Highlights of State Budget Proposal
As the third deadline extension for the passage of a state budget approaches, North Carolina legislative leaders have released the details of a $21.7 billion, 429-page budget proposal. The conference report on HB 97–2015 Appropriations Act, is scheduled for debate in the State Senate on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then later this week in the […]
NC Supreme Court Finds Opportunity Scholarships Constitutional!
In a long-awaited ruling that bolsters the future of school choice in North Carolina, the State Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Opportunity Scholarship Program. In its 4 to 3 opinion issued July 23, the state’s highest court reversed a lower court ruling that said the program, which allows lower income families to apply for […]
Keeping School and Library Computers Safe
NC Family president John Rustin talks with Haley Halverson, Communications Director for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCSE), about the NCSE’s Safe Schools/Safe Library project, which is a grassroots campaign designed to help parents ensure that libraries and school computers are safe for kids to use.
Religious Freedom Under Fire: Why NC Can’t Wait to Protect Free Speech & Free Exercise
DOWNLOAD ENTIRE ARTICLE (with images and endnotes) Freedom of speech, the freedom to believe, and the freedom to act according to those beliefs are principles so hallowed in the American soul that our nation’s courtrooms, classrooms, and most corners of the public square have honored and sustained these freedoms for more than 200 years. Any […]
Status of Key Bills Following NCGA “Crossover Deadline”
As the dust settles at the N.C. General Assembly following the self-imposed “crossover deadline” of April 30, we thought now would be an opportune time to provide an update on the status of key pieces of legislation filed during the 2015 Legislative Session. By way of review, the crossover deadline is an arbitrary date set […]
NC Family Expresses Concerns Over Immunization Bill
A bill introduced in the North Carolina Senate would more than double the number of mandatory vaccines for children in the state, and at the same time would repeal an existing law that allows parents to exempt their children from the immunization mandate for religious reasons. This would make North Carolina one of only five […]
NC Family Joins Brief in Support of Opportunity Scholarships
As the North Carolina Supreme Court considers the future of the state’s Opportunity Scholarship Program, the North Carolina Family Policy Council has joined a friend of the court brief encouraging the high court to uphold the school choice program for lower income students. NC Family joined eight other organizations, including the Christian Legal Society; the […]
2015 Raleigh Dinner with Senator Rick Santorum
On Thursday, March 26, 2015, the NC Family Policy Council hosted our annual Major Speakers Dinner in Raleigh, N.C. with Senator Rick Santorum offering the keynote address. The Honorable Rick Santorum is former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and 2012 presidential candidate. Senator Santorum spoke about experiences with his special-needs daughter Bella and the impact her life has had […]
Opportunity Scholarship Application Period Now Open!
Parents seeking scholarships for their children to attend private schools in North Carolina next year have the opportunity to apply for the state’s Opportunity Scholarship Program throughout February. The application period for new and renewal applications for the 2015-16 school year is now open through March 1, according to the N.C. State Education Assistance Authority […]
NC Lawmakers Get Down To Business
The North Carolina General Assembly returns to Raleigh today to begin the 2015 Legislative Session in earnest, and the North Carolina Family Policy Council will be present at the legislative building on a daily basis to represent the interests of North Carolina families before state lawmakers. If early reports are any indication, much of the […]