Unmasking The Stealthy Tactics In North Carolina’s New Budget

Photo of masks in an article about unmasking budget tactics in North Carolina.

North Carolina’s proposed state budget reflects the conservatives’ direction.

Conservatives hope to help win the 2024 presidential election, allowing them to implement their Project 2025 agenda that will destroy democracy in America.

But for now, they can only chip away, red state by red state, with legislation that does not reflect what most Americans want.

And that’s what Republicans have been doing for decades and will do until they accomplish what they want: an authoritarian, white supremacist, Christian-only nation.

Here is some ugly new legislation that will impact North Carolina families.

This is proposed. Some things could change. But it’s the intent you want to remember when going to the voting booth and voting all these Republicans out.

It gives Republican leaders a lot of leverage to sneak in shady stuff. And they will do so in a way that their members won’t have their names on unpopular legislation.

Here’s A Sample Of What They’re Doing:

  1. Forbidding local governments from passing local minimum wage or benefits requirements. Republicans do not want to increase the minimum wage.
  2. Forbidding local government from passing restrictions on single-use plastic bags. Republicans don’t want to save the climate.
  3. Giving away tens of millions of dollars to fake anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers across the state. These centers lie to women about their healthcare options.
  4. Singled out Legal Aid of North Carolina, a nonprofit which provides low-cost legal assistance to low-income people. Banned their attorneys from receiving public service debt forgiveness.
  5. Rolling back North Carolina’s public records laws. Politicians will decide whether the public gets access to official correspondence and documents. This is a good example of the chipping away at a reporter’s ability to know what’s happening. This is fascism.
  6. Making redistricting documents secrets. People won’t be able to see drafts of gerrymandered maps.
  7. Revoking the automatic right to appeal a court case to the North Carolina Supreme Court.
  8. Raising fees for electric vehicle owners and charging new taxes on Uber and Lyft rides. They want to continue using gas and continue destroying the climate. But these are Republicans.
  9. Inventing a new investigative branch in the legislature. This will allow them to scrutinize the executive branch of their governor.

And There’s More

  1. Requiring a complete gag order on all investigations while they’re underway. More secrecy will be enforced by law.
  2. Doing the same thing in the judicial branch. They’re giving Republicans new authority to investigate and harass judges they don’t like.
  3. Withdrawing North Carolina from ERIC, a multi-state program that prevents voter fraud. Why would they want to do that? Because they know their policies are unpopular and won’t be able to win future elections.
  4. Eliminating clean energy programs. This will prohibit state agencies from mandating electric vehicles in their own fleets. Again, Republicans want to destroy the climate.
  5. Private school voucher expansion. Over half a billion taxpayer dollars will go towards tuition at private religious schools.
  6. Give a cool million-dollar no-bid contract to a dark money Republican group to market vouchers—half a million spent trying to convince parents to take their kids out of public schools.
  7. Extend a massive umbrella of secrecy over state business.
  8. Funnel taxpayer money to special interests.

That’s some of the North Carolina legislation. There’s a lot more.

Surprise! Not Surprised

They dropped this 625-page budget at 4pm on a Wednesday, with votes scheduled at 10am on Thursday.

Before a single Democratic member of the legislature or the general public has had time to read it.

Reporters were even asking what was in the bill. Secrecy is by design. Again, this is chipping away at democracy. It’s what happens when fascism starts taking hold, bit by bit.

The budget will pass. North Carolina Republicans have the votes to overcome any veto by their Governor.

That’s what happens when you have a supermajority.

The budget is a disaster for North Carolina working people, families, and kids.

This is what Republicans do when they have unpopular policies and unchecked power.

What can you do? Keep calling your House Representatives and Senators. Also, consider getting involved with your local Democratic party and other groups to make an impact.