With 2025 right around the corner, the new session of the North Carolina General Assembly will be here before you know it!
Hi there,
With 2025 right around the corner, the new session of the North Carolina General Assembly will be here before you know it!
In the spirit of New Year's resolutions, and focusing on self-improvement, we put our heads together and evaluated some “new session resolutions” for the General Assembly, on how it can be more transparent, effective, and responsive to the public.
The first resolution is term limits for leadership. Term limits are nothing new, and an increasing number of states (16) have started adopting term limits for their own legislators, including leadership positions specifically.
This would be particularly relevant to North Carolina, because our state constitution grants these leaders some appointment powers (usually associated with governors). An 8-year lifetime term limit for legislative leaders would address this problem, and allow for fresh ideas in leadership.
A second resolution would be session length limits. Legislative sessions have grown over the past decade, and these extended sessions are costing taxpayers an estimated $50,000 per day. A majority of states already have some form of session length limit. Session length limits would impose more regularity on the General Assembly, and balance power between leadership and rank-and-file members.
A June 30th end date should be set for each session, with long sessions of approximately 90 legislative days across 170 calendar days, and short sessions of approximately 35 legislative days over 65 calendar days.
Our third “new session resolution” would be to increase legislator pay. North Carolina has one of the lowest state legislative salaries, at $13,951 (which hasn’t changed since 1995). The low pay for legislators limits the number of people who can serve, especially considering the increased session lengths. Limiting session length, as proposed above, would allow legislators to raise their salary $20,533.70 at no additional cost to taxpayers (thanks to savings on per diem, mileage and office expenses).
The fourth and final resolution is to increase transparency. Legislators must balance transparency with other considerations, but a concerning development occurred during the 2024 budget, where they passed a provision granting themselves the power to determine if their own records are public. To find the proper balance, the General Assembly should repeal or modify this provision, and put a transparency constitutional amendment on the ballot.
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing, driven by climate-focused regulations, are eroding profitability and stifling innovation in agriculture
How so?
ESG prioritizes companies and projects that adhere to specific environmental, social and governance criteria
So when applied to agriculture, ESG principles burden farmers with excessive costs and compliance requirements, with little respect to the unique challenges of agriculture
An example is the push for farms to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which hurt small-to-midsize farms who can’t afford the equipment upgrades, energy transitions and compliance monitoring
ESG mandates promote “one-size-fits-all” solutions, ignoring the complexity and diversity of agriculture
For example, ESG mandates often divert capital from livestock farms because of their high-carbon activities…
… And push renewable energy projects, like solar farms, at the expense of agricultural land…
… which raises costs for remaining farmers by increasing competition for arable land
ESG also disrupts agricultural supply chains by imposing carbon-reduction targets, increasing the cost of moving goods, which is passed back to farmers and consumers
Europe provides a cautionary tale for ESG agricultural policies
For example, aggressive climate policies in the Netherlands have driven many farmers to the brink of bankruptcy, with the possibly disastrous consequences of food shortages and economic collapse
This should serve as a warning for U.S. policymakers, that ESG regulations could lead to the same dire outcomes
When farmers struggle, the entire economy feels the impact
Agriculture supports a vast network of industries
And ESG policies that harm farmers would have ripple effects throughout the ecosystem, driving up food prices and reducing economic activity
The irony is that policies intended to promote social welfare would worsen economic inequality by making basic necessities unaffordable
What can North Carolina do?
Limit public pensions using ESG criteria in their investment decisions
Deny new contracts between state entities and financial institutions that use ESG criteria
Lobby Congress for federal reforms liming ESG’s impact
Truly supporting sustainability means ensuring our farmers have the resources and freedom to innovate, grow, and thrive
Legislators’ overrode Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of House Bill 10 last month, which provides additional funding to meet increased demand for Opportunity Scholarships
As of Dec. 4th, an additional 54,000 scholarships have been awarded
Here are some reasons why overriding the governor’s veto was a great day for North Carolina:
The new funding will empower all North Carolina parents to send their child to a school that best fits their unique needs
The additional funding will provide new opportunities for children, who may not have had the chance to attend a better school
The OSP saves taxpayers’ money
The expansion of the OSP helps public schools become more accountable and improve educational outcomes
School choice allows parents to choose the schools that best align with their values, decreasing conflicts over curriculum
Schools that must compete for students tend to become better schools
Opportunity Scholarships can provide many low- and moderate-income families with a lifeline to escape failing or underperforming schools
Parental choice can help students overcome obstacles and narrow the academic gaps between different races and groups
A large majority of North Carolinians support school choice and choice programs
Anyone who cares about providing children with a good education should be happy about the legislative override, which will improve our schools and our society
