What we were up to in May 2022
Does anyone else feel like you missed how it turned into June somehow? It feels like May flew by – maybe that’s because we were busy putting out a ton of blog posts, research, and publications. (No lie, I was a bit surprised when I started putting this email together!)
As we look forward to the good policy choices that are on the table at the NC General Assembly right now, here’s a glance at what was going on here in May.
June partner meeting
Make sure you are signed up for our June 29 partner meeting, where we will talking about our annual Economic County Snapshots that are being released that week!
Register for June 29 partner meeting
Did you miss the Economy for All event?
We held our annual Economy for All event at the end of May, where Taifa Smith Butler of Demos, Marcus Bass with NC Black Alliance, and Fernando Martinez with United for a Fair Economy shared their wisdom and insight about why budget and tax choices matter for securing the multi-racial democracy that our country needs and that ensures our economy works for all. If you weren’t able to attend, you can watch and share the recording at the link below.
Living Income Standard released
We were overwhelmed by the response to the release of the Living Income Standard – thank you to everyone who sent kind words, shared it with your networks, and continue to find ways to use it in the work that you do. We’re glad you found the dashboard for each county so useful!
See the Living Income Standard in your county
Publications
- We are union proud and union strong at the Budget & Tax Center
- There are good choices for NC to be made in the upcoming legislative session
- North Carolina’s hot labor market still harder for Black job seekers
- Updated: Dollars & Democracy: A primer on how NC can build thriving communities
- New Executive Summary: NC Budget Report 2022
- Governor’s recommended budget a modest step forward
- Fact Sheet: Key Sources of State and Federal Funding for Local Broadband Infrastructure and Digital Inclusion in North Carolina
- Statement on Governor Cooper’s proposed budget
- Revenue forecast shows NC leaders have a choice to put people first
- NC has time to change course, hear community voices on use of flexible COVID-19 relief funding
- Here’s what it takes to make ends meet in your NC county
- Methodology for the 2022 Living Income Standard
What you may have missed
We shared this story on Twitter from WRAL on what it takes to make ends meet. Make sure you are following us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn!
Where we’ve been
Here are few places you might have seen some of our staff show up in May.
- Community Connections Manager Chanae Wilson and Engagement Assistant Calissa Andersen, along with Reggie Weaver of NC Black Alliance, started working with the latest cohort of the Budget NC Fellows.
- We held American Rescue Plan presentations and discussions with housing advocates in multiple statewide meetings, and last month we wrapped up our ARP action hours with local advocates. We are now working on the next phase of our work to ensure equitable investments and inclusive processes.
- The Living Income Standard showed up in news stories across the state, including Fox8, WUNC, the Cherokee Scout, CBS 17, News-Topic, and many more.
What we’ve been reading
Here are a few of the articles and resources that we want to make sure you saw.
- This Mother’s Day, Congress Can Support Mothers by Expanding Child Tax Credit
- California will raise minimum wage to $15.50 due to inflation
- Time to Get It Right: State Actions Now Can Preserve Medicaid Coverage When Public Health Emergency Ends
- Inflation has been largely driven by higher corporate profit margins and supply-chain bottlenecks, not workers’ wages.
- North Carolina’s New Small Business Plan: A Pathway to Prosperity for All from the NC Rural Center
- Exploring Challenges for Small-Business Owners Across Race
Do you have an article you think we should share? Send it to me at [email protected].
How to contact us
We’ve put the contact information for each of our team members on our website at NCBudget.org/our-team/, or you can always email us at [email protected] if you’re not sure who to talk to.
P.S. If you’d like to support the work that we do, please consider making a gift today!
