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  • 04/12/2011  -  42 Freshmen Change the Face of the Legislature

    The newest members of the General Assembly are changing the face of the state’s legislature.  The 2011 legislature has 42 freshmen – 15 state Senators and 27 Representatives.  This is the largest class of first-term legislators since 2003.  Among the first-term legislators are four women, four African Americans, and 32 Republicans, as well as an unaffiliated Representative who chose to join the Republican caucus.  The average age of the first-term legislators is 54 years, compared to the average age of 60 for non-freshmen.  The impact of this freshman clas

  • 03/10/2011  -  Center For Public Policy Research Assesses Three Key Components Of State’s Mental Health Reform Strategy

    A decade ago, the N.C. General Assembly passed mental health reform legislation in response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision. That decision required all states to serve patients with mental disabilities in the least restrictive setting possible – in communities rather than state institutions such as psychiatric hospitals. As part of its in-depth study of the state’s mental health system, the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research has just released an evaluation of the pros and cons of key components of the state’s current mental health strategy.

  • 10/29/2010  -  Mebane Rash, Panelist on "Prime Votes: The 2010 Election"

    NCCPPR's Mebane Rash was a featured panelist on "Prime Votes: The 2010 Election" now showing on Retirement Living TV (RLTV) and on Time Warner Cable's Carolina On Demand Channel. The Forum was held Monday, October 25th at 7 p.m. at Peace College Auditorium in Raleigh and was was sponosred by Retirement Living TV (RLTV), Time Warner Cable, AARP N.C. and the N.C. Center for Voter Education.


    Moderated by RLTV’s Sam Donaldson, the forum included three segments:

  • 10/01/2010  -  N.C. Center for Public Policy Research Wins 2 National Awards

    The N.C. Center for Public Policy Research has won two prestigious national awards for high-quality policy research from the national Governmental Research Association (GRA). The Association is a group of 33 public policy organizations in 22 states.

  • 09/16/2010  -  Latest Rankings Show New Top Lobbyist And New Generaton Of Most Influential Lobbyists In Legislature

    Click to order PDF of the Rankings of the Most Influential Lobbyists in the North Carolina General Assembly

  • 09/07/2010  -  August 10th OPEN/net program on Legislative Session in Review

    Legislative Session in Review


    When the Legislature convened in May for its short session, lawmakers gathered chiefly to address the state’s biennial budget. But by the time they completed their work during a marathon overnight session in July, they had also either considered or adopted legislation for the state’s ethics rules, mental health services network, public education system and small business and jobs initiatives.  Ran Coble and Ferrell Guillory discuss the past legislative session on this OPEN/net.

  • 04/26/2010  -  April 20th OPEN/net show on Student Financial Aid

    Click here to see the link of the OPEN/net show that aired Tuesday, April 20, 2010 on Student Financial Aid. Student Financial Aid Video

  • 04/06/2010  -  Some of the Most Effective State Senators Won't Be Back in 2011

    The latest rankings of legislators’ effectiveness are out, and some of the most effective state Senators will not be back in 2011, says the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research. At least five of the 16 most effective Senators already have stepped down or are not running for re-election. The Center’s effectiveness rankings are based on responses to surveys from the legislators themselves, registered lobbyists, and the capital news media who cover state government. The Center also released new rankings of legislators’ attendance and participation in roll call votes.

  • 03/25/2010  -  Center Says Seniors are a Huge Civic Resource for the State

     A new study by the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research finds that the civic contributions of the elderly are a huge civic resource for the state and will be even more important as the state’s population ages. The elderly vote at higher rates than the population at large. They return the census at higher rates than other age groups. They give a higher percentage of their income to nonprofits in the community. And surprisingly, for those that use the Internet, they are even more likely than the Baby Boom generation (born in 1946-64) to be civically engaged online.

  • 01/29/2010  -  Medicaid is the Fastest Growing Progam in the State's Budget: Growth Will Accelerate as the State's Population Ages

    A new study by the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research finds that as North Carolina’s older population doubles by 2030, the Medicaid program will consume an ever-greater portion of the state budget. Medicaid provides health care for individuals with low incomes, long term care for the elderly, and services for people with disabilities. According to recent estimates from the Fiscal Research Division of the N.C. General Assembly, Medicaid already is the fastest-growing program in the state budget. In the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2009, the authorized state budget for Medicaid was $3.2 billion, or 15 percent of the total state budget – an increase of 9 percent from 2008. And, just last week, N.C. Secretary of Health and Human Services Lanier Cansler told legislators that Medicaid is expected to be $250 million over budget by June 2010, creating a problem for next year’s budget, which begins in July 2010.