If NC Lawmakers approve a budget, are you calling teacher, law enforcement and state worker salary increases a "raise" or a "cost of living adjustment" to partially offset inflation? @PatRyanNC says the budget framework's percentages don't lie on pay increases...it's measurable. #ncpol
This week on State Lines @PatRyanNC@Bode4Senate, Jim Perry & @morganjacksonnc discuss the 2026 legislative session, income tax caps, state revenue predictions, voter ID and more!
Watch now: https://t.co/hKT0HpKAwb
#ncpol
Leaving for work this morning, I looked over and saw what was left behind in the cul-de-sac - a hockey net, scattered sticks, and the remnants of what had to be a 15-20 kid street hockey game last night.
And it hit me… I live at Topsail. A beach community in North Carolina. Yet these kids are choosing to play hockey in the street instead of the “traditional” Southern sports you’d expect around here.
That’s what the Carolina Hurricanes @Canes have done for this state. They didn’t just build a fanbase, they grew the game. It’s honestly amazing seeing hockey take root in places as random as a beach town cul-de-sac. 🏒🌴 Happy Gameday!!!
#SoundTheSiren
From @WSJFreeEx via @WSJOpinion: Nearly two-thirds of 17-year-olds can’t leave their neighborhoods without adult supervision. Is it reasonable to expect them to vote at 18? To fight a war? To incur college debt? Obviously not, writes @BenSasse.
https://t.co/waydFSWQys
Your voice matters. Last night the Wake County commissioners delayed the vote on the Atrium/WakeMed merger. That’s good news. But how did we get here and what’s next? #ncpol
There is no rent control in Dallas. Texas law forbids it. Texas also has very permissive land use rules that make it easy to build.
I'm sure it's just a coincidence though!
Last night Ben Sasse confirmed my suspicion that Dr. Santiago Schnell, provost at Dartmouth, is quickly becoming the single most influential voice in higher education. If you haven’t already read his essay on AI that broke the internet you should.
“AI has not created new educational problems; it has made old ones impossible to ignore. The habit of rewarding performance over understanding, fluency over depth, and polish over genuine engagement was already present in our institutions before the first language model was trained. AI simply industrializes and accelerates those habits until their emptiness becomes undeniable…”
https://t.co/87WZLfcBtw
Midterm elections are historically tough for the party in the White House.
New polls show NC Republicans feeling that pressure.
@PatRyanNC on whether the party can weather the storm on PBS North Carolina's State Lines.
#ncpol#2026midterms
Midterm elections are historically tough for the party in the White House.
New polls show NC Republicans feeling that pressure.
@PatRyanNC on whether the party can weather the storm on PBS North Carolina's State Lines.
#ncpol#2026midterms
In campaigns, it's often asked whether you are better off now than you were before someone took office...
And by every metric imaginable, North Carolina is a better place today than it was before Phil Berger was elected president pro tem in 2011.
If you missed it earlier this week, take a look at @TheAssemblyNC's deep dive on the turnaround at Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy, led by Superintendent Jason Wray.
"Jamiya Ford, a senior who has attended the school for six years, said she enrolled because her brother and sister went there. She said she was skeptical at first about the school’s strict environment.
"But Ford, who is taking college courses while finishing high school, said she has discovered a love for nursing. She plans to attend N.C. Agricultural and Technical State University in the fall.
"'My goal was to get to the top, and now I’m here,' she said. 'This whole school year is going by so fast. I’m a little afraid to get out in the real world, but I feel like I’m going to be OK again with Paul Brown helping me.'
"Taylor, the Wake schools superintendent, asked Wray to speak during a workshop last fall for leaders of the state’s largest district. Wray talked about strategies to boost test scores, particularly at low-performing schools.
"Wray said he wants to continue to grow and improve the Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy. He eventually plans to retire, but he said he wants to ensure the school is stable.
"'You can never be satisfied with where you are, always trying to make continuous improvement,' Wray said in a recent interview. 'Everyone should be trying to get better every day, and that’s the mindset I want to have with school.'"
#ncpol #NCed
https://t.co/cIUH65NvTy
One of the fastest growing counties in the state and we’re playing “mother may I” to catch-up on needed hospital beds. No reason that we can’t trust our hospital board and CEO to make these investment decisions and stay ahead of the curve.
#ncpol
It seems future NC energy policy debates will revolve around creating enough power to fuel homes as well as business/AI facilities, not just "clean" vs "dirty" energy. NC Rep. @gachesser sits on a key energy policy committee and says it's fascinating when energy stakeholders meet. #ncpol #StateLines @MyPBSNC
@BergerWarRoom I'm sure Page is a nice guy.
I have no idea why he is running for State Senate or why he is running against Phil Berger. He did not make that clear in the debate.
This isn't what a lot of my friends want to hear, but it is what it is.