Conversations with prominent state and national newsmakers – politicians, advocates, analysts, academics and activists — about the news, events and public policy debates that shape life in North Carolina.
…
continue reading
Daily Radio Commentary with NC Policy Watch
…
continue reading
News and Views provide timely analysis of the challenges North Carolina leaders face in charting a better course for the state through radio interviews.
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Common Cause of NC’s Bob Phillips on the recessed legislative session, the state of election laws
15:01
15:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:01
Bob Phillips, Executive Director of Common Cause North Carolina (Screengrab from press briefing) The North Carolina General Assembly wrapped up its 2024 “short session” recently and once again, it was a tough session for many basic aspects of democratic government. Whether they were unveiling secretly written proposals to overhaul state campaign fi…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
NC Tenants Union director Nick MacLeod on the daunting challenges facing renters in North Carolina
24:20
24:20
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
24:20
NC Tenants Union executive director Nick MacLeod North Carolina has always been a state in which the law has allotted very few legal rights to residential tenants. Unless the actions of a landlord are truly outrageous – and sometimes even when they are – tenants rarely prevail when they seek to push back against evictions or fight for better rents …
…
continue reading
Duke Health OB/GYN Dr. Beverly Gray (Photo: Courtesy of Scholars@Duke) It’s been two years now since the U.S. Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to abortion care and since then, numerous states – including North Carolina – have moved rapidly to end or greatly restrict abortion access. In 2023, Republican state legislators in Raleigh enact…
…
continue reading
Alexandra Sirota (Photo: NC Budget & Tax Center) Ever since North Carolina Republicans took control of the state legislature in 2011, they’ve pursued a sustained and aggressive effort to remake the state’s tax and budget systems. Repeatedly, they’ve enacted big cuts to progressive levies like the personal and corporate income taxes that primarily i…
…
continue reading
Melissa Price Kromm If there’s been a most controversial bill to wend its way through the North Carolina General Assembly this spring, right now it has to be House Bill 237 – a proposal that would change state laws governing the wearing masks in public, the rights of public protesters and the complex rules that govern contributions to political cam…
…
continue reading
Erica Palmer Smith For several years now, researchers at the national Annie E. Casey Foundation have measured and documented how well each U.S. state is doing when it comes to the well-being of its children. The annual KIDS Count report looks at several important indicators in fields like economic well-being, educational achievement and health, ass…
…
continue reading
Christina Baal-Owens (Courtesy: Public Wise) It’s been well over three years since Donald Trump’s lie about the 2020 election was thoroughly debunked, but tragically many American politicians – even some who participated in the January 6, 2021 insurrection – continue to hold elected office or to seek it as candidates in 2024. For Christina Baal-Owe…
…
continue reading
House Democraic leader Rep. Robert Reives (Photo: NCGA) North Carolina Republican legislative leaders sprang a big surprise on their Democratic colleagues and just about all legislative observers recently when they suddenly unveiled a new, out-of-nowhere and extremely complex proposal to rewrite state campaign finance laws. The legislation, which w…
…
continue reading
Virginia Kase Solomón (Photo: Common Cause) If there’s a most troubling issue facing our nation and its elected leaders at the dawn of the summer of 2024, many observers believe it is the state of our democracy. In the aftermath of the failed January 6, 2021 insurrection and subsequent widespread threats of violence and retribution from politicians…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Rep. Marcia Morey on efforts to roll back the recently enacted Raise the Age law
10:42
10:42
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
10:42
Rep. Marcia Morey (Photo: NCGA) In 2019, North Carolina was the last state in the union to modernize its criminal justice system by ending the practice of automatically treating 16 and 17-year-olds accused of criminal offenses as adults. Now, however, state lawmakers are considering a proposal to backtrack on that progress. Under a bill moving thro…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
