John Hood: Cherish Our Free State of North Carolina
RALEIGH — North Carolina isn’t quite First in Freedom. But over the past decade and a half, we’ve taken tremendous strides in the right direction.
RALEIGH — North Carolina isn’t quite First in Freedom. But over the past decade and a half, we’ve taken tremendous strides in the right direction.
Today the House Oversight Committee is returning to Raleigh in an environment where the Majority has returned no budget, despite their constitutional duty to do so, and has repudiated the Governor’s constitutional authority to convene a special session, which he did in the hopes the General Assembly could fully fund Medicaid.
Over the past month, North Carolina has been confronted with a wave of immigration enforcement actions that left families frightened, educators overwhelmed, and entire school communities destabilized. The headlines have been loud, but the impact on our students has been far quieter, unfolding in classrooms, in counseling offices and at kitchen tables across our state. As I listened to educators and community leaders describe what they’re witnessing, it reminded me of my own—very different—experience.
Raleigh, N.C. — Congresswoman Deborah Ross filed for reelection to represent North Carolina’s Second Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is running for her fourth term representing this seat, which includes most of Wake County. Prior to serving in this position, she represented Wake County for more than a decade in the General Assembly.
(RALEIGH) Today Governor Josh Stein held his latest NC Strong Update to celebrate economic development wins across North Carolina. Since the beginning of the year, Governor Stein, the North Carolina Department of Commerce, and the Economic Development Partnership have brought more than 33,000 jobs to North Carolina, a record-breaking year for job commitments.
North Carolina families are paying more for electricity every year, and many are wondering why their bills keep rising even as the reliability of our power system seems to lag behind. After traveling across the state and talking with residents, one thing is clear: people are tired of being asked to shoulder higher costs without seeing meaningful improvements.
RALEIGH – Today, Attorney General Jeff Jackson led a bipartisan coalition of 36 attorneys general opposing renewed efforts in Congress to prohibit states from enforcing their own artificial intelligence protections. Public reporting indicates that lawmakers may attempt to insert a state AI law ban into a military funding bill, only months after a bipartisan group of attorneys general – including Attorney General Jackson – successfully defeated a similar proposal over the summer.
RALEIGH — North Carolina has one of the best-performing economies in the country. We also have one of the country’s most competitive tax codes. That’s no coincidence. Tax reform had served our state well.
(RALEIGH) Today Governor Josh Stein, the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC), and North Carolina Emergency Management announced that a total of $500,000 in home winterization grants will be awarded to two nonprofit organizations engaged in housing rebuild and repair efforts. These funds are granted specifically for completing emergency repairs and temporary measures to prepare homes damaged by Hurricane Helene for winter. The organizations, Rebuild Haywood and the Western North Carolina Conference of United Methodist Churches, help with projects such as installing insulation, wrapping windows, and repairing roofs on homes damaged by the storm.
A new advocacy initiative, American Foundations, launched today to expand American cement manufacturing capacity and ensure domestic infrastructure is built with high quality, reliable cement. The U.S. experienced a decline in cement production in 2024. Meanwhile, 22% of cement consumed in the U.S. in 2024 was supplied by foreign countries. If left unchecked, these twin trends will undermine America’s manufacturing base, leave the country vulnerable to potentially devastating shortages or supply chain disruptions related to critical infrastructure, and place unnecessary quality and economic burdens on everyday Americans.
Raleigh, N.C. – Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) released the following statement about the passing of former Sen. Jim Jacumin (R-Burke):
U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) recently introduced the American Allies Protection Act, legislation which would disqualify a state or local government from receiving Department of Justice grant money for a four-year period if it enforces an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant against an official of a NATO ally or major non-NATO ally.