North Carolina
State Efficiency Bill Involving AI Advances in North Carolina
(TNS) — A N.C. Senate bill that would review state agency performance and staffing levels, relying in part on the use of artificial intelligence, cleared its first committee step Wednesday.
Senate Bill 474, titled “The DAVE Act,” was recommended by the Senate Regulatory Reform committee after nearly 30 minutes of at times contentious debate.
Although the bill is being fast-tracked to gatekeeper Rules and Operations committee, the legislation is expected to be inserted into the 2025-26 state budget bill to fund additional state Auditor office job positions.
Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, is in the rare role of being a primary bill sponsor.
According to a news release from Berger’s office, the legislation is designed to “get a complete picture” of how state agencies are utilizing taxpayer funds “and determine if the agency should continue to exist.”
The acronym DAVE stands for Division of Accountability, Value and Efficiency, which would be housed in the State Auditor’s office of Republican Dave Boliek.
Bill sponsors say the key areas for state agency review — so far — includes: amounts spent, including the entities receiving funds and the intended purpose of the amounts spent; effectiveness of any amount spent in achieving the intended purpose of that spending; and duplicative spending.
Each agency is to report all job positions that have been vacant for six months or more. Agency reports would have an Oct. 1 filing deadline.
SB474 was amended to establish a sunset that was not specified, but to occur after the 2028 general election, and allow Boliek to request annual reports.
Berger said SB474 “facilitates the auditor’s ability to move forward on examining how monies that are appropriated by the General Assembly … are actually deployed … effectively deployed and whether or not there’s a failure on the part of an executive agency to utilize the funds as directed by the legislature.”
The bill is likely to join the growing list of Republican-sponsored bills that may serve as the first test of Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s ability to sustain a veto vote.
Senate Republicans hold a 30-20 supermajority that gives them the votes to override a Stein veto. However, House Republicans are one vote shy of a supermajority at 71-49.
Boliek, in his first term as auditor, said SB474 empowers the state Auditor’s Office “to do that what we already have the authority to do” in terms of auditing for operational, funding and overall program efficiency.”
Boliek said the proposed objectives of SB474 should draw bipartisan support.
“What this bill does is it puts together the legislature, the executive branch and the state Auditor’s Office,” Boliek said.
“It is designed to do better government, a date-centered approach that gets real, impactful results.”
Boliek claimed SB474 is needed in part because previous state auditors provided “bread and butter financial audits that are a 30,000-foot views that does not — quite frankly — give members of this body the type of information you need and you expect … to make competent, judgmental decisions as they run their agencies.
“My commitment is to do this in a nonpartisan way that’s data centric. … not emotion. The proof will be in the pudding.”
Boliek said the expanded use of artificial intelligence is warranted “because we’ve got to start somewhere in the state of North Carolina because it’s coming, and there’s no better place than the state Auditor’s Office to get started with that.”
Several Senate Democratic committee members critical of SB474 claimed Senate GOP leaders want to establish a N.C. version of the controversial federal DOGE initiative led by billionaire Elon Musk.
They expressed concerns that state departments and agencies, already are dealing with staffing vacancies reaching 20% to 25%, could have their workforce experience more cuts based on assessments from artificial intelligence algorithms.
Sen. Caleb Theodros, D-Mecklenburg, said there needs to be firm restraints and transparency on the use of artificial intelligence in evaluating the performance of agencies and their employees.
Berger said legislators will employ artificial intelligence as a tool in determining funding appropriation levels and whether state funds are being wasted or not.
“Your comments point out exactly why we need something like this,” Berger said.
Sen. Lisa Grafstein, D-Wake, said the auditor’s office focuses on accounting functions, and is not meant to be a program evaluator of the work of state employees and “whether they are necessary.”
“I think we are getting really close to the idea that we’re demonizing state employees who are trying to do their jobs, and folks who are trying to make our communities better.”
Sen. Sophia Chitlik, D-Durham, said moving forward with SB474 is harmful when state government is struggling to fill about 14,000 job vacancies, in part because of the pay scale compared with the private sector.
“Behind every one of these jobs there is a reason for them, a community need,” Chitlik said.
“It strikes me as actually very inefficient to potentially leave it up to AI to eliminate them because we can’t fill them.”
Chitlik said the DOGE initiative is putting about 35,000 federal jobs in N.C. at risk of elimination.
She cited as an example the elimination of a UNC Health laboratory workforce dedicated to studying youth vaping “because their NIH (National Institutes of Health) grant had the word equity in it.”
“We do not need to look any further than our state for examples of what happens when you let an algorithm take control of our workplace,” she said.
Berger responded by saying Boliek “has no authority to discharge anyone. He has the authority to identify problems in any discharge.”
“Any elimination of positions would be left up to the General Assembly.”