UNC law professor Gene Nichol on an ideological shift at the state Supreme Court
22:26
22:26
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
22:26
Gene Nichol (File photo) In recent years, the North Carolina Supreme Court has undergone a radical transformation. Since Republican justices assumed control of the court after the 2022 election, they have moved swiftly – not merely to chart a more conservative path, but to quite literally redefine the court’s role in state government. And as Gene N…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Erin Carey of the NC Sierra Club on a controversial bill that earned the governor’s veto
11:38
11:38
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
11:38
Erin Carey (Courtesy photo) Over the last several decades, North Carolina has been transformed from a largely rural state covered with forests and farms into an ever more urban place plastered with vast swaths of concrete and asphalt. And it’s in light of this reality that Gov. Roy Cooper’s recent decision to veto a transportation bill approved by …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
OB/GYN Dr. Rachel Jensen on how abortion restrictions have changed healthcare, medical training
10:01
10:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
10:01
Dr. Rachel Jensen (photo: Clayton Henkel) This month marks the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling that ended the constitutional right to abortion care. It’s also been just over one-year since the Republican-controlled General Assembly in North Carolina’s enacted our state’s 12-week abortion ban. Abortion access will likely …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Southern Education Foundation president Raymond C. Pierce on racial segregation in public schools
13:21
13:21
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
13:21
Raymond C. Pierce (Photo courtesy of the Southern Education Foundation) This year marks the 70th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling in the case of Brown v. Board of Education that ended the legal segregation of American public schools. Today, however, despite much progress on many fronts, resistance to racial integration in ed…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
ACLU of North Carolina’s Liz Barber discusses a pair of controversial legislative proposals
15:17
15:17
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:17
Elizabeth Barber - Photo: ACLU of NC Just when you thought we were starting to put some of the more contentious debates that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic to rest, the North Carolina legislature has revived the argument over face masks. Under a bill recently passed the by the state Senate, not only would penalties be increased for protesters…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Paul Fulton of the nonprofit Public Ed Works on securing better pay for NC public school teachers
10:01
10:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
10:01
Paul Fulton shown with a billboard the group Public Ed works has sponsored across the state. (Courtesy photo) For several decades in the late 20th and early 21st Centuries, North Carolina’s public education system was widely celebrated as an up-and-coming national model. And a key to that success was the deep and abiding support of an array of forw…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Labor Sec. Julie Su on the Biden administration’s efforts to expand access to good paying jobs
10:24
10:24
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
10:24
Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su Over the past three-plus years there are few if any areas of public policy in which the Biden administration has been more active in advancing rules and practices designed to lift average people and those long left behind by the American economy than in the realm labor relations. Whether it’s promoting better wage…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Dr. Lauren Fox of the Public School Forum on NC’s progress on Top Education issues
12:06
12:06
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
12:06
Lauren Fox, Ph.D.Senior Director, Policy & Research, Public School Forum Earlier this month, one of our state’s leading and most respected champions of public education, the Public School Forum of North Carolina, held its annual Eggs and Issues breakfast in Raleigh. The event drew several prominent elected officials and candidates from both parties…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Charlotte preschool director Emma Biggs on the impending crisis in NC’s childcare industry.
