BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — If you’ve followed media coverage of Congress over the past few years, it’s been hard to escape two impressions: Not much gets done there, and members spend a lot of their time tearing into one another.
We can argue about the first — certainly, recent Congresses have been less productive than their predecessors — but now hard evidence shows the second impression is just plain wrong. The vast majority of members, it turns out, focus on substance and policy, not on personal attacks.
That conclusion comes from an interesting and useful new online tool created by a group of academics at Dartmouth College, the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford University. Their group, the Polarization Research Lab, recently launched America’s Political Pulse. Basically, the site tracks, analyzes and catalogs all public statements made by members of Congress, including Twitter/X posts, newsletters, news releases and floor speeches. It then uses AI models the group developed to classify those statements into five categories: personal attacks, policy discussion, constructive debate, accomplishments and bipartisanship/compromise.
With over 1.6 million statements since September 2022 in the database, the findings are intriguing. Most notably, during the current Congress, 66 members, or 12%, have not insulted anyone once — at least within the publicly available statements found by the Lab — while 350 of Congress’ 535 members, or 65%, have done so in less than 1% of their communications.
That leaves 119 members who’ve engaged in personal attacks over 1% of the time.
That’s more than it should be, but it’s not the wholesale flamethrowing that much media coverage suggests. The director of the Polarization Research Lab, Dartmouth government Professor Sean Westwood, summed up the findings this way: “What we’ve identified is that there are a lot of members of Congress who are showing up and doing their jobs and engaging in meaningful debate and they’re not getting the attention they deserve. What is instead happening is that firebrands are absorbing all of the media attention. Our data show that Congress is not nearly as dysfunctional or polarized as people may think.”
What may be most useful about the online tool is that it names names, so you can see for yourself. It lists the top Senate and House members who engage in policy discussion, constructive debate and so on: Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, for instance, leads both chambers on policy discussion; Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee leads similarly on constructive debate; and Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia is tops for bipartisanship.
The tool also lists the legislators within each party most prone to engaging in personal attacks, led by Republicans Lance Gooden of Texas and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, and by Democrats Bill Pascrell of New Jersey, who died in August, and Eric Swalwell of California. You can search for any member and get a breakdown of what percentage of their communications fall into each category and where they stand compared to their peers. You can also dig into examples of comments parsed by the model and see if you agree with how they were characterized — and flag them for researchers if you disagree.
It’s reassuring to know that attack-dog rhetoric isn’t as widespread as it might seem, but it’s still problematic. Every moment taken up by conflict — especially on the congressional floor or in committee — is time not spent on the very real challenges our country faces or on advancing legislation aimed at addressing them. And every clickbait news story that focuses on attacks is a journalist bypassing an opportunity to improve Americans’ understanding of issues that affect their lives.
What the tool does is make it possible for you, as a voter, to exert some small measure of influence on this picture.
“The current media landscape paired with a small number of firebrands in Congress creates a harmful cocktail of nonstop news of incivility and dysfunction,” University of Pennsylvania communications Professor Yphtach Lelkes said. “Holding the individuals engaging in conflict accountable and elevating effective lawmakers is critical to slowing the tide of toxic polarization in America.”
Nobody is better equipped to do that than an informed voter.
Lee Hamilton is a senior adviser for the Indiana University Center on Representative Government, a distinguished scholar at the IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies and a professor of practice at the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years.
General Services Department Commissioner Christi Branscom is stepping down after six years in the office that provides operational support services to all other departments and agencies in Tennessee state government.
Gov. Bill Lee has appointed Matt Van Epps, a consultant and member of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, as her replacement.
“Christi has faithfully served state agencies and her fellow Tennesseans since day one of the Lee administration,”Lee said in a release.“During her tenure, she has led significant capital improvement projects, wisely stewarded taxpayer dollars by reducing the State’s real estate footprint, and secured the Department of General Services’ standing as a Top Tennessee Workplace for five consecutive years. Maria and I wish Christi continued success and pray God’s richest blessings over her in the days ahead.”
Her last day is Sept. 30.
Under her leadership, the General Services department and its divisions — Central Procurement Office, Document Solutions, Real Estate Asset Management (STREAM), and Vehicle & Asset Management — have received multiple national awards.
“I think she did an excellent job,” said Senate Speaker Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, noting Branscom “always kept us updated on things that were going on,” as State Building Commission members. That was especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic, which made it “much more difficult to predict cost increases because of inflation,” the speaker said.
Branscom joined Lee’s Cabinet when he took office in January 2019. She had been chief operating officer and general counsel at Partners Development in Knoxville. She is the founder of Grace Construction and previously served for more than five years as Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero’s deputy and Chief Operating Officer.
An early test for Branscom was the construction of a new inn at Fall Creek Falls State Park, a controversial project the Lee administration inherited from predecessor Bill Haslam’s time in office. In the summer of 2019, cost projections for the 95,000-square-foot facility near Spencer had skyrocketed by $11 million, or 37% over projections.
Branscom and state Environment and Conservation Commissioner David Salyers blamed the costs on difficulties in securing a builder for the remote Upper Cumberland Plateau park site amid a construction boom in Nashville and other areas. Branscom also said the state’s current estimating process relied heavily on the architect’s projections, which had proven to have a shaky foundation. Another issue was that Tennessee assumed an annual 4% inflation on projects, which was about half the actual going rate.
Going forward, she said the state would boost inflation rates to match reality. And instead of having the project architect provide estimates, the General Services Department would use professional “construction estimators” who regularly work in the market. Another remedy was to lengthening the state’s pre-planning process on projects to try to head off surprises to the bottom line.
Branscom’s department also began estimating costs based on the midpoint of construction. The shorter timetable allowed officials to more accurately predict how inflation, equipment, materials and labor costs will factor into the bottom line, Branscom told lawmakers last year. A large project with a $200 million budget could take up to five years to complete, she said, during which time economic conditions could change dramatically.
Senate Finance Chair Bo Watson, R-Hixson, earlier this year took aim at the Tennessee Higher Education Commission for “grossly” underestimating the costs of projects on the campuses of Austin Peay State University and Middle TEnnessee State University. Watson charged that the project was proposed “with an under-appreciation” for the true costs with the knowledge that the General Assembly would have to fund the increases to get them done. THEC’s new executive director, Steven Gentile, said he was working with the state architect and the General Services Department to improve budget forecasts.
Brancom oversaw the construction of a wastewater pipeline connecting the West Tennessee megasite with the Mississippi River, a project considered key to landing a massive investment from Ford Motor Co. The state considered a public-private partnerships or cooperating with nearby communities like Bartlett and Covington before ultimately deciding to go it alone.
