Property Tax, New Polling, Meta Settlement

Here’s what we’re covering this week!

Property Tax Cap

Hey yall! When it comes to the GOP we can expect nothing less than lies and deceit and once again they are using their messaging to sell North Carolinians a bad bill of goods. What may seem like a good idea, isn’t quite what it appears to be.

Take for example the statewide levy tax limit; which is being sold as property-tax relief, but the Housing Coalition analysis shows there is more to the story. The tradeoff of capping the property tax rate clearly means nearly $950 million less for local services in exchange for just $84 a year for the average homeowner. The worst part is that the biggest tax breaks would go to corporate landowners like Duke Energy, Lowe’s, and Google.

I don’t know about you, but we feel that property taxes can be a real burden for many North Carolinians, especially seniors, people with disabilities, and families living on fixed incomes. They deserve targeted relief that actually reaches them. But this constitutional amendment does not set the limit, define the exceptions, or guarantee meaningful savings for homeowners. It directs the General Assembly to write those rules later. The available analysis of a 2% limit shows a bad bargain: small average savings for homeowners, major losses for counties and towns, and the largest dollar benefits flowing to some of the state’s biggest corporate landowners.

We know that homeowners need relief, especially in Trump’s economy. But it’s the fact that Republican lawmakers chose a blunt, undefined constitutional mandate that could squeeze schools, emergency response, transportation, libraries, and human services while doing little for the families who need help most. So let’s instead support expanding the Homestead Exemption and Circuit Breaker for seniors, people with disabilities, fixed-income homeowners, and cost-burdened families.

New Polling Just Dropped: NC-07 with Dr. Hardy

The momentum in North Carolina’s Congressional NC-07 race has shifted decisively, as new data reveals that challenger Dr. Kimberly Hardy is within 6 points of incumbent David Rouzer. This surge signals the most significant electoral challenge Rouzer has faced since his initial election in 2014.

There is a growing voter mandate for change in who voters want to represent them in Washington, and it’s not David “Do Nothing” Rouzer.

The survey reveals that Rouzer’s support has dipped to 49% in a head-to-head matchup. Crucially, the data shows that among voters familiar with Dr. Hardy’s platform and community-focused campaign, the race is effectively a statistical dead heat, trailing by only two points.

Dr. Hardy, a social worker, professor, and dedicated community advocate, has built her campaign on direct engagement—a sharp contrast to the incumbent’s record of absenteeism. While Dr. Hardy has completed two rigorous “Eight Counties in Eight Days” town hall tours, raised funds for communities in need, and hosted free grocery giveaways for hundreds of families in the community; the incumbent has notably failed to hold a single public event in the district in almost a decade.

“The people of Southeast North Carolina have spoken, and these results prove they are tired of the status quo,” said Dr. Hardy. “My opponent has become an invisible Washington insider, disconnected from the daily struggles of our neighbors. While he remains absent, my campaign is focused on real, tangible solutions to the high costs of groceries, healthcare, gas, and power bills that are hurting our families.”

North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton emphasized the significance of this poll: “Voters are choosing a candidate who shows up and listens. Dr. Hardy is gaining ground because she is fighting for the resources this district needs to succeed. It is time to retire an incumbent who has prioritized laziness and partisan extremism over the people he was elected to serve.”

“The era of complacent, absent representation is coming to an end,” added Dr. Hardy. “We are ready to bring professional, proactive problem-solving to Washington on behalf of the people of Southeast North Carolina.”

Jeff Jackson Meta Settlement

Wednesday brought a rare spot of genuinely good news for North Carolina families. Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced a landmark settlement with Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram. Because of it, North Carolina will receive at least $451 million and potentially as much as $645 million, while Meta will be forced to make major changes to how its platforms treat children and teenagers.

We’re talking real protections that include:

• Default daily time limits for teens.
• Instagram and Facebook will shut off feeds overnight.
• Notifications will stop during the school day.
• Like counts will be hidden.
• Parents will get more control.
• Meta will have to do more to keep children under 13 off its platforms and identify teenagers trying to evade protections with multiple accounts.

Those are meaningful changes, and Attorney General Jackson deserves enormous credit for fighting for them. This is why electing Democrats matters.