war with Iran. And while, at this point, the ultimate outcome of the war remains very much in question, the war is drawing very high degrees of skepticism from North Carolinians of all political persuasions – especially Independents and Democratic voters. Now add to this the largely negative view that most North Carolinians hold right now about the economy and the president's performance in managing it, and it's no surprise that his overall approval ratings have plummeted. So where exactly do things stand, how does this compare to past public attitudes on foreign wars, and what's likely to be the key driver of public opinion during the 2026 election cycle? Recently, Newsline sat down with the director of the Elon University Poll, Prof. Jason Husser, to find out. In Part One of my recent sit down with Elon University pollster and political scientist, Prof. Jason Husser, we discussed his most recent public opinion surveys and what they say about how North Carolinians view the Trump presidency – and why deep-seated skepticism about the war in Iran and the state of the economy are likely to present big problems for the president and his party in the fall elections. In Part Two of our conversation, we turned our attention to North Carolina politics and policy matters, including the fall U.S. Senate race between former Gov. Roy Cooper and challenger Michael Whatley, approval ratings for Gov. Josh Stein, and what North Carolinians are thinking about some high-profile issues, like concealed weapons and the rising costs of health care. Click here to listen to the full interview with Elon University poll director Jason Husser.

Over the last few years, we've had several opportunities to chat with former state lawmaker Graig Meyer of Orange County during the four terms he served in the state House and two in the state Senate. Recently, however, Meyer decided to leave elected office to become the executive director of one of the state's most important nonprofit advocacy organizations, the North Carolina Justice Center. It won't be an easy task. Meyer assumes his new role at a time in which many of the positions the Justice Center espouses – progressive tax policy, a stronger safety net, fair treatment for immigrants, tough consumer protection laws – are not in vogue at the state legislature. Nonetheless, as we learned in our most recent conversation, Meyer is energized by the new challenge and optimistic about the organization's prospects for policy success at a time of big change at the General Assembly. Click here to listen to the full interview with former state Senator Graig Meyer.

Even before his fateful and thus far largely unpopular decision to go to war with Iran in late February, both President Donald Trump and his party had been encountering some significant political headwinds as a result of an array of controversial policy actions. Now, with the war dragging on without much explanation or any clear plan for a conclusion, and rising prices for fuel and related items hitting Americans in their pocketbooks, standard political wisdom would predict a good chance of big Republican electoral defeats this fall. That said, the fall elections are still seven months off, so how accurate are such predictions likely to be? Recently, to get a better gauge on where things stand, what people are thinking and where the president is likely playing with political fire as a result of some of the approaches he's taken, Newsline sat down for a two-part conversation with one of our state's most experienced and astute political observers, NC State University Professor of Political Science, Steven Greene. In Part One of our recent conversation with Greene, we discussed President Trump's deeply controversial decision to attack Iran, its impacts here at home, and how both matters are playing out in domestic politics as we look forward to the 2026 elections. In Part Two of our conversation, we turned our attention to the North Carolina political scene and, in particular, the massive earthquake that just hit the state legislature as a result of the primary defeat of the state's most powerful politician – longtime Republican Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger. Click here to listen to the full interview with NC State University political scientist Steven Greene.

Despite its many benefits, few technological developments of the 21st Century have had a larger negative impact on the overall mental health and wellbeing of American young people than the rise of social media. And while no one can imagine putting the social media genie back in the bottle from which it came, a growing chorus of parents, educators, mental health professionals and advocates is calling for better and tougher regulation of the giant corporations that dominate this field. And it's in light of this that many are welcoming a pair of recent court rulings in California and New Mexico that held corporations liable for damages to children injured on their platforms. One of those advocates is Sam Hiner, the co-founder of a national organization birthed in Chapel Hill known as the Young People's Alliance. And recently Hiner joined NC Newsline to discuss the debate over social media as well as several other formidable challenges facing young people in the modern world. Click here to listen to the full interview with Sam Hiner of the Young People's Alliance. Learn more about the Young People’s Alliance. 