When Lee finally won his showdown with fellow REpublicans in the Legislature over removing a bust of Nathan Beford Forrest from the state Capitol, Branscom’s agency was tasked with transferring the likeness of the Confederate cavalry general and early Ku Klux Klan leader to the Tennessee State Museum.
Citing unspecified “safety concerns,” General Services tried to block media access to the second floor of the Capitol while preparing the bust for transport. Reporters quickly suspected the administration was trying to prevent them from witnessing the moment the Forrest bust was hoisted out of its alcove. The House and Senate speakers, who have authority over the floor where the House and Senate chambers are located — and who opposed the move — intervened to prevent the media blackout.
One of the Lee administration’s signature capital projects is the construction of a $415 million Multi-Agency Law Enforcement Training Academy in Nashville. The 800-acre campus
will house the headquarters of the Correction and Safety departments, training facilities, classrooms, dormitories, and firing ranges. Branscom had to maneuver a backlash among local residents and lawmakers who worried about the plan to include the Tennessee Correction Academy in Tullahoma in the consolidated facility. The Coffee County facility employing more than 50 people was allowed to remain as a standalone entity when the State Building Commission approved to overall project in late 2022.
Another high-profile project involves the overhaul of the old Legislative Plaza and War Memorial Building. Lawmakers moved their operations to the Cordell Hull Building in 2018 following a $128 million overhaul. One of the selling points was that maintenance costs at the subterranean Legislative Plaza were becoming prohibitive, largely due to persistent water seepage problems and an antiquated HVAC system. The initial plan was for the offices and committee rooms to be demolished and turned into another level of underground parking. But the Lee administration changed course and Branscom in early 2022 presented a first detailed look at a proposal to spend $183 million to upgrade the old facility.
The plan involves an expanded military museum, a visitors’ center, a theater, and more conference rooms. The plaza above is to be made more park-like, while overdue repairs will be undertaken on the underground parking levels and the Motlow Tunnel connecting the facility to the Capitol and the Cordell Hull Building. Lawmakers had earlier approved $106 million in upgrades to the War Memorial Building, which are scheduled to be completed in 2025 — the 100th anniversary of its opening.
Branscom has also taken steps to sell off the Citizens Plaza and James K. Polk state office buildings. The latter was home to several state agencies and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, which is getting a new facility in the new East Bank development alongside a covered NFL stadium.
Branscom was awarded the National Association of State Chief Administrators’ national leadership award in 2023. She had become the organization’s first female president in 2021.
The state earlier this year made the surprise announcement it would seek to buy and raze the last private building on Capitol Hill for $32 million. Capitol Towers, which was twice the size of any other residential building in Nashville when it opened in 1960, would be torn down to expand the green space around the Statehouse and the Cordell Hull legislative office building.
The state plan involves using $22 million in unused state bonds to purchase the building and $10 million in reserves from General Services’ revolving fund to buy out the remaining condominium owners.
Lawmakers in 2011 approved a bill authorizing the state to sell up to $273 million in bonds to help pay for various buildings around the state. A $34 million project for the Board of Regents never came to fruition, so the state is making use of those leftover bonds to fund the Capitol Towers purchase. No new appropriation was needed because the bonds are already authorized, and the debt service is accounted for in the state budget.
The first wave of the expulsion that eventually brought the Acadians to Louisiana began in August of 1755.
The Acadians at that point had lived in Nova Scotia (in present-day Canada) since the founding of Port-Royal, one of the first French settlements in North America, in 1605. Among the “first families” of Acadia were Doucet, Bourgeois, Boudrot (Boudreaux), Terriault (Thériot), Richard, LeBlanc, Thibodeaux, Comeau(x), Cormier, Hébert, Brault (Breaux), Granger, and Girouard.
They were largely ignored by France and initially by England after control of their land shifted to the latter after 1713. But as tensions rose between the two powers, the British authorities pressed the Acadians to swear, if not allegiance, at least neutrality in any conflict.
After Fort Beauséjour fell to the British in June 1755, British Governor Charles Lawrence noted some 270 Acadian militia among the fort’s inhabitants. Lawrence pressed the Acadians to take an unqualified oath of allegiance to Britain. When they refused, he imprisoned them and gave the order for deportation.
“It was a New Englander, Charles Morris, who devised the plan to surround the Acadian churches on a Sunday morning, capture as many men as possible, breach the dykes and burn the houses and crops,” according to this account. “When the men refused to go, the soldiers threatened their families with bayonets. They went reluctantly, praying, singing and crying.”
About half the Acadian population died during the expulsion, according to some estimates. After years of wandering, about 2,600 to 3,000 Acadians sailed to Louisiana between 1764 and 1785.
Bernardo de Galvez, the Spanish Governor of Louisiana, wanted the Acadians as a counter-influence to the nearby British. Many were attracted to the area by the familiarity of the language and remained to develop the culture now known as “Cajun.”
However, their dialect was different from that of French who were already there, and the destitute Acadians found themselves on the bottom rung of white society. The widespread poverty that followed the Civil War eroded some of those distinctions.
The Cajuns remained largely un-Americanized, according to historianShane Bernard, until U.S. involvement in World War II.
“The war experience coupled with educational and housing programs offered to returning veterans opened up a vast new world of opportunities…to leave the farm, go to college, get a good job, earn a decent wage, build a nice house,” Bernard says. “This caused a gradual migration away from small, exclusively French-speaking communities into a more modern, mainstream world.”
Editor’s note: Information for this piece came from The Canadian Encyclopedia and LSU Health’s Department of Genetics.
This piece first ran in the Aug. 22, 2024 edition of LaPolitics Weekly. Wish you could have read it then? Subscribetoday!
Here’s what you may have missed in the latest issue of LaPolitics Weekly, published last week…
— FAREWELL FRANCINE: The Legislature’s new Homeland Security chairs are the eyes and ears of their colleagues when storms approach…
— SPOTLIGHT ON CIVIL SERVICE: While civil service protection is meant to reward merit and shield rank-and-file public employees from politics as much as possible, critics say the rules can be too rigid, making it harder to attract and retain high performers while shielding workers who aren’t pulling their weight…
—LaPOLITICS Q&A: “Once officials understand our role, cooperation usually follows. In the rare event of ongoing resistance, we have the necessary legal tools to fulfill our responsibilities, but our preference is always to work collaboratively,” Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack said…
— FIELD NOTES: A bipartisan collection of 119 members of the U.S. House of Representatives signed the discharge petition to force a vote on Congressman Garret Graves’Social Security Fairness Act within 24 hours of the petition being filed, putting it more than halfway to the necessary 218 signatures…
— SHOP TALK: Want to make the most of federal infrastructure funding? There’s a hub for that…
— OUR HISTORY:Pope John Paul II celebrated a massive mass in New Orleans 37 years ago…
— THEY SAID IT: “Stay home and stay put…Just because it is a Category 1, or possibly a Category 2, doesn’t mean it’s just going to be a thunder bumper.” —Gov. Jeff Landry at his last press conference before Hurricane Francine made landfall
Wish you would have read these stories last week? Subscribe today to www.LaPoliticsWeekly.com.
