North Carolina Democrats recently introduced new bills that would repeal protections under North Carolina’s right-to-work law.
Good evening,
North Carolina Democrats recently introduced three new bills in the General Assembly that would repeal protections under North Carolina’s right-to-work law.
The 78-year-old law outlawed mandatory union membership as a condition of hiring or continued employment. It bans the idea of a “closed shop,” in which union membership is necessary to get — and keep — a job.
While the series of bills introduced by Democrats isn’t a direct attempt to repeal Right to Work, they would strip key provisions that would effectively undermine it. They would allow public sector employees to have collective bargaining rights, allow labor unions and organizations to enter into labor agreements, and allow union dues to be tax-deductible.
Such laws would undermine workers’ rights — rights Big Labor falsely claims to protect — while also undermining North Carolina’s economy. North Carolina has fostered a healthy business environment by protecting individual choice, with the pay-off of attracting higher-paying jobs.
In a statement given to Carolina Journal, I detailed why it's so important to protect our right-to-work law:
“North Carolina’s Right to Work law has protected workers’ freedom and fueled our state’s economic success since 1947. These bills are a clear attempt by Big Labor to undermine worker choice and force unionization on our workforce. Lawmakers should reject these attacks and instead move to enshrine Right to Work and other worker and taxpayer protections in the state constitution to safeguard North Carolina’s pro-growth, pro-freedom environment for generations to come.”
Conservative lawmakers should work towards protect Right to Work by enshrining it within our state constitution (as Tennessee voters did in 2022) because it’s clear what will happen if a left–leaning majority ever takes power in the General Assembly.
When Leftists tell you what they want, believe them.
You can read more about right-to-work and unions in North Carolina here, here, and here.
Esse quam videri,
Donald Bryson
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House Bill 31, titled “Make Election Day A State Holiday,” is gaining traction in North Carolina
The bill has bipartisan support, and it has moved from the House Rules Committee to the Committee on Election Law, which is a strong sign it has a chance of passing
Most school systems already give students Election Day off to allow school buildings to be used as polling places (with the exception of the UNC System)
But would making election day a holiday boost turnout?
A Princeton University study examined states that already have an Election Day holiday, and it found no significant increase in voter turnout
Other research is mixed, but the overall trend suggests that simply declaring a holiday won’t drive more people to the polls
In that case, what are the benefits of making election day a state holiday?
First, it would add the statewide general election day to the list of paid holidays for state employees (and increase the number of state holidays from 12 to 13)
Additionally, shutting down the state government on Election Day would free up more facilities to serve as polling places
The state employs 76,000+ workers. Giving them the day off would make it easier for them to serve as poll workers…
…which is something North Carolina struggles to recruit every election cycle
Additionally, if a bill reducing the number of early voting days passes, more people could shift to voting on Election Day, making the need for poll workers even greater
Making election day a holiday could be beneficial, but not in the way its proponents assume
When it comes to winning an election, you need a combination of a good candidate, a winnable seat, good messaging, and a lot of money, to both drive your messaging and get voters to the polls
In the 2024 election cycle, legislative candidates from both parties raised over $80 million for their campaigns
But where that money came from, and how it was spent, varied widely
Democrats received more out-of-state and small-dollar donations
While Republicans raised more from major in-state donors, especially in rural areas
Party leadership (like Senate Leader Phil Berger and Gov. Josh Stein) funneled massive amounts into key races
Stein alone sent $13 million to the NC Democratic Party
Rural, urban, and suburban campaigns all fundraise differently too
Urban legislative districts are more capital-intensive campaigns, with Democrats generally holding the fundraising edge
In rural districts, Republicans dominated fundraising, with significantly less competition
Surprisingly, suburban races saw less fundraising than urban or rural races
The level of competition also affected campaign fundraising levels
Naturally, the most competitive races drew the most cash
Particularly the districts within the Wake County media market (rather than the Charlotte media market)
Looking ahead to 2026, both parties will analyze their biggest overperformances (and underfunded successes) to decide where to invest next
The newly created Division of Community Revitalization (DCR), charged with overseeing Hurricane Helene rebuilding efforts, recently released its proposed action plan
Awarded a $1.43 billion grant from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), projections show the actual need is closer to $1.5 billion
DCR has proposed allocating $807.4 million to its Recovery & Rehabilitation (R&R) program, to help victims whose homes suffered major damage
However, FEMA estimates 26,585 homes sustained major damage, and if only 25% enroll in DCR’s program, there will still be a $700 million shortfall
Reallocating affordable housing funds is one possible way to solve this issue
DCR has allocated $191.3 million for affordable rental housing, and $53.4 million for workforce housing, funds that could instead be used to rebuild homes for hurricane victims, which would reduce the shortfall to $255.3 million
And NCInnovation currently has $500 million, waiting to be reclaimed by legislators, that could be better used for Helene recovery efforts
House Bill 154 seeks to transfer these funds to the state’s General Fund, from which they could be allocated by legislators to Helene recovery efforts…
And which would more than cover the remaining funding gap in home reconstruction
It is critical for DCR to avoid mistakes made by previous agencies in hurricane recovery efforts, and focus all resources on rebuilding homes as quickly as possible for those most directly impacted by the disaster
