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October 13, 2026

North Carolinians pay higher prices when tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy are made permanent

When tax cuts for millionaires and corporations are made permanent, everyday North Carolinians pay higher prices:  Higher college tuition and fees This year, the UNC System increased undergrads’ in-state tuition for the first time in nine years. The average increase is $125 per student. They also increased mandatory fees.  Higher monthly healthcare premiums People covered…

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Blog
September 29, 2026

Capping income taxes for millionaires and corporations could lead to huge sales tax increase for working families

Taxes are how we come together to fund the things our families and communities want and need to live well: excellent public schools, affordable healthcare, accessible child care, effective disaster prevention and recovery, efficient transportation systems, safe environments, and more. North Carolina’s most important source of tax revenue — the state income tax — is…

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Blog
September 24, 2026

Tax cuts, amendments, and disaster recovery: Helene after two years

Recovery efforts after a climate disaster can extend for years. Rebuilding homes and infrastructure so that disaster survivors can recover fully and with dignity requires significant tax dollars and a sustained, coordinated, collective effort.  Yet what we have seen in North Carolina since Hurricane Helene in 2024 is a failure to invest resources at the…

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Blog
September 21, 2026

A property tax limit could cost our communities millions

Local governments across North Carolina — from the mountains to the coast — face growing costs from inflation, changing needs, lagging infrastructure, and state and federal policy decisions that have pushed costs to their communities.  In November, voters will see a proposed change to the constitution on the ballot that could limit the ability of…

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Blog
September 18, 2026

What $950 million could mean for emergency response

When someone calls 911, we expect emergency responders to show up. This is because local governments make sure our public dollars are put to use to pay and retain workers who keep our communities safe and provide the essential equipment they need to respond — from fire trucks to personal protective equipment.  But firefighters, EMTs,…

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Blog
September 15, 2026

State teacher raises fall short; Local governments left to fill the gaps

State leaders have been touting the average 8 percent pay raise they delivered for North Carolina public school teachers, but that headline obscures how the state budget fell short: teachers are still not paid what they deserve and local governments are left to cover millions of dollars in raises. What did the state budget actually…

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Blog
September 9, 2026

State leaders pass SNAP costs to counties while limiting their ability to pay

The harmful One Big Beautiful Bill, or H.R. 1, made deep funding cuts to SNAP and shifted more of the program’s costs onto states. Instead of stepping up to cover North Carolina’s new costs, state leaders chose to shift them onto local governments in the approved Fiscal Year 2027 state budget. Beginning in October 2027,…

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Blog
September 8, 2026

Income tax limits would deepen racial inequity in NC

No matter who we are or where we live, North Carolinians believe that everyone – Black, brown, and white – should have the opportunity to thrive, support their family, and plan for the future. Our tax policy decisions have the power to level the playing field and fund the public services that help us all…

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Blog
August 31, 2026

NC workers fuel our economy. Tax cuts do not.

Working people power the economy. Their labor delivers critical services to make all of our lives easier, creates new products and technologies, builds roads and infrastructure to connect us, and provides the care that heals our communities. If the economy is strong, it should support the people who make it possible.   But when policymakers choose…

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Blog
August 27, 2026

Tax cuts hurt public schools in North Carolina

As North Carolina’s public school students, teachers, administrators, and staff return to the classroom for another school year, tax cuts that have benefited the wealthy few and profitable corporations are shaping their experience and limiting their educational opportunities. It doesn’t have to be this way. North Carolina has the wealth to fund public education so…

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