Sen. Woodson Bradley, D-Mecklenburg, said it is critical that whatever authority that DAVE is given by the legislature has bipartisan support.
“We can’t let this infect the entire (state) budget, not let it hurt people with zero accountability,” she said.
Meanwhile, public speakers called out Senate Republican leadership for what they termed hypocrisy.
They said the call for more stringent evaluations of how government agencies operate runs counter to legislators sticking into the 2023 state budget bill language that allows legislators to determine whether documents are public records, shield them from public release and destroy them if they choose.
© 2025 the News & Record (Greensboro, N.C.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A proposal to limit property tax increases is set to go before state lawmakers Tuesday — an effort that could culminate with North Carolinians voting on the issue as early as this year.
The state House of Representatives’ Finance Committee is scheduled to discuss a proposed state constitutional amendment restricting how much city and county governments could raise property taxes each year.
Amendments to the state Constitution must be approved by North Carolina voters. If the idea is approved by a supermajority of legislators, North Carolinians would be asked to decide the issue through a ballot vote, likely in November.
The legislation, House Bill 1089, doesn’t outline a limit for property tax increases. It calls on state lawmakers to come up with specific restrictions at a later date — if the referendum is approved by voters.
The bill is part of a broader push by legislators in the Republican-controlled General Assembly to address affordability issues ahead of the midterm elections.
Republicans in the state Senate last week approved a bill that would temporarily block county governments from applying appraisals conducted during this calendar year to property tax bills. Reappraisals often lead to higher property tax bills. Republican Senate leader Phil Berger has referred to that proposal as a “moratorium” that could bring temporary relief to taxpayers in a number of counties scheduled to reappraise properties this year — including Guilford and Harnett. Berger has framed the idea as simply buying time for the legislature to come up with more sweeping reforms.
The proposed constitutional amendment moving forward in the House could be that more sweeping idea, although it’s unclear if the Senate will go along if the idea passes the House.
Tax reduction has been a stated goal of Republican lawmakers for decades, but the proposed reappraisal moratorium and constitutional amendment are not guaranteed to pass. Neither Berger nor House Speaker Destin Hall has committed to supporting the other chamber’s idea for addressing rising property taxes.
Democrats have expressed skepticism over both plans. Senate Minority Leader Sydney Batch, D-Wake, chided Senate Republicans last week for failing to take up an amendment to Berger’s bill that would have lowered the state’s income threshold to qualify for property tax exceptions.
Rep. Lindsey Prather, D-Buncombe, said Monday — during a press conference calling for higher taxes on millionaires — that the property tax changes being proposed by GOP lawmakers seemed aimed more at gathering political credit than solving a problem.
“We can be the quote-unquote ‘good guys’ down here in Raleigh and say we’re going to lower your property taxes,” Prather said. “But all that means is that the local governments are going to have to be the ‘bad guys’ to raise revenue in other ways.”
Closing a loophole
The House Finance committee on Tuesday is expected to consider a proposal that could help municipal governments recoup more property tax revenue. The committee is expected to discuss House Bill 1042, which would tighten rules for nonprofit organizations that receive property tax exemptions.
The state currently allows certain organizations to avoid paying property taxes if they use their property entirely for charitable purposes and are not run for profit — a law that kept nearly $750 million worth of property out of Wake County’s tax base in 2025. The proposed change seeks to winnow down the list of who qualifies, especially nonprofits that provide affordable housing for low- or moderate-income people.
North Carolina
North Carolina (NCHSAA) High School Softball 2026 State Playoff Brackets, Matchups, Schedule – May 11
The 2026 North Carolina high school softball state playoff brackets are out, and High School On SI has all eight brackets with matchups and schedules for every team.
The first round begins on May 5, and the playoffs will culminate with the NCHSAA state championships being played May 27-30 at Duke University in Durham.
