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Funding to cover projected enrollment growth within the University of North Carolina (UNC) has emerged as a point of contention in the state budget negotiations. But what exactly is enrollment growth, and how is it measured? To a surprising degree, the answers to those questions hinge on the technical assumptions embedded in the Student Credit Hour (SCH) Funding Model used by UNC to forecast enrollment changes.

Bill in Congress would authorize $1.7B for public transportation in response to high gas costs

Without sufficient alternatives to driving, American families spent their entire economic stimulus check on high-priced gas. According to new analysis from the North Carolina Public Interest Research Group, since President Bush signed the tax rebates into law on February 13th, the average household spent over $1500 filling their tanks. Gas costs were higher than average in areas without robust public transportation.

Americans 55 and over pay $4.5 billion in fees annually for overdraft loans they haven’t asked for and typically don’t want, a new study by the Center for Responsible Lending finds. Of that, nearly $1 billion is stripped from people heavily dependent on Social Security income.

Hopefully, the budget conferees will continue to not follow the Senate’s lead because the Senate’s proposed budget is fiscally irresponsible and does not target the limited dollars available at the needs of low- and moderate-income working families – the people most affected by the current downturn in the economy.

Putting the Pieces in Place: A North Carolina School Readiness Report examines the key aspects of school readiness in North Carolina—Ready Children, Ready Schools, and Ready Families and Communities. The report uses data indicators to determine North Carolina’s current degree of school readiness, providing a baseline which can be used in the future to measure progress.

A report released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation of Baltimore, Md., ranks North Carolina 38th in the nation—a slight improvement from 39th in 2007—on 10 keyindicators of child well-being, including family income, health and education.

Should North Carolina do away with the state gift tax?

North Carolina currently levies a state gift tax. The gift tax is applied when assets such as money or property are given from one person to another if the value of the gift exceeds certain allowable exclusion amounts. The amount of the tax varies depending on the type of relationship between the donor and the recipient and the size of the gift. There is no tax on gifts to spouses and the tax is lower on gifts to direct descendents such as children and grandchildren than to those less closely related to the giver.

The 21st Century Transportation Committee and some legislators are seeking to take over $170 million from the General Fund by stopping the so-called transfer from the HighwayTrust Fund (HTF) going to the General Fund.A portion of the HTF is transferred to the General Fund every year as relief for the revenue gap created by 1989 legislation that established the HTF - legislation which re-routed carsales-tax revenue from the General Fund to the HTF.

Governor Mike Easley’s recommended state budget for the 2008-09 fiscal year, which begins July 1st, was released on May 12. The governor’s proposal includes $1.2 billion in new spending, as well as spending reductions and excise tax increases to reach a balanced budget. The budget balances recurring appropriations with recurring revenues, resisting the temptation to use the significant amount of one-time funds for recurring expenses.

Study shows all workers benefit from union membership, with low-wage workers seeing the largest gains

Unionization significantly boosts the wages of workers across the income spectrum, with low-wage workers seeing the greatest benefit. In North Carolina, union membership boosted the wages of low- to middle-income workers by between 11% and 14% from 2003 to 2007.

North Carolina needs further accountability on economic development spending

A new report examining North Carolina’s economic development spending says that while state spending is rising sharply, tax breaks are growing to represent nearly all of the state’s economic development stimulus. The report, released today by the national nonprofit Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) was previewed yesterday in testimony before the North Carolina Joint Select Committee on Economic Development Incentives by authors Bill Schweke and Frank DiSilvestro.

North Carolina is one of 21 states with a law that permits corporal punishment in the public schools. Yet, it may be the only state that does not monitor the administration of corporal punishment.

We are pleased to have Dr. Orrin Pilkey join the Progressive Pulse blog as a contributing author. Dr. Pilkey is an expert on barrier islands and coastal geology. Please take a moment to read his blog entry regarding Figure 8 Island.…

Child Poverty in North Carolina: A Preventable Epidemic highlights the stunting effect poverty has on children’s cognitive development, academic success, health outcomes and opportunities to improve economic circumstances.

Disability Rights North Carolina releases the results of their investigation of suspicious deaths linked to inadequate discharge planning from the state's psychiatric hospitals.  The report contains Disability Rights NC's conclusion that the deaths of at least three former patients in…