The worst kind of misinformation is mostly just folks honestly not knowing how stuff works, and then getting frustrated when it doesn't.

Here are the respective budget proposals on teacher pay from Governor Josh Stein and the Republican leaders of the NC House and Senate, respectively.

Among several bad state constitutional amendments being floated in the North Carolina state legislature this year, this one might be the most dangerous.

Gotta #RETVRN

Despite a decade of broad and bipartisan support, the Cape Fear Region has almost completely failed to get any action taken on PFAS in their water supply. https://www.starnewsonline.com/story/news/environment/2026/05/11/climate-reality-group-in-wilmington-nc-to-fight-pfas-and-more/89824782007/

Funny? Or just sad? Maybe a little of both. 🤭 Full survey: https://yougov.com/en-us/daily-results/20260506-04a57-1

The U.S. Census has released its official annual county population estimates. As usual, North Carolina's population is still growing steadily - but that growth is not evenly distributed. More: https://carolinademography.cpc.unc.edu/2026/04/07/us-census-2025-county-pop-estimates/

Here's what happened this week in North Carolina politics. [May 15, 2026] No, we don't have a budget yet - and they're feeling the pressure to show some progress. The May edition of the Carolina Forward Poll is in! Results dropping Monday. Get ready - it's a doozy. 📈

In the past decade, four Republican-leaning states - Florida, Missouri, Arizona and Nebraska - all approved large increases to their state minimum wage through voter ballot initiatives. What happened next? Full report: https://arindube.substack.com/p/these-republican-leaning-states-went

The price of beef for American consumers has risen more in the last 15 months than it did in the past 3 years before that combined. 🍔

Want to stay informed on what's happening in North Carolina? Sign up for the Carolina Forward email list. Our twice-weekly emails offer the latest policy research, top stories, and upcoming events all in one place. Sign up here: https://ow.ly/bcWS50XMXO5

In 2024, local county, city and town governments all over North Carolina spent a little over $4 million in taxpayer dollars on private contract lobbyists to influence the state legislature. More: https://carolinaforward.org/blog/high-cotton-on-jones-street-lobbying-in-2024/

A lot of people are very cynical about whether voting makes a difference, and they're not always wrong to feel that way. But elections do have big consequences for your daily life - just ask folks up in Vance county. 🚰

America is running full-speed into a major and destabilizing constitutional crisis over partisan gerrymandering. Pressure to end partisan gerrymandering was once bipartisan. It isn't anymore.

Here's what happened this week in North Carolina politics. [May 8, 2026] Still no budget. But at least they're not really working on one. Congrats, graduates - come help us fix North Carolina! 🎓

The Carolina Forward Slate is your way to make a difference. Help build a better, stronger and freer North Carolina that works for ALL its people - not just the privileged few. Change begins in our state legislature, and you can be a part of the solution. http://carolinaforwardaction.org

A group of Democratic lawmakers in the North Carolina State House have filed an amendment to the state constitution that would permit voter-originated ballot initiatives. Full bill: https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/H1155

NC has taken a big step forward with Medicaid expansion, bringing coverage and stability to communities. Now the focus should be on making sure new policies do not unintentionally create barriers. Read our blog: https://carolinaforward.org/blog/medicaid-rebase-in-north-carolina-how-we-got-here/

Disproportionately more rural North Carolinians rely on SNAP (eg. "food stamps") and Medicaid to get by than urban/suburban ones. More: https://carolinaforward.org/blog/federal-lifeline-government-assistance-in-nc/

What if your neighboring county announced one day that it was taking over your town's public property and diverting your water resources to its own people - and there was nothing you could do about it?

This here is probably the single most important thing for anyone to understand about North Carolina's state government.

We can pair growth with a better quality of life - but only if we plan for it. Our research report "North Carolina's Next Chapter" maps out a strategy for our state. Check out the report: https://carolinaforward.org/blog/north-carolina-at-a-crossroads/

What can North Carolina "afford" to do? Actually... lots of stuff. We're a very big, wealthy state. There's more than enough to go around - it's just a question of priorities. Shout out to @minnaleejamison.bsky.social for the explainer here!

Here's what happened this week in North Carolina politics. [May 1, 2026] We have to fight for our kids. Because our lawmakers sure as hell don't. ✏️

Want to stay informed on what's happening in North Carolina? Sign up for the Carolina Forward email list. Our twice-weekly emails offer the latest policy research, top stories, and upcoming events all in one place. Sign up here: https://ow.ly/bcWS50XMXO5

Something big happened today: gas prices in North Carolina, and America generally, have officially risen higher than they were at the same point in 2022. (And they're still rising.)

