Seven steps state lawmakers should take in 2021 to lift NC from the bottom of the national pack Once upon a time, North Carolina’s Unemployment Insurance program provided not only critical assistance to laid off workers and their families, but also helped to shore up the economy when times got hard. Families’ rents, mortgages, utilities, and other necessities got paid for with unemployment insurance benefits while they weathered the downturn.

It’s not often that North Carolina lawmakers find bipartisan consensus these days – especially on legislation that would help workers, boost tax revenues, spur the economy and make North Carolina a better and fairer state. That’s what makes the demise of three important and commonsense bills that got lost in the shuffle during the closing days of the 2016 legislative session particularly unfortunate.