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1 week ago | 
thecentersquare.com | David Beasley
(The Center Square) – The budget passed by the North Carolina State Senate on Thursday includes $25 million to pay for weight loss drugs for state employees, only a fraction of the $100 million requested. But State Treasurer Brad Briner praised the Senate’s decision to at least partially fund the weight loss drugs, which his predecessor, Dale Folwell, had opposed, citing the high price of the drugs. “Frankly, we were ready to get zero, given how tight everything is,” Briner told The Center Square.
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1 week ago | 
themountaineer.com | David Beasley
(The Center Square) – The budget passed by the North Carolina State Senate on Thursday includes $25 million to pay for weight loss drugs for state employees, only a fraction of the $100 million requested. Four Democrats were for and one Republican against the $65.9 billion 2025 Appropriations Act, known also as Senate Bill 257. Passage was 30-15. Gov. Josh Stein's $67.9 billion budget proposal is also in; the House of Representatives is yet to release its spending plan.
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1 week ago | 
thecentersquare.com | David Beasley
(The Center Square) – The North Carolina Senate’s version of a state budget for the next two years breezed through three committees Tuesday with few changes or opposition. The proposed budget, Senate Bill 257, includes income tax cuts, and a doubling of taxes for sports betting companies who operate in North Carolina from 18% to 36%. The Senate spending proposal, unlike Gov. Josh Stein’s proposed budget, fully funds the state’s retirement plan.
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1 week ago | 
hpenews.com | David Beasley
(The Center Square) – The North Carolina Senate’s version of a state budget for the next two years breezed through three committees Tuesday with few changes or opposition. The proposed budget, Senate Bill 257, includes income tax cuts, and a doubling of taxes for sports betting companies who operate in North Carolina from 18% to 36%.
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1 week ago | 
wataugademocrat.com | David Beasley
By David Beasley | The Center Square contributor (The Center Square) - Hurricane Helene has put a new focus on the health of streams in North Carolina and making sure they are clear of debris such as fallen trees and trash. When heavy storms hit, clogged streams can cause flooding to farmland, damage to bridges and homes and also make recreation, such as canoeing more difficult.
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1 week ago | 
thecentersquare.com | David Beasley
(The Center Square) – Hurricane Helene has put a new focus on the health of streams in North Carolina and making sure they are clear of debris such as fallen trees and trash. When heavy storms hit, clogged streams can cause flooding to farmland, damage to bridges and homes and also make recreation, such as canoeing more difficult.
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2 weeks ago | 
justthenews.com | David Beasley
Taxpayers giving breaks to the solar industry at the expense of some of "the best farmland in the state" is a misdirection of the General Assembly's intention, a farmer and bill sponsor told a North Carolina legislative committee Wednesday. “When this was being sold to the General Assembly, it would be on nonproductive land,” said Rep. Jimmy Dixon, R-Wayne. “I can’t tell you how many times I heard that this would be on nonproductive, low-performing land.
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2 weeks ago | 
thecentersquare.com | David Beasley
(The Center Square) – Taxpayers giving breaks to the solar industry at the expense of some of "the best farmland in the state" is a misdirection of the General Assembly's intention, a farmer and bill sponsor told a North Carolina legislative committee Wednesday. “When this was being sold to the General Assembly, it would be on nonproductive land,” said Rep. Jimmy Dixon, R-Wayne. “I can’t tell you how many times I heard that this would be on nonproductive, low-performing land.
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2 weeks ago | 
wataugademocrat.com | David Beasley
(The Center Square) - Taxpayers giving breaks to the solar industry at the expense of some of "the best farmland in the state" is a misdirection of the General Assembly's intention, a farmer and bill sponsor told a North Carolina legislative committee Wednesday. "When this was being sold to the General Assembly, it would be on nonproductive land," said Rep. Jimmy Dixon, R-Wayne. "I can't tell you how many times I heard that this would be on nonproductive, low-performing land.
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2 weeks ago | 
thecentersquare.com | David Beasley
(The Center Square) – Families with missing relatives who likely died in a natural disaster would be able to obtain a declaration of death without waiting seven years, as is the current law, if a proposal passing a North Carolina legislative committee becomes law. Alena's Law, known also as House Bill 537, was approved Wednesday morning in the House of Representatives' Committee on Emergency Management and Disaster Recovery.