—SENATOR, MAYOR ACT TO SAVE NEIGHBORHOOD: As Hurricane Francine bore down on Morgan City Wednesday night, Sen. Robert Allain got a call from Mayor Lee Dragna. As Allain explains, a water pump serving Dragna’s neighborhood failed, putting hundreds of homes at risk. Dragna loaded pumps from his own boat yard and asked Allain to meet him with several extra hands. Allain said he picked up seven Morgan City police officers and brought them in his truck through more than 2 feet of standing water to the failed pump, where the group hooked up two auxiliary pumps. “The vast majority of that neighborhood was saved, because the mayor had all of his stuff in order and ready to go,” Allain said.
—NEXT STEPS FOR NEWEST CITY: Voters in what is now the city of St. George in East Baton Rouge Parish will be asked to vote in December to replace the 2 cent parish sales tax that the city will no longer receive, and will likely vote in March on a new charter, interim Mayor Dustin Yates told the Baton Rouge Press Club on Monday. He anticipates St. George using a council-manager form of government and contracting out most services. The city would have five districts council members would represent; Yates said there may be at-large representation as well, and the mayor may have a council vote.
—LLA ON GOHSEP: The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness received $936 million in Public Assistance reimbursement requests during the first half of this year, and auditors found issues with more than a quarter ($256.7 million), the Louisiana Legislative Auditor reports. During the same period, auditors found $3.9 million in exceptions out of $29.19 million in Hazard Mitigation reimbursement requests. Issues include lack of supporting documentation, out-of-scope expenses, errors and ineligible expenses. GOHSEP is working to resolve the problems before issuing final payments, officials said.
—BOARDS AND COMMISSION INFLATION: Lawmakers added 10 new boards during the last fiscal year and removed two, for a net gain of eight and a total of 491, the LLA reports. The boards budgeted a total of about $6.7 million in per diems, salaries and travel expenses. The LLA reports 13 boards didn’t respond to requests for data, 18 are inactive and 34 have no record of meeting since 2020.
—CASSIDY PLANS ‘ENERGY SECURITY SUMMIT’: U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy announced he will be holding a “Louisiana Energy Security Summit” at the Capitol Park Museum in Baton Rouge on Oct. 16. The summit “will bring together leaders from the federal, state, and local government, industry, research community, and more,” according to Cassidy’s office. Speakers and the agenda will be announced in the coming weeks.
—FEMA FRUSTRATION: Former Sen. Norby Chabert, now a consultant, talks about the frustration folks in bayou country feel toward FEMA, and some ideas to make the agency more user-friendly, in an exclusive column for tomorrow’s edition of Beltway Beat.
As Louisiana begins to return to normalcy following Hurricane Francine, the Legislature is getting back to work this week and will focus partly on the immortal words of late U.S. Sen. Russell Long, who was a masterful Finance chairman: “Don’t tax you, don’t tax me. Tax that fellow behind the tree.”
That said, part of the workload this week includes prepping for next year’s fiscal session, and perhaps for a tax-focused special session this fall in the wake of the presidential election.
On Wednesday, House Ways and Means and Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs — the tax committees — plan to hold a joint meeting to scrutinize the tax credits and incentives that Louisiana Economic Development oversees.
The basic conundrum regarding tax incentives is pretty familiar by this point. Many taxpayers feel the state gives up too much of its potential tax revenue, and argue that expanding the tax base would allow everyone to pay lower rates.
But while “tax breaks” as a broad concept may not be popular, every program exists for a reason. And all of them are supported by stakeholders prepared to defend their interests at the Capitol.
LED doesn’t oversee most of the tax breaks that make up Louisiana’s $7 billion or so annual total, such as the sales tax exemption for food, which is unlikely to go away. Some of the high-profile programs the department does administer include the Motion Picture Investor Tax Credit (which cost about $134.5 million during the 2022-2023 fiscal year, according to the Revenue Department’s latest tax exemption budget), Quality Jobs (about $150 million) and Digital Media and Interactive Software (almost $17 million).
Also on this week’s calendar, following several cancellations last week:
— The America 250 Louisiana State Commission meets today at the Old State Capitol. The commission is part of the national effort to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary.
— The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority meets Wednesday.
— The Gaming Control Board meets Thursday, as does Integrated Criminal Justice Information System Policy Board.
— The Appropriations Committee’s Supplemental Pay Subcommittee also meets Thursday. A recent Louisiana Legislative Auditor report, which the committee plans to discuss, found that supplemental pay for law enforcement and fire protection cost the state about $140 million in fiscal year 2023. Some people who are not supposed to be eligible get the extra pay, and some police chiefs get the pay bump without completing the necessary continuing education, the LLA found.
— The Revenue Estimating Conference meets Friday, where they will address the fiscal impact of legislation passed this year, including HB 786.
— The Joint Budget committee is set to convene Friday just after the REC. Supplemental pay and approval of Water Sector Commission recommendations are on the agenda.
Welcome to the Kansas Daily News Wire, your daily roundup of top state and political stories from newsrooms across Kansas. — Hawver’s Capitol Report/State Affairs
Kansans to see partial lunar eclipse late Tuesday: By the light of a full harvest supermoon, Kansans for about 63 minutes Tuesday evening should be able to see a partial lunar eclipse. (Topeka Capital-Journal)
New tag office will open in west Wichita: Starting Tuesday, people in western Sedgwick County will have a more convenient place to handle license plate issues and property taxes. (KSN)
Matt Greller, CEO of Accelerate Indiana Municipalities, sat down with State Affairs’ Rory Appleton to discuss the role of property taxes and municipal finance in economic development and quality of life for the 470 cities and towns he represents. More news below. — Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs
Indiana cities, towns rep asks for patience on property tax changes: “Generally, somewhere north of 50% of a municipality’s general fund budget comes from property taxes,” Matt Greller, CEO of Accelerate Indiana Municipalities, said. “Anytime you talk about changing the formula or putting restrictions on property tax — amounts people pay, caps, things of that nature — it becomes a direct impact.” (Appleton, State Affairs)
STATE
Indiana’s CSA program hits max capacity for the school year: The state-funded Career Scholarship Account Program was created by the Indiana General Assembly to help students in grades 10-12 pay for career preparation opportunities, such as internships and apprenticeships. (Meeks, State Affairs)
Top Holcomb aide Hammond takes lobbying job: Gov. Eric Holcomb’s deputy chief of staff, John Hammond IV, joined Taft law firm as a partner in its Public Affairs Strategies Group on Monday after having been a top aide to Holcomb since he took office as governor in January 2017. (Davies, State Affairs)
Today: Governor in Evansville to dedicate I-69 bridge groundbreaking — Gov. Holcomb’s office announced in an email to Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs that he will participate in the groundbreaking ceremony for the I-69 Ohio River crossing at 10 a.m. CT.