Despite its many benefits, few technological developments of the 21st Century have had a larger negative impact on the overall mental health and wellbeing of American young people than the rise of social media. And while no one can imagine putting the social media genie back in the bottle from which it came, a growing chorus of parents, educators, mental health professionals and advocates is calling for better and tougher regulation of the giant corporations that dominate this field. And it's in light of this that many are welcoming a pair of recent court rulings in California and New Mexico that held corporations liable for damages to children injured on their platforms. One of those advocates is Sam Hiner, the co-founder of a national organization birthed in Chapel Hill known as the Young People's Alliance. And recently Hiner joined NC Newsline to discuss the debate over social media as well as several other formidable challenges facing young people in the modern world. Click here to listen to the full interview with Sam Hiner of the Young People's Alliance. Learn more about the Young People’s Alliance. 

One of the most remarkable, and in the minds of many, most shameful, developments in North Carolina public policy over the last three decades has been the failure of state leaders of both parties to fulfill their constitutional duty to provide all children in the state with access to a sound basic education. It's now been over thirty years since the state Supreme Court clearly established the existence of such a right in the landmark Leandro case, but since then, elected leaders have found one excuse after another for ignoring it. Thankfully, a cadre of dedicated researchers and advocates continues expose and push back against this unconstitutional inaction and this past week, Newsline caught up with one that group's most persistent voices – North Carolina Justice Center senior policy analyst Kris Nordstrom. Click here to listen to the full interview with North Carolina Justice Center senior policy analyst Kris Nordstrom.

One of the most remarkable, and in the minds of many, most shameful, developments in North Carolina public policy over the last three decades has been the failure of state leaders of both parties to fulfill their constitutional duty to provide all children in the state with access to a sound basic education. It's now been over thirty years since the state Supreme Court clearly established the existence of such a right in the landmark Leandro case, but since then, elected leaders have found one excuse after another for ignoring it. Thankfully, a cadre of dedicated researchers and advocates continues expose and push back against this unconstitutional inaction and this past week, Newsline caught up with one that group's most persistent voices – North Carolina Justice Center senior policy analyst Kris Nordstrom. Click here to listen to the full interview with North Carolina Justice Center senior policy analyst Kris Nordstrom.

Unlike many others, North Carolina is not a “ballot initiative” state in which citizens can place constitutional amendments on the ballot by gathering enough signatures. Here, the power to advance constitutional amendments resides exclusively with the state legislature and right now, Republican lawmakers are proposing to do just that this fall with a proposal to limit the ability of local governments to set their property tax rates. Like all tax cut proposals, this one is being couched as a boon to taxpayers that would help address the rising cost of living, but as we were reminded in a conversation this past week with University of North Carolina professor of law Marcus Gadson, it's also the case that local taxes play a critical role in funding core public services that all residents depend on. What's more, as Gadson also noted, at this point, the amendment proposal being advanced is very short on the kinds of specifics that would enable voters to make an informed decision. Click here to listen to the full interview with University of North Carolina law professor Marcus Gadson.

Unlike many others, North Carolina is not a “ballot initiative” state in which citizens can place constitutional amendments on the ballot by gathering enough signatures. Here, the power to advance constitutional amendments resides exclusively with the state legislature and right now, Republican lawmakers are proposing to do just that this fall with a proposal to limit the ability of local governments to set their property tax rates. Like all tax cut proposals, this one is being couched as a boon to taxpayers that would help address the rising cost of living, but as we were reminded in a conversation this past week with University of North Carolina professor of law Marcus Gadson, it's also the case that local taxes play a critical role in funding core public services that all residents depend on. What's more, as Gadson also noted, at this point, the amendment proposal being advanced is very short on the kinds of specifics that would enable voters to make an informed decision. Click here to listen to the full interview with University of North Carolina law professor Marcus Gadson.