15 years ago, North Carolina's 90 economically smallest counties accounted for a combined share of 40% of the state's whole gross domestic product (GDP). A lot has changed. More: https://carolinaforward.org/blog/north-carolinas-unbalanced-economy/

North Carolina is the only state in the entire nation operating without a budget. The leaders of our state legislature failed to pass one last year, and just sort of... gave up, because it was too hard. Here's what might happen next. All of these guys look like clowns. 🤡

For nearly a decade, the people all along the Cape Fear River region have battled to hold Chemours and other polluters accountable for toxic PFAS chemicals they've dumped into the water supply. More: https://www.wral.com/news/state/pfas-hearing-wilmington-heated-backlash-raleigh-april-2026/

Yet again in the North Carolina state legislature, we have political theatrics coming from wealthy, super-ambitious politicians. But the real story isn't what they're saying - it's why they're doing it at all, and why it's hurting rural North Carolina. 🤨

Duke Energy wants to raise your electricity rates again, and this time it's by another 15%. Before any decision is made, state regulators are holding public hearings, and North Carolinians have a chance to speak directly about how these rising costs are impacting their lives.

The fight against political corruption in the North Carolina state legislature starts with each of us at the ballot box. Don't just be angry - be a part of the solution. Start here: http://carolinaforwardaction.org

The North Carolina Zoo has been working on its new Asia Continent expansion for years, but there's just one problem... More: https://myfox8.com/news/north-carolina/randolph/north-carolina-zoo-asia-continent-opening-delayed-by-state-budget-stalemate/

WILD: local communities all over Western North Carolina who were devastated by Hurricane Helene have been kept waiting for over a year on federal reimbursements. More: https://www.wunc.org/2026-04-23/fema-works-to-clear-backlog-of-reimbursements-for-nc-releases-260-million

Want to stay informed on what's happening in North Carolina? Sign up for the Carolina Forward email list. Our twice-weekly emails offer the latest policy research, top stories, and upcoming events all in one place. Sign up here: https://ow.ly/bcWS50XMXO5

Big news! Today, the NC Campaign Finance Tracker from Carolina Forward is announcing a big expansion: all 10 members of the North Carolina Council of State, and all 22 statewide judicial members, are now fully supported on the Tracker. The Tracker: https://ncmoneytracker.org/

Yesterday, news broke that 4 special interest Raleigh lobbyists have been indicted by a grand jury for breaking North Carolina state law. More: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article315499999.html

With the nation's attention once again on partisan gerrymandering, it's a good day to point out once again that the Democrats in North Carolina have won outright majorities of votes cast for both chambers of our state legislature in multiple recent elections, including just in 2024.

The leaders of North Carolina's state legislature have failed to pass a budget for nearly a year now, making ours the only state in the entire nation operating today without a budget. The Republican leaders of our State House and State Senate remain far apart on their respective proposals, however.

Today, we hosted a bipartisan Lunch & Learn on affordable housing, bringing together legislators and policy experts to discuss what it will take to build more homes in NC. The conversation grounded itself in both the data and what constituents are calling for across the state.

Here's an example of an outrageous grift from the North Carolina state legislature: "Parents for Educational Freedom" (PEFNC) gets $1M in taxpayer dollars, recurring every year as a part of the private school voucher scam, to campaign against public schools and teachers.

Direct federal government assistance has quietly become the backbone of rural North Carolina's economy. The reason: most rural counties have been in a permanent recession for 15 years running, and the leaders of our state legislature have mostly decided they're fine with that. 💸

We support the restoration of democracy in North Carolina. Do you? Grab a sweatshirt and show your support for our fundamental rights as Americans. All our items are Made in USA by all-union labor! https://store.carolinaforward.org

Right now, we’re on track to spend more per student on private school vouchers than on fulfilling our constitutional obligation to public schools under Leandro. At the same time, the vast majority of NC students are in public schools, while a much smaller share receive vouchers.

Under the Trump administration, the Environmental Protection Agency is relaxing longstanding clean water requirements that had been used to force Duke Energy to clean up the company's toxic coal ash disaster. More: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article315370379.html

Here's what happened this week in North Carolina politics. The leaders of our state legislature have decided local voters have too much power, and they need to take it for themselves. Are they right? 🤔

The Carolina Forward Slate is your way to make a difference. Help build a better, stronger and freer North Carolina that works for ALL its people - not just the privileged few. Change begins in our state legislature and you can be a part of the solution. Start here: http://carolinaforwardaction.org

Ever heard people say that "NAFTA killed manufacturing?" Problem: it's not really true. More: https://carolinademography.cpc.unc.edu/2015/02/19/nc-in-focus-employment-in-3-industries-1850-2010/

Because of the budget standoff between the leaders of our state legislature, which is now in its 10th month with no resolution in sight, North Carolina's prison system is in dire straits. More: https://www.wunc.org/politics/2026-03-30/nc-prison-system-struggling-to-pay-bills-keep-staff-dismukes

Voting should be simple, but for many North Carolinians, it’s not. Join us for a candid conversation on voter suppression, student voting challenges, and the future of voting access on April 27th in High Point at 6PM. RSVP: https://secure.ngpvan.com/VD3xY5w1m0KcC59EJHDCTQ2,