12:19
12:19
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
12:19
North Carolina's childcare industry could see a serious reduction in its workforce without additional help. Stabilization grants run out in June. (Photo: Clayton Henkel) Charlotte preschool director Emma Biggs (Courtesy photo) North Carolina childcare providers are facing a potentially disastrous financial cliff in June. During the pandemic, the fe…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Chris Suttle on SB3 and whether NC could become the 39th state to legalize medical marijuana
12:43
12:43
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
12:43
Cannabis advocate and consultant Chris Suttle (Courtesy photo) Medical marijuana is now legal and accessible for the vast majority of Americans, but one state that remains a stubborn holdout is North Carolina. A state Senate bill known as the Compassionate Care Act would change that by allowing patients suffering from a list of illnesses to gain ac…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Sen. Michael Garrett on why the childcare cliff (not vouchers) should be NC’s top priority
13:33
13:33
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
13:33
Sen. Michael Garrett (Photo: NCGA) Republican legislative leaders are moving swiftly to dramatically expand the state’s controversial private school voucher program. A bill quickly advancing will appropriate nearly $500 million new dollars to thousands of middle- and upper-income families to help cover the cost of private school tuition. Not surpri…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
El Pueblo’s Illiana Santillan on a troubling bill changing how NC sheriffs deal with immigrants
15:19
15:19
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:19
Illiana Santillan (Photo courtesy El Pueblo) For several years now, North Carolina Republican legislators have been attempting to enact a law that would impose a one-size-fits-all approach on county sheriffs when it comes to dealing with the immigrant communities they serve. The proposal would mandate that sheriffs act as, in effect, adjuncts of fe…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Dr. Jenn Ayscue on a new report examining the resegregation of North Carolina public schools
15:02
15:02
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:02
Photo: ncsu.edu It’s now been 70 years since the United States Supreme Court ordered an end to racial segregation in public schools in the famous case of Brown v. Board of Education. And while resistance to desegregation never went away, there was a window of time in the late 20th and early 21st Century in which many states and localities – includi…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Meredith College political science professor David McLennan on top-of-the-ticket political races
13:39
13:39
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
13:39
Political scientist and pollster David McLennan With North Carolina being one of the most important and hotly contested states in the upcoming November election, national and state-based pollsters are carefully and regularly monitoring voter attitudes and public opinion trends. And as News & Views listeners are well-aware, one of the best and most …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Attorney Clermont Ripley on two new workplace rules regarding salaried workers and non-competes
14:59
14:59
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
14:59
NC Justice Center Workers’ Rights Project Co-Director Clermont Ripley (Photo: Phyllis Nunn) Last week a pair of federal agencies announced some important new rules to protect workers. A new Federal Trade Commission rule bans non-compete clauses that have hindered the rights of workers to take better jobs. Meanwhile, a new Department of Labor rule w…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Voter fraud claims suddenly evaporate with GOP victories
1:04
1:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:04
The post Voter fraud claims suddenly evaporate with GOP victories appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Rob Schofield
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina, on the state of North Carolina’s troubled redistricting process
14:14
14:14
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
14:14
The post Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina, on the state of North Carolina’s troubled redistricting process appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Clayton Henkel
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
NC Social Studies teacher Rodney Pierce on the need to teach a broad, full history of America
18:30
18:30
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
18:30
Pierce is a social studies teacher at Red Oak Middle School in Battleboro, North Carolina and was social studies teacher of the year in 2019. The post NC Social Studies teacher Rodney Pierce on the need to teach a broad, full history of America appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Clayton Henkel
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
A sobering anniversary for North Carolina public schools
1:04
1:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:04
The post A sobering anniversary for North Carolina public schools appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Rob Schofield
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
National experts give NC leaders another ‘F’ on school funding
1:03
1:03
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:03
The post National experts give NC leaders another ‘F’ on school funding appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Rob Schofield
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Conservative mythology about the market economy and race
1:06
1:06
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:06
The post Conservative mythology about the market economy and race appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Rob Schofield
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Shamelessly gerrymandered maps confirm worst fears about NC redistricting
1:03
1:03
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:03
The post Shamelessly gerrymandered maps confirm worst fears about NC redistricting appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Rob Schofield
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Time for Democrats to come together on Biden plan
1:06
1:06
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:06
The post Time for Democrats to come together on Biden plan appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Rob Schofield
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
NC Attorney General Josh Stein discusses a historic $26 Billion opioid settlement, racial equity in the justice system, and the latest COVID-related scams
22:35
22:35
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
22:35
Originally broadcast August 1, 2021 The post NC Attorney General Josh Stein discusses a historic $26 Billion opioid settlement, racial equity in the justice system, and the latest COVID-related scams appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Clayton Henkel
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Urban Institute senior researcher Anuj Gangopadhyaya: Do Black and White Patients Experience Similar Rates of Adverse Safety Events at the Same Hospital?