Wabash Valley Resources lands $1.6B federal loan commitment for ammonia fertilizer plant: The U.S. Department of Energy announced a conditional commitment to provide a loan guarantee of up to nearly $1.6 billion to Wabash Valley Resources LLC to support its anhydrous ammonia fertilizer operation in West Terre Haute. The DOE said the project has the potential to be the world’s first carbon-negative ammonia production facility. (Brown, Inside Indiana Business)
Indiana’s ILEARN redesign receives boost from $3 million federal assessment grant: The Indiana Department of Education received nearly $3 million through the Competitive Grants for State Assessments program to implement changes to Indiana’s ILEARN exam over the next three years. (Adair, Lakeshore Public Media)
Environmental activists, Monroe County sue US Forest Service over Hoosier National Forest project: Monroe County Board of Commissioners President Julie Thomas said the lawsuit is necessary to prevent destructive impact on Lake Monroe and the surrounding area. Forest service representatives say their plan would improve the health of areas of the forest that are in decline. (The Tribune)
Notre Dame announces need-blind admissions, no-loan financial aid: In a series of moves it says will make the university more accessible to middle- and low-income students, the University of Notre Dame has announced it is now need-blind in its admissions process and it will shift to a no-loan policy for financial aid. (Mazurek, Inside Indiana Business)
USI enrollment up to nearly 9,500: The University of Southern Indiana said it has seen an increase in overall enrollment and first-time freshmen enrollment, as well as record graduate enrollment. (Gibson, WNIN-FM)
LOCAL
Police attacked, squad cars damaged when officers responded to series of weekend street takeovers in Indianapolis: Over the weekend, officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and other law enforcement officials responded to several street racing and other car-related incidents that resulted in multiple arrests. (Gay & Hanson, Fox59)
Bloomington mayor proposes spending down general fund reserve: For her first city budget, Mayor Kerry Thomson plans to spend more money in 2025 than the city is expected to collect in revenue — and that’s at least in part because the city of Bloomington is sitting on a reserve of more than $59 million. (Ladwig, The Herald-Times)
Salesforce announces $1M grant to Indianapolis schools: Tech giant Salesforce Inc. is donating $1 million to Indianapolis Public Schools to support a variety of programs for students in fifth through 12th grades. (Orr, IBJ)
CONGRESS
Yakym legislation addresses roadside deaths involving disabled vehicles: U.S. Rep. Rudy Yakym, R-Ind., announced he introduced the bipartisan Preventing Roadside Deaths Act that would require the Department of Transportation to collect, analyze, compile and publish data on disabled roadside vehicle accidents and develop a strategic plan to prevent such accidents. (Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs)
Roemer among ex-lawmakers urging end to congressional stock trading: Tim Roemer, an Indiana Democrat who spent more than a decade in the House in the 1990s and early 2000s, was among a group of former members of Congress who want action before the end of this session on legislation barring lawmakers from owning or trading individual stocks. (Roll Call)
All eyes on Speaker Johnson for next move on government funding: All eyes are on Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., this week as lawmakers await his next move in the fight over government funding, after Republican resistance foiled his initial strategy for avoiding an end-of-the-month shutdown. (The Hill)
Congressional schedule: The House will meet at noon with legislative business beginning at 2 p.m. and first and last votes at 6:30 p.m. Numerous proposals may be considered. The Senate will convene at 10 a.m. to resume consideration of the nomination of Mary Kathleen Costello to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Senate committees scheduled to hold hearings include Armed Services, Finance, Homeland Security and Judiciary.
CAMPAIGNS
Packed house in West Lafayette for McCormick: Indiana Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jennifer McCormick received cheers and a standing ovation after her town hall session in West Lafayette. (Chew, WLFI-TV)
INDEMS call on Purdue, Tippecanoe County Election Board to make voting available on campus for students: The Indiana Democratic Party announced in a statement to Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs that it is “calling on Purdue University to make voting available on campus for the 2024 election as it has done in previous election years” after a report by the Purdue Exponent indicated that may not be the case this fall.
PRESIDENTIAL 2024
Trump slams Harris, Biden ‘rhetoric’ for latest apparent assassination attempt: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump pointed to “the rhetoric of [Joe] Biden and [Kamala] Harris” as responsible for the second apparent assassination attempt against him at his Florida golf club in an interview with Fox News Digital on Monday. (Politico)
GOP pollster: ‘I think this is going to be decided by events that haven’t happened yet’ — Political strategists are skeptical that the second alleged assassination attempt on Trump will change the trajectory of the race. “It’s just another chaotic day in a long series of chaotic days,” said GOP pollster Whit Ayres. “I think this is going to be decided by events that haven’t happened yet.” (The Wall Street Journal)
Trump, Harris answer Farm Bureau questionnaire on agricultural policies: Joby Young, American Farm Bureau Federation executive vice president, said a questionnaire completed by the two presidential nominees “is a key tool for rural Americans.” (Pfeiffer, Hoosier Ag Today)
NATION
TikTok and the US face off in court: TikTok faced off with the U.S. government in federal court on Monday, arguing a law that could ban the platform in a few short months is unconstitutional while the Justice Department said it is needed to eliminate a national security risk posed by the popular social media company. (AP)
White House schedule: President Joe Biden will participate in a briefing regarding the ongoing wildfire season response and federal efforts to reduce wildfire risk in the morning. In the afternoon, he will meet with Ajay Banga, president of the World Bank, to discuss the Bank’s work to reduce poverty and address global challenges including climate change. Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Philadelphia for a campaign event in the afternoon and return to Washington, D.C.
“Ideally, you’d like to keep [increases] as close to zero as possible, but you have to look at the reality.”
Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey, on an Oct. 7 hearing on a new proposed homeowners’ insurance rate increase. (The News & Observer, 9/16/24)
Insurance Rates
Chantal Allam, The News & Observer, 9/16/24
State Sen. Natasha Marcus has launched an attack website to spotlight her opponent’s record on rising homeowners’ insurance rates. And it comes with a special feature: it’s searchable. On RateHikeMike.com, the site paid for by Marcus’ campaign, users can see how much rates have increased by county under Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey since 2017. It also shows how much they could rise under a proposed rate increase; the percentage of homeowners subject to “consent-to-rate” notices; and how much Causey’s campaign has received in donations from insurance industry sources.
