North Carolina’s state government has a multi-billion-dollar surplus. Its enormity has multiple causes: past spending discipline, revenue growth from a resurgent economy, and gobs of borrowed federal money. Its enormity also presents North Carolina’s conservative-run legislature with a challenge.
Steffes, LLC, a steel fabrication company, will create 130 new jobs in Cleveland County, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest $20.9 million to locate a new manufacturing facility in the City of Shelby.
Amgen Inc., the pioneering biotechnology company, will build a new biologics manufacturing operation in Holly Springs, creating 355 jobs, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company intends to invest $550 million in Wake County.
Given the freedom to choose whether to mandate masks for students, school boards across the state have begun voting to make face coverings optional for the coming school year.
Public school districts in North Carolina have received about $5.3 billion in COVID-related relief from the federal government. But, on average, school leaders have spent just 13% of that money.
Governor Roy Cooper signed the following bill into law: SB 146
The voices of those urging government officials to rely on individual liberty and personality responsibility as the founding principles relate to getting the COVID vaccine are getting louder.
After months of decline, North Carolina is experiencing a rapid increase in COVID-19 spread among those who are unvaccinated. Yesterday, 1,998 cases were reported to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and 817 people are hospitalized with 132 admitted in the past 24 hours. There have been 9,053 cases reported over the past seven days compared to 5,441 cases in the preceding seven days — a 66% increase — and hospitalizations doubled since July 9 and are at the highest rate they have been since the May 11.
Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the N.C. State Board of Elections, is blocking attempts by the N.C. House Freedom Caucus to inspect voting machines for possible irregularities.
N.C. Appeals Court Judge Lucy Inman is aggressively campaigning for a seat on the state Supreme Court. Inman announced her intentions shortly after being defeated by fellow Court of Appeals Judge Phil Berger Jr. in 2020 for an open seat on the state's highest court. Berger defeated Inman 51% to 49%, a margin of 71,517 votes.
By Maritzelena (Ritzy) ChirinosI’m living the American Dream. I grew up in the beautiful state of North Carolina, graduated debt-free from Meredith College, worked in my community to help my neighbors, and now have a career I enjoy that allows me to serve others. I value the freedoms we have that allow us to succeed when we contribute to society. My dream could turn into a nightmare if our representatives in Congress do not act to protect immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, like me.
Following a thorough safety review, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration have confidence that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is safe and effective in preventing COVID-19 and recommend its continued use to prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19.
