VOLUME 8 ISSUE 24
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WWW.NSJONLINE.COM
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2023
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BRIEF this week
NFIB: Small business owners continue to manage challenging economic environment in July Raleigh The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index increased 0.9 of a point in July to 91.9, marking the 19th consecutive month below the 49-year average of 98. Twenty-one percent of owners listed inflation as the single most important problem in operating their business, down three points from June. NFIB North Carolina State Director Gregg Thompson said, “Small business optimism may be improving, but we’re still not where we want to be. Inflation is still an issue for consumers and businesses alike, and rising prices create a lot of economic anxiety and uncertainty.” NSJ STAFF
NC ended fiscal year with $3 billion surplus Raleigh North Carolina state coffers ended the 2022-23 fiscal year with revenues of $33.5 billion, adding an additional $3 billion above the state budget estimate. In addition, the Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) state agencies reverted $1.17 billion in unspent budgeted funds. This represents 4% of the General Fund appropriations for the year, a larger than typical amount, OSBM stated. Much of the reversions were driven by historically high state employee vacancy and turnover rates as well as prudent budget management by agencies. “Our state employees have demonstrated incredible stewardship and resilience in the face of changing budgetary pressures and unprecedented vacancies,” said State Budget Director Kristin Walker in a statement. “We look forward to working with state agencies in the new biennium to serve our growing state with the most effective state government we can.” According to the National Association of State Budget Officers, North Carolina is one of 45 states that ended the recent fiscal year with revenues above the forecasted amount. NSJ Staff NSJ STAFF
State budget won’t become law until September, House leader says Raleigh A final North Carolina state budget won’t be enacted until September, the House’s top leader said Monday. House and Senate Republicans are whittling down dozens of outstanding spending and policy issues within a two-year spending plan that was supposed to take effect July 1. When asked later Monday to describe the chances that a final budget could be carried out by the end of August, Moore replied: “Zero.” “Just with some absences I know that the Senate has on their side, and with just some of the logistics that have been talked about at this point... you’re talking about a September date for actual passage — signing (the bill) into law and all that,” Moore said. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
COURTESY PHOTO
U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop with his wife, Jo, and son, Jack. Bishop announced his run for attorney general last week.
Congressman Dan Bishop officially enters NC attorney general race By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
Foxx reacts to report of Chinese money in K-12 schools “Little Red Schools” report details almost $18M in CCP money across 34 states, including N.C. By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
the District of Columbia. The report also notes the “CCP has had ties to school districts near 20 U.S. military bases.” Citing a National Association of Scholars (NAS) research on Confucius Institutes and K-12 Confucius Classrooms, PDE’s report notes “Confucius programming creates a partnership between K-12 schools, universities or nonprofits, and a Chinese government entity.” “It remains our solemn responsibility to slap away the hands of malign foreign actors whenever they attempt to interfere in America’s classrooms,” Foxx said in a statement. “No matter where they may live in our nation, parents deserve re-
RALEIGH — A report by a parent watchdog group on Chinese money flowing into the country’s K-12 schools has garnered a reaction from the Education and Workforce Committee chairwoman, North Carolina’s U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx. The report, called “Little Red Classrooms” and issued by Parents Defending Education (PDE), details almost $18 million that the Chinese government sent to 34 states and See FOXX, page A2
State Superintendent reports ‘incredible gains’ in K-3 literacy By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — At the Aug. 3 meeting of the State Board of Education, N.C. State Superintendent Catherine Truitt reported “incredible gains” in literacy scores by the state’s K-3 students. During the board meeting, Truitt said North Carolina’s K-3 students continue to see improvement across all subjects and subgroups with a “few caveats to mention.” Truitt credited the phonics-based “the science of reading”
and teacher training in Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS). “First of all, looking back over the last year and since our teachers have begun their incredible work on LETRS training, volume one and two, we can say with certainty that the post-pandemic rebound began last year for our kindergarten through third-graders,” Truitt told the board. North Carolina’s 437,498 K-3 students were assessed using Amplify’s early literacy screener called DIBELS 8, which stands for “Dynamic Indicators of Basic
Early Literacy Skills.” Just under 12,000 students were assessed using Amplify’s Spanish language literacy screener. “Our kindergarteners from the beginning of this year to the end of this year saw a 46% increase statewide in their percentage of students who are on track or [are] ready for core instruction,” said Truitt during her presentation. According to the presentation slides shared with the board, between beginning-of-year (BOY) tests and end-of-year (EOY) literacy testing, first-graders saw a 22% increase, second-graders saw
RALEIGH — After a few months of rumor and speculation, Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop (NC-08) officially announced his campaign for North Carolina attorney general during an Aug. 3 interview on WBT Radio in Charlotte. Bishop, who turned 59 in July, is the second Republican to announce a run for the spot. Bishop’s announcement was followed by a press release noting that the last time the state had elected a Republican attorney general was more than 125 years ago when Zeb Walser held the office in 1896. The Charlotte-area congressman already has a big endorsement behind him — Club for Growth, which also endorsed him in his congressional race against Democrat Dan McCready in 2019. “Dan Bishop is the conservative champion that the people of North Carolina deserve as Attorney General,” Club for Growth PAC President David McIntosh said in the group’s official endorsement statement. “Congressman Bishop is a strong supporter of free markets, school choice, and is a leading voice in the U.S. House of Representatives pushing back against the Biden Administration’s radical agenda. We look forward to providing the necessary support
a 13% increase and third-graders saw a 6% increase. Truitt also pointed out that K-3 students in North Carolina outperformed the nation. “What we need to remember when we look at this data is our third-graders were the group that missed all of kindergarten and half of first grade and that our second-graders missed half of a year as well,” Truitt said. “Also, those students did not have teachers who had begun the LETRS professional development.” Truitt said Amplify’s data shows “very little movement” for the nation’s third-grade students. In her presentation, Truitt shared data on the percentage of North Carolina students considered “at-risk” compared to the rest of the nation. From BOY to EOY, kindergarteners needing interSee TRUITT, page A2
to ensure Bishop becomes North Carolina’s next Attorney General.” The Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) also has endorsed Bishop. “Dan Bishop has spent his entire tenure in public office fighting for conservative values,” said RAGA Chairman and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall. “At a time when Washington bureaucrats and the Biden Administration are trampling on our rights and subverting the legal process, we need to add strong fighters like Dan Bishop to our ranks so we can continue restoring the balance between the states and federal government.” Before running for Congress, Bishop served in the North Carolina House from January 2015 to January 2017 representing the 104th District in Mecklenburg County. He then was elected to serve in state Senate District 39 from January 2017 through mid-September 2019 when he won the special congressional election to the U.S. House of Representatives against McCready with 50.7% of the vote. Bishop is recognized as one of the primary authors of House Bill 2, the “bathroom bill” that reversed an ordinance created by the Charlotte City Council that made all bathroom and locker room facilities, both public and private, See BISHOP, page A2
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