Two-term Republican commissioner Causey is up for reelection. His challenger, Marcus, a Democrat, is a three-term state senator from Mecklenburg County.
“We wanted to provide voters with the information they deserve, and why their insurance bills have jumped so much, ” Marcus told The News & Observer in a phone conversation.
For his part, Causey hasn’t viewed the website and doesn’t plan to, he told The N&O in a phone call on Monday. Under his watch, he also maintains that he’s worked to ensure that any proposed increases are “reasonable and actuarially sound.”
“Ideally, you’d like to keep [increases] as close to zero as possible, but you have to look at the reality,” he said. “The insurance commissioner doesn’t set insurance rates.”
The site’s launch comes less than a month from a scheduled Oct. 7 hearing on a new proposed rate increase and less than 49 days until the Nov. 5 election — a signal the campaign has entered a more aggressive phase. After a filings moratorium lifted on homeowners’ insurance in January, the N.C. Rate Bureau, which represents companies that write insurance policies, asked for a 42.2% average increase across the state.
It’s called for even steeper increases for storm-prone areas along the coast.
It’s been three years since the last rate increase — in November 2020, when the Rate Bureau asked for an overall rise of 24.5% and ultimately received 7.9%. On Feb. 6, Causey rejected the latest request, calling it “excessive and discriminatory.” He closed public comments and promised a “thorough review.”
Since then, the department’s actuaries, attorneys and consultants have been working to negotiate a new rate.
On May 15, The N&O filed a public records request seeking more information. The request is still undergoing “legal review,” said Barry Smith, a spokesman for the state’s Department of Insurance.
Seven months on, however, it appears talks have hit an impasse. Last week, Causey said his team met with the Rate Bureau, and they couldn’t agree on a new rate. “We’re so far apart,” he said. “We asked that they come back with another proposal. The door is still open, but so far that hasn’t happened.” At this point, he called an Oct. 7 hearing the “best solution.”
“That’s where we’re headed,” he said.
State law gives the insurance commissioner 45 days to issue an order once the hearing concludes.
New data collected from public school superintendents show the number of teaching vacancies and total school employee vacancies across the state has improved this school year. For the past four years, the North Carolina School Superintendents’ Association (NCSSA) has surveyed its members on how many teaching and staff vacancies their district has at the start of each school year.
This fall, superintendents reported 8,335 total school employee vacancies statewide. That figure includes 3,142 vacant teaching positions, of which 787 positions are in special education. Read the report here.
“The fact that many districts are still struggling with vacancies highlights the need for continued efforts to address these shortages,” said the association’s Executive Director Jack Hoke, adding his group will continue to advocate for raises to educator pay and school funding.
This was the first year all school districts in the state reported their vacancies to NCSSA, although Hoke said that the largest school districts have responded every year. Missing data from more than a dozen smaller school districts in past years makes it difficult to make direct comparisons over time.
But one thing is certain: even with more school districts reporting this fall than last year, vacancies for K-12 classroom teachers decreased across elementary, middle and high schools.
Compared to last year’s report, the total number of vacancies for special education teachers and bus drivers has increased. Superintendents reported 1,315 vacant bus driver positions, which is one more than last year.
NCSSA’s count of the number of teachers who are not fully licensed to teach in North Carolina long term has also more than doubled since four years ago. Residency license teachers are typically career changers who have a bachelor’s degree in another area and who still need to complete college courses and pass licensing exams to earn a renewable teaching license in North Carolina.
The rise in residency license teachers is supported by data from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI), although NCSSA’s tracking of “residency license” teachers appears to have been an undercount in prior years when compared to state data. NCSSA called its report “one of the most cumulative annual reports on school vacancies in North Carolina.”
The most comprehensive statewide report on teacher turnover and vacancies is the NC State of the Teaching Profession Report published by DPI officials. However, the most recent publicly available version of that report draws on data that is nearly two years old; it covers the 2022-2023 school year. [Source]
Vaping Policy
Matthew Sasser, State Affairs Pro, 9/16/24
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services held a virtual town hall Thursday to discuss evolving methods of preventing student vaping and tobacco use.
Raising the age for buying tobacco products to 21 would allow the state to track retailers that sell tobacco products, said Teresa Beardsley of Albemarle Regional Health Services. North Carolina is one of seven states that allow people under 21 to buy tobacco products.
In 2019, Congress passed federal legislation that increased the age of sale for tobacco products to 21.
“It’s very important that North Carolina passes a strong Tobacco 21 law that includes a tobacco retailer permitting system [to mitigate underage tobacco use],” Beardsley said.
A recent initiative from statewide tobacco coordinators works with county and municipal governments to create zoning ordinances to decrease the density of tobacco shops near schools, churches and community centers. Beardsley said three counties and 19 municipalities have adopted ordinances in North Carolina as of last month.
According to data shared at the town hall, more than 12% of high school students use tobacco and more than 9% vape. One in four students vape daily.
Chanda Battle, director of student support services for Edgecombe County Public Schools, said her district is shifting how it handles students who violate school tobacco rules.
“We are now not suspending students with first, second or third offenses of possessing a vape at school,” Battle said. “Our response previously was to confiscate the device and suspend the student.”
Now the district handles a vaping infraction as an addiction issue. School staff notify parents and have conversations with the student about ways to handle vaping. Battle said this change stemmed from schools having to suspend the same students over and over again.
After a second offense, students will be referred to substance abuse counseling or school support resources such as Catch My Breath and QuitlineNC A third offense will result in a disciplinary consequence, such as in-school suspension, that doesn’t completely remove the student from the learning environment.
Nnenne Asi, youth and young adult tobacco cessation coordinator for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, recommended as an alternative to suspension that school districts build capacity toward hiring counselors to directly support students or start clubs aimed at vaping prevention. Asi said one common recommendation schools should avoid is purchasing vape detectors, as they “encourage discrimination” and don’t align with a restorative justice model.
Coastal Flooding
Martha Quillin, The News & Observer, 9/16/24
Much of the towns of Carolina Beach and Kure Beach were underwater Monday as a still-unnamed coastal storm dumped as much as 15 inches of rain in the southeastern corner of North Carolina over a 12-hour period.
Over 72 hours, Carolina and Kure had officially received more than a foot of rain, and the National Weather Service said some residents’ rain gauges showed more than 18 inches near 2 p.m.
Gov. Roy Cooper’s office confirmed that Ocean Boulevard in Carolina Beach had received at least 18.32 inches of rain since midnight, according to a 6 p.m. news release. The southeastern region is under flash flood and tropical storm warnings through Tuesday morning.
More rain is expected across North Carolina overnight into Tuesday with an estimated 3 to 5 inches falling in the southeastern part of the state. Numerous roads are closed.
