TALKING POINTS UPDATE: Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Landmark Criminal Justice Reform a Key Piece of Republicans’ Legacy of Change for North Carolina

Education Funding Recommendations Highlight Success of Republican Budget Reforms for K-12

Record N.C. Ports Growth Due to Massive Budget Investments by Republican Leadership

 

Republicans improved North Carolina’s justice system like they did the economy, tax code, budget, and regulations.
 
  • By raising the age of juvenile jurisdiction in North Carolina, Republicans accomplished a longstanding bipartisan priority for the justice system.
 
  • Republicans improved expunction laws too, passing the Second Chance Act for citizens convicted of certain nonviolent offenses in North Carolina.
 
  • Like President Trump, Republicans helped rehabilitate nonviolent offenders through the First Step Act’s mandatory minimum sentencing reforms in N.C.
 
  • Republican budgets prioritize public safety with initiatives to address the sexual assault kit backlog, raise law enforcement salaries, and provide powerful new funding for public safety needs across North Carolina.
 
N.C. House hears recommendations how to spend education funds, a testament to Republican crisis preparations.
 
  • The fact House committees can even discuss how to spend available education funds in crisis is a testament to success of Republican budgets.
 
  • Instead of furloughing teachers like in the financial crisis, Republicans are investing state and federal funds into K-12 schools to help them recover.
 
  • Far less emergency funding would be available now if Democrats had been able to continue accruing debt and overspending on the state budget.
 
  • Less emergency funding would be available if Republicans had not paid off nearly $3 billion in Democratic debt and reformed the state budget.

 

  • Recommendations for the budget and average daily enrollment changes are only possible because Republican leaders still have robust funds available.
 
  • Republicans were criticized for building a rainy day fund and paying down debt through budget reforms. Now the same critics are telling lawmakers how to spend the funds that wouldn’t be available if they had listened.
 
  • North Carolinians can have confidence the Republican General Assembly will continue to make the right budget decisions for our future.
The N.C. Ports system welcomes record container traffic and largest ship in history after Republican investments.
 
  • Our coastal economic engine is realizing unprecedented success and beating out competitors thanks to powerful Republican investments in the ports.
 
  • Over $200 million of Republican budget investments helped rebuild berths, deepen basins, add capacity, install new cranes, and much more.
 
  • The Port of Morehead City received its first new crane in more than 50 years.
 
  • Despite COVID-19 the ports saw year-over-year volume increases in FY20 in combination with North Carolina’s growing Republican economy.
 
  • The Port of Wilmington is one of the fastest growing ports in the U.S. 

 

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