A recent report from the American Legislative Exchange Council named North Carolina among the top four state-administered public pension plans for its transparency in the administration and reporting on the ongoing status of the North Carolina Total Retirement Plans. The report, Unaffordable and Unaccountable 2017, highlights the importance of transparency in public pension plans, noting that transparency in financial reporting … Read More

North Carolina is the Best State for Business and the only state to place among the top 20 in all six categories of Forbes’ 2017 economic climate rankings. The annual ratings by Forbes examine states’ business costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, economic climate, growth prospects, and quality of life to produce the comparisons.  North Carolina topped the list for the … Read More

The state economy added 91,964 jobs over the last 12 months according to October employment figures released by the North Carolina Department of Commerce earlier this month. The data shows North Carolina’s fastest  job growth over a 12-month period since May, when the state added 97,270 jobs over the previous year.  The state’s October unemployment rate remained unchanged at a … Read More

Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) announced today that it has been ranked #3 nationally by Military Times in its Military Times Best: Colleges 2018 rankings, formerly known as Best for Vets. In its eighth year, the rankings factor is the result of Military Times’ annual survey, the most comprehensive school-by-school assessment of veteran and military student services and rates of … Read More

Last week, I had the incredible honor of being presented the On Point Award by Cape Fear Valley Health for my work to bring a new medical residency program to the Cumberland County-based health system. The On Point Award was created to recognize individuals outside the health system who have gone above and beyond to help Cape Fear Valley Health fulfill its mission. I am truly … Read More

Legislators finished redrawing House and Senate district maps beating a court-ordered deadline.The House voted 68-47 to approve the Senate map just a few hours after the Senate voted 30-15 for the House boundaries. Each chamber had approved its own lines earlier in the week, following robust debate. Redistricting legislation is not subject to Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto. We now must send … Read More

Senate Republicans fulfilled our promises to further reduce taxes on middle-class families and job-creators, provide a fourth consecutive teacher pay raise, appropriate nearly $700 million more for public education, and rebuild communities devastated by Hurricane Matthew – all while saving for a rainy day, Our ongoing commitment to spending discipline and tax relief has resulted in consecutive years of balanced … Read More

Study: North Carolina is best state for starting a business Danielle Chemtob News Intern, Triangle Business Journal Entrepreneurs and business owners need look no further than the Tar Heel state to set up shop — North Carolina came out on top in a new study of the best states to start a business. The study, conducted by Fit Small Business, … Read More

North Carolina is among the top five states in the nation for budget solvency – or having sufficient revenues to pay for its spending – according to a new report released Tuesday by a well-respected academic research center at George Mason University. The state also moved up six places since last year to rank 15th overall in the Mercatus Center’s … Read More

Hunting and fishing are integral parts of North Carolina’s heritage, economy and conservation efforts. According to the most recent data available, North Carolina sportsmen and women spent $2.3 billion on hunting and fishing in our state in 2011, generating $249 million in revenue and supporting more than 35,000 local jobs. The state issued 1.87 million hunting and fishing licenses last year … Read More