The State Emergency Response Team is monitoring conditions along the coast and has moved the State Emergency Operations Center to “Enhanced Watch Activation,” according to Cooper’s office.
The town of Southport, slightly further south, also had received more than a foot of rain in 72 hours by Monday afternoon, leaving roads there impassable. [Source]
DEI Reaction
Korie Dean, The News & Observer, 9/16/24
About four months after the UNC System Board of Governors repealed the public university system’s diversity, equity and inclusion policy, we got our first look last week at the changes colleges have made to comply with the new version of the policy. By Sept. 1, chancellors at each of the 17 campuses were required to submit a report to system President Peter Hans detailing the changes undertaken by their universities to comply with the new restrictions.
System officials did not make the reports public until 10 days after that deadline, despite requests from reporters. Instead, they posted the 17 documents online as a Board of Governors committee discussed them in a committee meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 11.
In all, campuses reported more than $17 million in “savings” from implementing the new policy. That money, per the policy, should be redirected toward student-success initiatives. “Our focus here, from the beginning, has been to get back to basics, which is our student success,” Hans told reporters last week.
Perhaps the biggest question that remains unanswered is whether any employees lost their jobs or were laid off from their respective universities as a result of the changes.
In some cases, jobs that universities eliminated were vacant at the time of the change, meaning no employees were terminated when the job was cut. That was the case at Western Carolina, for instance, where the now-eliminated chief diversity officer position had not been filled for more than a year. But the fate of other eliminated positions and the employees who held them are less clear.
For instance, UNC-Chapel Hill closed the School of Medicine’s Office of Rural Initiatives and eliminated several positions in the department, including its director role. That position, which appears to have been filled prior to the DEI changes, is not listed in the university’s report as a job that was “realigned” — making it unclear what became of the employee who held the role.
Asked last week why the office was closed and what might happen to its employees, UNC Vice Provost Leah Cox — who formerly served as the university’s chief diversity officer prior to these changes — said “it doesn’t look like it was closed yet, and some of the programs that you may see in the report may be being reworked, refocused, reallocated in different ways or moved to different reporting structures.”
Such changes to the Office of Rural Initiatives, if they are happening, were not detailed in the university’s report.
Other university leaders, including Hans, have generally characterized job changes resulting from the policy by saying that “most” affected employees were offered new jobs at their campuses.
Still, it remains unclear how many employees accepted those positions or how many were not offered new positions. “I can’t speak to individuals, and I don’t know that one would be allowed to do so under various employment laws,” Hans said Thursday when asked if any employees were laid off. “But most of the people most directly affected here were reassigned to open student-success positions.” Asked if he anticipated more positions to be eliminated as campuses continue to implement the new policy, Hans did not directly address the question, instead directing reporters to read the reports from campuses, which he said have “a great deal of detail in there.” [Source]
Prison Copays
Rachel Crumpler, NC Health News, 9/16/24
Prisons are constitutionally mandated to provide health care to incarcerated people, but that doesn’t mean it has to be provided for free.
And in North Carolina — along with almost 40 other states — the costs can add up when prison systems charge incarcerated people a copay for select health care services.
The N.C. Department of Adult Correction charges $5 for medical and dental services that are initiated by an incarcerated person and $7 for a self-declared emergency visit, according to the prison system’s copay policy. The fee is not charged if staff determine that an actual emergency occurred.
While these fees may seem small, advocates say they can be a financial barrier in the context of low prison wages, leading some people to delay or even avoid care.
In fiscal year 2022-23, 90 percent of incarcerated people assigned to work programs, worked inside prisons facilities, earning 40 cents to $1 per day. Those who worked in Corrections Enterprises earned up to $3 per day.
“I know a lot of people don’t want to call [for medical help] because of the copay,” said Kayla Dillard, executive director of NC-CURE, a prison reform advocacy group. “They’re limited with so much money they get each month, and if they have to do a copay, they have even less. You can work all week to get $5.”
Research shows that can be a problem for the health of incarcerated people and people who are trying to reenter society after incarceration — not just in North Carolina, but across the country. And some states are having second thoughts about the policy.
Some prison health care visits do not require a copay, including medical care initiated by prison facilities, such as initial screenings, physicals and emergency care, according to the N.C. Department of Adult Correction’s copay policy.
Dillard and other advocates would like this to be true of all medical care. “There’s already a struggle to get medical help in certain facilities,” Dillard said. “Copays just make it worse.”
Brad Deen, a N.C. Department of Adult Correction spokesperson, said in a statement to NC Health News that there is “no formal discussion surrounding copay policy at this time.” He explained that the intent of copays is to prevent overuse and abuse of health care resources. “We’re short-staffed in our health care positions, and we need to ensure their time is used efficiently and effectively,” Deen said.
Regardless of ability to pay, the N.C. Department of Adult Correction states that it does not deny medical care. If someone has insufficient funds for a copay at the time of medical care, a lien will be applied to their account and any funds later added will be automatically deducted to satisfy outstanding copay expenses. [Source]
Burnsville Campaigning
Asheville Citizen Times, 9/16/24
The heavy beats of “Believer” by Imagine Dragons, boomed as Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson walked to the stage to address the cheering crowd in the Burnsville Town Square for roughly 20 minutes. Billed as a “Faith, Family and Fun Night” was Robinson’s first appearance in Burnsville since becoming lieutenant governor in 2020. The crowd of about 250 people included all ages, from children to parents and grandparents.
The Republican candidate for North Carolina governor, Robinson made the stop the evening of Sept. 14 as a campaign rally ahead of the Nov. 5 general election. He faces Democratic gubernatorial candidate Attorney General Josh Stein.
Just more than a minute into his speech, Robinson called out Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, who he called “a despicable individual.”
“What this election boils down to is just simple right and wrong,” Robinson said to the crowd of attendees gathered at the Burnsville Town Square, next to the Yancey County Courthouse. “We’re called The Right because we are right, folks. We’re right about everything.”
Throughout his term as lieutenant governor, Robinson has made headlines for what rival Democrats feel to be extreme viewpoints, citing Facebook posts dating back as far as 2014.
John Anglin organized the event. Anglin said the increase in home prices is one of the most important issues in his view.
Anglin serves as chair of the Reentry Council for Freedom Life, a Christian-based organization serving Avery, McDowell and Yancey County justice-involved individuals and their families with programs designed to help its clients begin a journey to a new life, according to its website.
Still, Anglin, who works as a contractor, said while the campaign appearances may be “fun,” the real work begins once a candidate is elected. [Source]
Weatherman Event
Chris Day, The (Elizabeth City) Daily Advance, 9/16/24
Republican candidate Hal Weatherman believes the federal government is the key perpetrator and advocate of ideologies that threaten to destroy the United States.
