Becki Gray

Last week I posted this – refuting the on-going malarkey from the left claiming North Carolina has increased taxes.  Malarkey! Now they are claiming NC’s economy is hurting, teachers and state employees aren’t being treated right, and middle class families can’t get a break. Malarkey! In our ongoing efforts…

Not sure where this malarkey of “no tax cuts for middle class” “only tax cuts for the rich” is coming from. Here’s the truth – 1,2,3 1.The reduction in North Carolina’s personal income tax rate since 2013 plus the 2016/17 zero tax bracket increase, represents a $1.123B tax cut while…

You may have heard, the General Assembly is considering  putting 4 new constitutional amendments before the voters in November. It’s all in House Bill 3. Would we be the first to consider these changes to our state’s constitution? Prohibit condemnation of private property except for a public use?…

The John Locke Foundation has written extensively, and advocated aggressively for reform of North Carolina’s oppressive and burdensome regulations on occupations. North Carolina has the 4th most restrictive occupational licensing in the country. Licensing fees cost North Carolina professionals over $67 Million a year, about 40% more than…

A budget agreement was reached over the weekend. If all goes according to plan, the conference report will be posted later today and voted on by the end of the week,  finalizing the $22.3B spending plan for 2016-17. Sources close to the final negotiations tell us the standard deduction will…

Roy hits the nail on the head, as always with his Daily Journal today on the difference between economic development and sound economic policy focused on economic growth.  As Roy explains, economic growth is better, cronyism takes us in the wrong direction. Over the last several years the…

An interesting land use bill is working it’s way through the General Assembly. You may recall a CJ report from Sept 2015 raising concerns about wind farms interfering with military operations. HB 763 modifies the permitting process for wind farms allowing the Dept of Military and Veteran Affairs…

Occupational licensing restrictions, essentially a tax on jobs are clearly a problem in NC as regular readers of this blog have learned here and here and here.  Although NC has some of the most restrictions impacting jobs, the problem is pervasive across the country and now for…