Washington D.C.- The Club for Growth Foundation released its North Carolina State Economic Scorecard for the 2023 – 2024 legislative session, offering residents of the Tar Heel State insights into how each representative approaches pro-growth policies in Raleigh.
The Scorecard analyzes policies and votes to assign an Economic Growth Score from 0 to 100, with 100 representing the highest support for pro-growth policies. Across the 2023 – 2024 legislative session, the Foundation reviewed over 1,400 floor votes, scoring 16 North Carolina House votes and 12 North Carolina Senate votes.
“Despite different parties controlling the State Assembly and the Governor’s Mansion, North Carolina was able to pass promising legislation that repealed burdensome environmental regulations, banned the use of Central Bank Digital Currency, and ended public investments into ESG programs,” said Club for Growth Foundation President David McIntosh “While these actions in Raleigh didn’t go unnoticed, it is concerning to see lawmakers only supporting pro-growth, conservative policies 50% of the time. Legislators must reexamine their priorities to ensure North Carolinians can prosper for generations to come.”
Click here to view the full 2023 – 2024 North Carolina State Economic Scorecard from the Club for Growth Foundation.
Key Highlights from the 2023-2024 North Carolina Scorecard
North Carolina Senate:
- Average Republican Score: 51%
- Average Democrat Score: 9%
- Highest Rated Republican(s): Sen. Norman Sanderson (SD-01) and Sen. Eddie Settle (SD-26): 71%
- Highest Rated Democrat(s): Sen. Paul Lowe (SD-32) and Sen. Julie Mayfield (SD-49): 20%
- Lowest Rated Republican(s): Sen. Jim Perry (SD-02): 27%
- Lowest Rated Democrat(s): Sen. Gale Adcock (SD-16) and Sen. Kandie Smith (SD-05): 0%
North Carolina House:
- Average Republican Score: 50%
- Average Democrat Score: 15%
- Highest Rated Republican(s): Rep. George Cleveland (HD-14): 81%
- Highest Rated Democrat(s): Rep. B. Ray Jeffers (HD-02): 29%
- Lowest Rated Republican(s): Rep. Frank Iler (HD-17): 26%
- Lowest Rated Democrat(s): Rep. Rosa Gill (HD-33): 7%
Notable Pro-Growth Legislation:
HB 600 – VETO OVERRIDE OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATORY REFORMS
- Overrides the governor’s veto to rollback environmental regulatory burdens by expediting natural gas pipeline permitting, constraining the Department of Environmental Quality from imposing onerous regulations on water projects, and prohibits the DEQ from refusing approval for farm and agriculture projects based on dubious civil rights grounds
HB 690 – VETO OVERRIDE OF CENTRAL BANK DIGITAL CURRENCY PROHIBITION
- Protects families, workers, and consumers by overriding the governor’s veto of prohibiting the use of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) issued by the Federal Reserve or any other related entity
- State agencies are also prohibited from accepting, requiring, and testing payments using CBDC mechanisms
HB 750 – VETO OVERRIDE OF PROHIBITION ON TAXPAYER-FINANCED ESG INVESTMENTS
- Requires the state Treasurer to abide by their fiduciary duty to make investment decisions that work only to maximize shareholder value instead of promoting woke Environmental, Social, and Governance practices
Notable Anti-Growth Legislation
HB 259 – MIXED BAG BUDGET AGREEMENT
- Allocates $60.5 billion in General Fund spending for the FY2023-2025 biennium (15.7% increase compared to the previous biennial budget agreement)
- Lowers income tax rate from 4.75% to 2.49% by 2029
- Repeals the privilege tax on numerous professions
- Caps the franchise tax at $500 for the first $1 million of a business’ tax base
- Prohibits utilities from taking part in cap-and-trade regulations on carbon emissions
- Eligibility expansion for the Opportunity Scholarship Program
- Increases Medicaid spending by at least $2 billion over a two year period
- $2 billion in corporate welfare spending
- Hides $6 billion in spending through reserve fund gimmicks
HB 535 – INCREASING GREEN ENERGY RELIANCE
- Threatens the stability of the grid of an unreliable and expensive energy source by imposing a 900 percent increase in the allowed capacity of all leased solar facilities from 1 percent to 10 percent of the last 5 year average of the state’s contribution to a utility’s peak demand
- Benefits only two green energy thresholds that reach the eligibility criteria, Duke Energy Progress and Duke Energy Carolinas
SB 154 – MASSIVE MUNICIPAL TAX INCREASE PACKAGE
- Harming middle-class families while profiting government bureaucrats through new occupancy taxes
- Approves 20 municipal occupancy tax increases to fund government-approved tourism, crony economic development handouts, and beach nourishment.
- Extends the 1 percent Mecklenburg County sales tax on food and the 2 percent NASCAR museum occupancy tax through 2060
Note: This Scorecard is based on selected votes and does not reflect a legislator’s entire voting record. The Club for Growth Foundation does not endorse or oppose any legislator for public office.