“It pains me to say that because I believe government at all levels is ordained by God,” said Weatherman, who is running against Democrat Rachel Hunt for lieutenant governor in the November general election.
Examples of those ideologies include the controversial hiring practice known as diversity, equity and inclusion, plus critical race theory and social-emotional learning, he said. Weatherman was speaking last week at a meeting of the Pasquotank Political Action Committee at Journey Christian Church in Elizabeth City.
The Wake County resident has spent the election cycle traveling in an RV to all 100 counties in the state because he says it’s important to meet and speak with voters. According to Weatherman, his campaign broke records for fundraising but didn’t spend any of that money on political advertising.
“I didn’t one spend one dime on TV,” he said. “I didn’t spend one dime on radio. I didn’t spend one dime on direct mail. We did exactly what we felt called to do: fuel the travel around the state meeting people one on one. That’s it and we chronicled it on social media.”
Weatherman earned his way to the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor by coming in first in an 11-candidate field in the March 5 GOP primary. More than a month later, he defeated fellow Republican Jim O’Neill in a GOP runoff election.
Weatherman previously served as chief of staff for Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and before that worked several years for Forest’s mother, Republican Congresswoman Sue Myrick of Charlotte.
Hunt, Weatherman’s Nov. 5 challenger, is a lawyer and state senator representing Mecklenburg County. She also is the daughter of former four-term governor Jim Hunt. [Source]
Arts Education
Laura Browne, Education NC, 9/16/24
Arts educators from across the state gathered at Meredith College on Sept. 7 for the Comprehensive Arts Education Conference to discuss best practices and resources associated with the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s (DPI) updated standards for the arts disciplines. During the conference, educators participated in various sessions regarding ideas for lesson planning, arts integration across subjects, teaching resources, and more.
“As an arts educator, you shape well-rounded individuals who are not only academically capable, but also emotionally and socially aware, creative, and culturally literate,” said state Superintendent Catherine Truitt in a video message played at the event.
Many conference sessions allowed arts educators to participate in interactive lesson plans demonstrating how the new standards could be implemented in the classroom. Some sessions focused on interdisciplinary arts integration in subjects like math or history.
In July, the State Board of Education approved the new art standard courses of study for music, dance, visual arts, and theater. The current standards, approved in 2010, will remain in effect during the 2024-25 school year. The updated standards are expected to start being implemented during the 2025-26 school year, according to DPI, with full implementation taking place during the 2026-27 school year.
Lori Carlin, DPI section chief for social studies and arts education, said the updated standards provide minimum content guidelines for what educators should teach in the classroom.
DPI has identified three components of comprehensive instruction for all four arts disciplines, which include arts education, arts integration, and arts exposure. [Source]
Uninsured Survey
Sharryse Piggott, WUNC Radio, 9/16/24
There are more than 10 million North Carolina residents. According to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 9.2% of the population were without health insurance last year, compared to 9.3% in 2022. But one year from now, the survey is expected to show a dramatic increase for people who are insured due to Medicaid expansion. In July, the State Department of Health and Human Services reported that over 500,000 people received health insurance in 2024 by enrolling in the state’s Medicaid expansion program, since it went live in December. Meanwhile, those living in poverty have remained unchanged for the population, but increased by about 15,000 for children 18 and under in 2023, compared to 2022. [Source]
Save the Date
Please plan to be our guest as NC Insider / State Affairs Pro welcomes subscribers to Caffe Luna once more for delicious food and drink, great company and an interesting political conversation. Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, from 5:30-7 p.m. Caffe Luna, 136 E. Hargett St., Raleigh. Registration details to follow.
ENC Wildfires
Jack Igelman, Carolina Public Press, 9/16/24
On Wednesday, April 19, 2023, a campfire may have sparked a wildfire in a pine forest in the core of the 160,000-acre Croatan National Forest, about 20 miles southwest of New Bern. Known as the Great Lakes Fire, the blaze spread from its source to several dozen acres. Then it began expanding with fury. In just two days the fire rushed 16 miles towards the southern boundary of New Bern as smoke darkened skies and blanketed nearby housing developments.
The massive wildfire highlighted the challenges of protecting communities in North Carolina’s rapidly developing areas where the built environment intermingles with nature, known as the wildland-urban interface, or WUI. The Great Lakes Fire is a good place to see how all of North Carolina, not just the coast, is adjusting to wildfire and development in the WUI and offers a look at some of the efforts to address the problem.
By April 20, the sprawling Great Lakes Fire blossomed to thousands of acres and would eventually require more than 200 firefighters to battle and contain the threat. Public agencies mounted an effective response, however, they also had a bit of good luck. Rain showers and a shift in wind came just in time to stall the massive fire in which no structures or lives were lost.
“We don’t know what the outcome would have been if we had one more day of the same fire behavior and weather parameters,” Croatan National Forest fire management officer David Nelson told Carolina Public Press. While the Croatan fire was distinguished by its intensity and size, it also drew attention to the spillover of housing to the edges of wildlands, demonstrating the threat and cost of forest fires on the Carolina coast.
The location of the 32,156-acre Great Lakes Fire, however, wasn’t a fluke. Pocosin-fueled fires occur historically in five- to 20-year intervals. In the past, large wildfires have seared the Croatan National Forest, including the Pocosin Fire of 1955, which burned 73,000 acres; the Fish Day Fire, which consumed 25,000 acres in 1994; and the Dad Fire which covered 22,000 acres in 2012.
The next major coastal forest blaze will likely happen within the next two decades. But it could also flare up tomorrow. “We have 80,000 acres of pocosins, 30,000 just burned, but we have 50,000 that are available to go right now,” Nelson said.
One of four national forests in North Carolina, the 160,000-acre Croatan National Forest south of New Bern is bordered by the Neuse and White Oak rivers and Bogue Sound on the Atlantic Ocean along its southern boundary. The Croatan’s inland landscape includes native and restored longleaf pine habitat, hardwood forests, saltwater estuaries, Carolina bays and pocosins.
The Coastal Plain also includes a large swath of commercial timberland. Timber company Weyerhaeuser, for example, manages 118,000 acres in Craven, Carteret, and Jones counties, spokesperson Nancy Thompson said.
The areas in between these forested acres and protected lands, particularly near the coast, rivers, and sounds, are experiencing rapid development. Between July 2022 and 2023, North Carolina added more people than any other state except Florida and Texas, according to the US Census Bureau.
Unlike the state’s two largest national forests in the mountains, the Pisgah and Nantahala, Croatan isn’t as much a focus of recreational users. Hunting, freshwater angling, off-road vehicle driving, wildlife viewing, and illegal shooting ranges are among the draws in the forest interior.
The estimated cost of the Great Lakes Fire was $12 million. Had it spread to neighboring communities, the impact could have been far greater.
