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Primary Sponsor

Last Action

Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House2026-04-28

Vote Breakdown

No floor votes recorded.

Plain Language Summary

This bill requires North Carolina's Department of Commerce to prepare and publish a biennial report measuring economic opportunity, affordability, and family economic security across the state and by county. The report will track metrics like poverty rates, job quality, housing affordability, education costs, and regional economic opportunity using existing public data sources.

Arguments in Favor

• •Supporters argue this bill provides lawmakers and the public with comprehensive data on how North Carolinians are actually doing economically beyond traditional measures like GDP.
• •By tracking affordability, job quality, and regional disparities, the report can help identify where policies should focus and measure whether economic development efforts are improving people's lives.

Arguments Against

• •Opponents may question whether another government report is necessary when existing federal and state data already track these metrics, or whether the $200,000 biennial cost is justified.
• •Some may also be concerned that the report could highlight economic problems without proposing solutions, or that counties with lower metrics could face stigmatization.