15:47
15:47
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:47
Originally broadcast August 1, 2021 The post Urban Institute senior researcher Anuj Gangopadhyaya: Do Black and White Patients Experience Similar Rates of Adverse Safety Events at the Same Hospital? appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Clayton Henkel
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
A modest step forward on the climate crisis, but many open questions remain
1:04
1:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:04
The post A modest step forward on the climate crisis, but many open questions remain appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Rob Schofield
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
GOP lawmakers do a disservice by ignoring demands for criminal justice reform
1:06
1:06
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:06
The post GOP lawmakers do a disservice by ignoring demands for criminal justice reform appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Rob Schofield
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
K-12 student homelessness demands action from state leaders
1:05
1:05
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:05
The post K-12 student homelessness demands action from state leaders appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Rob Schofield
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Report finds clear link between systemic racism and minority incarceration rates
1:05
1:05
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:05
The post Report finds clear link between systemic racism and minority incarceration rates appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Rob Schofield
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Report highlights the failed economics of American childcare
1:06
1:06
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:06
The post Report highlights the failed economics of American childcare appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Rob Schofield
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
NC Policy Watch investigative reporter Joe Killian on the controversy surrounding Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and the ongoing political efforts of the Christian right in anticipation of the 2022 elections
11:11
11:11
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
11:11
The post NC Policy Watch investigative reporter Joe Killian on the controversy surrounding Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and the ongoing political efforts of the Christian right in anticipation of the 2022 elections appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Clayton Henkel
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Consumer advocate Rochelle Sparko of the Center for Responsible Lending on the state of the national student loan debt crisis and some relief that the Biden administration has made available
13:23
13:23
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
13:23
The post Consumer advocate Rochelle Sparko of the Center for Responsible Lending on the state of the national student loan debt crisis and some relief that the Biden administration has made available appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Clayton Henkel
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Author, scholar, and former U.S. Navy Commander Theodore Johnson about his new book, “When the Stars Begin to Fall: Overcoming Racism and Renewing the Promise of America”
9:50
9:50
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
9:50
The post Author, scholar, and former U.S. Navy Commander Theodore Johnson about his new book, “When the Stars Begin to Fall: Overcoming Racism and Renewing the Promise of America” appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Clayton Henkel
…
continue reading
The post UNC should part ways with meddlesome funder appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Rob Schofield
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Child tax credit is proving to be a transformative anti-poverty program
1:02
1:02
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:02
The post Child tax credit is proving to be a transformative anti-poverty program appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Rob Schofield
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Mark Robinson’s hateful comments endanger children, slander families he’s sworn to serve
1:03
1:03
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:03
The post Mark Robinson’s hateful comments endanger children, slander families he’s sworn to serve appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Rob Schofield
…
continue reading
The post Gov. Cooper should pardon Dontae Sharpe now appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Rob Schofield
…
continue reading
The post The fight for Medicaid expansion continues appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Rob Schofield
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Wake County Commissioners Chair Matt Calabria
12:35
12:35
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
12:35
Wake County Commissioners Chair Matt Calabria discusses a new comprehensive anti-discrimination ordinance, ongoing efforts to stop the spread of COVID, and the vexing shortage of affordable housing The post Wake County Commissioners Chair Matt Calabria appeared first on NC Policy Watch.By Clayton Henkel
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Public education advocates Letha Muhammad and Sarah Montgomery with the latest on Leandro
17:27
17:27
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:27
Public education advocates Letha Muhammad and Sarah Montgomery discuss the growing grassroots effort to convince the state legislature to comply with a state court order to provide every child in North Carolina with the opportunity to receive a sound basic education. The post Public education advocates Letha Muhammad and Sarah Montgomery with the l…
…
continue reading