While the fire remains under investigation, the U.S. Forest Service alleges that the wildfire was human-caused, which, according to the North Carolina Forest Service, is the state’s leading cause of wildfires. Warmer summers and more persistent droughts may also contribute to longer fire seasons in the future that could include bigger and more frequent blazes. The threat poses a problem if wildfire flares near a growing population that isn’t expecting it. [Source]
Charter Embezzlement
T. Keung Hui, The News & Observer, 9/16/24
Two employees of a now-defunct North Carolina charter school have pleaded guilty to embezzlement charges that cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. Bridges Academy in Wilkes County closed in 2021 amid what it called “insurmountable financial challenges.”
Federal court records show Shannon Pruitt Caudill, the school’s executive director, and Kimberly Nicole White, the school’s finance officer, have agreed to plead guilty to theft of government property and to each pay $112,500 in restitution. The plea deals were reached earlier this summer and first reported last week by The Wilkes Record. Bridges Academy, located about 150 miles west of Raleigh, was one of the first charter schools to open in North Carolina in 1997.
Bridges closed amid investigations by the State Bureau of Investigation and the State Auditor’s Office. The Federal Bureau of Investigation also joined the investigation.
According to court records, Caudill and White falsified student enrollment records for the 2020-21 school year to report more than 60 students the school didn’t have. Court records say the duo kept the inflated figures secret from other school employees by keeping two separate systems for recording enrollment.
The falsified figures allowed Bridges Academy to receive an additional $404,971 in state funds and more than $80,000 in federal funds. The State Auditor’s Office also found Bridges misused $78,576 of charter school funding to support a preschool it wanted to open. Court records say White and Caudill used the inflated enrollment figures as documentation to help Bridges get a $2.6 million loan from Surrey Bank and Trust to build the new preschool. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development guaranteed 90% of the loan. The planned preschool died when Bridges closed. Surrey reported losing $121,000 and USDA reported losing $1.1 million after the foreclosure.
Caudill and White will be sentenced in federal court in February. [Source]
Desiree Mathurin and Gavin Off, The Charlotte Observer, 9/16/24
While the number of people calling the Charlotte region home continues to rise, many current residents can’t afford those homes. About 102,000 households that rent in Mecklenburg County pay more than 30% of their income toward housing costs, according to recently released U.S. Census Bureau data. This leaves renters with less money for other needs.
What’s more, nearly 52,000 renters pay more than half their earnings toward housing. That’s about 1 out of every 4 households that rent in the county. In total, 47% of the estimated 215,400 households that rent in Mecklenburg are struggling to do so, a Charlotte Observer analysis of the census data found.
If people in a household spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs — which includes rent, mortgages, insurance and utilities — they are considered cost-burdened, per the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. If a household spends more than 50%, they’re considered severely cost-burdened.
The 30% threshold is based on the idea that a household needs to have a certain amount of money left over for other necessities such as food, clothing, medical needs and transportation.
There are additional ways to looks at how people in Mecklenburg and its neighboring counties are dealing with rent problems, the Observer analysis of the census data found. Between those who identify as White-only, Black-only and Hispanic, the Hispanic population rents the least amount of units, at a little over 29,700 households. Yet Hispanic renters pay the largest portion of their paychecks toward housing, data shows.
In the county, more than 16,600 Hispanic households pay more than 30% of their income towards housing. That’s about 56% of Hispanic renters. Black renters in the county are close behind. There are about 87,000 renter households who identify as Black and about 46,000 renters are considered cost-burdened, the data shows.
In comparison, households that identify as white rent about 80,962 units. About 42% and 20% are either cost-burdened or severely cost-burdened, respectively. [Source]
Retail Crime
Chloe Collins, The Gaston Gazette, 9/16/24
Federal, state, and local criminal justice organizations are coming together to launch a large-scale crackdown on organized retail crime. At a press conference Thursday, Gastonia Police Chief Trent Conard, Gaston County District Attorney Travis Page, and Assistant Special Homeland Security agent at the Charlotte office Ben Horton took to the podium to define ORC and operation, “Fed-Up.”
According to the speakers, ORC is not your average shoplifting. It is defined by the National Retail Federation as, “the large-scale theft of retail merchandise with the intent to resell the items for financial gain,” according to a press release from the Gastonia Police Department.
Information from the department said ORC cost retailers an estimated $100 billion in 2019, and that number has grown in subsequent years.
Along with a special focus on breaking up ORC rings, Page said the operation will come with harsher punishments for those involved, including seizure and liquidation of personal goods used in the crime to benefit public sectors of the community and prison time. [Source]
Food Manufacturer
Kevin Ellis, NC Health News, 9/16/24
Veetee Foods will invest $35.7 million and plans to eventually create 200 jobs at a new plant in the Johnston County town of Selma, company officials said Monday. Rochester, England-based Veetee Food Group was founded in 1986 with operations in India and the U.K., selling dry rice and ready-to-heat rice. It has since expanded into pasta, noodles and macaroni and cheese.
Veetee Foods’ project will be aided by a $996,750 Job Development Investment Grant, spread over 12 years. It was approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee on Monday. State payments only occur following the company meets job creation and investment targets.
Johnston County agreed to provide $2.28 million in incentives for the project. Veetee had narrowed its site search to locations in Selma and Chester County, South Carolina.
The project’s projected return on investment of public dollars is 90%, meaning for every dollar of potential cost, the state receives $1.90 in state revenue. [Source]
Latino Festival
Dan Kane, The News & Observer, 9/16/24
When El Pueblo held its first cultural festival 30 years ago in Chapel Hill, the state’s Hispanic population had yet to reach six figures. Now it’s more than 1 million, making up 11% of the state’s population. And on Sunday, as La Fiesta del Pueblo attracted thousands to downtown Raleigh with music, food, dancing and crafts.
A new voter-registration campaign sought to help them increase their clout with the government. “Grita. Canta. Vota.” is a nonpartisan campaign started within the past year by the national nonprofit Includus Fund, which El Pueblo invited to register voters and provide information on voting locations and ballot access.
Their goal was to register 300 to 500 voters at the festival.
“We are the middle people, the ones who are integrating what they care about with the resources directly, so we are not taking stands on issues,” said Monica Sibri, a senior adviser for the Includus Fund.
Sibri said the campaign targets areas with rapidly growing Hispanic populations and will make future stops in Charlotte and Las Vegas.
The voter registration campaign was the festival’s strongest reminder that a major election is ahead in November, from the U.S. presidency on down to local offices. Despite that, there did not appear to be any candidates meeting and greeting people during the six-hour festival, and hardly anyone sported campaign paraphernalia. El Pueblo, like the Includus Fund, is also a nonpartisan nonprofit that can’t advocate for candidates. [Source]