2026 North Carolina High School Baseball State Tournament Schedule
May 5: First Round
May 8: Second Round
May 12: Third Round
May 15: Fourth Round
May 19-23: Regionals
May 27-30: State Championships
North Carolina (NCHSAA) High School Softball 2026 State Playoff Brackets, Matchups, Schedule – May 11
CLASS 1A BRACKET (select to view full bracket details)
Third Round – May 12
No. 1 Bear Grass Charter vs. No. 5 Vance Charter
No. 3 East Columbus vs. No. 2 Northside – Pinetown
No. 1 Robbinsville vs. No. 5 Falls Lake Academy
No. 6 Bethany Community vs. No. 2 Oxford Preperatory
Third Round – May 12
No. 1 North Duplin vs. No. 8 Camden County
No. 5 Rosewood vs. No. 4 East Carteret
No. 3 Perquimans vs. No. 11 Pamlico County
No. 10 Franklin Academy vs. No. 2 Manteo
No. 1 South Stanly vs. No. 9 East Wilkes
No. 5 South Stokes vs. No. 4 Starmount
No. 3 Swain County vs. No. 6 Murphy
No. 7 Highland Tech vs. No. 2 Roxboro Community
Third Round – May 12
No. 1 Midway vs. No. 9 Providence
No. 12 Wallace-Rose Hill vs. No. 4 Heide Trask
No. 3 Farmville Central vs. No. 11 Ayden – Grifton
No. 10 Northwood vs. No. 2 McMichael
No. 1 West Lincoln vs. No. 8 Union Academy
No. 5 Draughn vs No. 4 Pine Lake Preperatory
No. 3 West Davidson vs. No. 11 East Surry
No. 7 Walkertown vs. No. 2 West Wilkes
Third Round – May 12
No. 1 Randleman vs. No. 9 Nash Central
No. 5 Bunn vs. No. 4 East Duplin
No. 3 Southwest Onslow vs. No. 6 Roanoke Rapids
No. 7 Ledford Senior vs. No. 2 Central Davidson
No. 1 West Stokes vs. No. 8 Forbush
No. 5 Pisgah vs. No. 4 West Stanly
No. 19 North Surry vs. No. 11 Foard
No. 10 Mount Pleasant vs. No, 2 Bunker Hill
Third Round – May 12
No. 1 Southeast Alamance vs. No. 8 C.B. Aycock
No. 5 Seaforth vs. No. 4 Rockingham County
No. 3 Eastern Alamance vs. No. 6 West Carteret
No. 7 South Brunswick vs. No. 2 Southern Nash
No. 1 Enka vs. No. 9 Oak Grove
No. 5 Crest vs. No. 13 West Rowan
No. 3 North Davidson vs. No. 6 Franklin
No. 10 East Rowan vs. No. 2 North Lincoln
Third Round – May 12
No. 1 Union Pines vs. No. 9 South Johnston
No. 5 South View vs. No. 4 Gray’s Creek
No. 3 J.H. Rose vs. No. 6 Harnett Central
No. 7 Triton vs. No. 2 West Brunswick
No. 1 Kings Mountain vs. No. 8 Charlotte Catholic
No. 5 Alexander vs. No. 13 T.C. Roberson
No. 3 Piedmont vs. No. 6 Central Cabarrus
No. 10 A.C. Reynolds vs. No. 2 South Caldwell
Third Round – May 12
No. 1 D.H. Conley vs. No. 8 Wake Forest
No. 5 Purnell Sweet vs. No. 4 Cleveland
No. 3 Heritage vs. No. 6 Topsail
No. 7 South Central vs. No. 2 New Bern
No. 1 Weddington vs. No. 8 Mooresville
No. 5 A.L. Brown vs. No. 4 Hickory Ridge
No. 3 East Forsyth vs. No. 11 Porter Ridge
No. 7 Ronald Reagan vs. No. 2 South Iredell
Third Round – May 12
No. 1 Willow Spring vs. No. 4 Hoggard
No. 3 E.A. Laney vs. No. 2 Cornith Holders
No. 1 Providence vs. No. 4 Hough
No. 3 West Forsyth vs. No. 2 Apex Friendship
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North Carolina
Perspective | What North Carolina gets right about workforce: Progress beyond politics
Across the country, workforce development is often framed as a policy challenge. In North Carolina, we’ve come to understand it as something more fundamental: a shared responsibility between educators and employers that works best when it rises above politics. It is a nonpartisan priority with bipartisan support — and a clear focus on outcomes.
North Carolina’s approach to workforce and talent development offers a different model — one grounded in collaboration, consistency, data, and a relentless focus on student and employer needs.
Over the past several years, our state has aligned around an ambitious goal: ensuring that 2 million North Carolinians ages 25-44 hold a high-quality credential or postsecondary degree by 2030. myFutureNC is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, led by a bipartisan Board of Directors, that was created to champion this work.
This goal is not owned by a single administration or political party. It is the state’s attainment goal — codified in law with bipartisan support and signed by the governor — to ensure North Carolina remains economically competitive now and into the future. The work is guided by leaders across business, education, policymakers, and philanthropy.
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This kind of alignment doesn’t happen by accident. It requires trust, discipline, and a willingness to prioritize long-term impact over short-term wins — placing the needs of students and employers above the silos that often define education and workforce systems.
North Carolina’s leaders don’t agree on everything, and unanimity is not what makes this work. There is broad agreement on a set of essential truths: Talent is the top driver of economic development. Education fuels economic prosperity, public safety, and healthier communities. Having a robust educational system and an educated population is one of our state’s greatest assets. Economic mobility matters. And preparing people for meaningful work benefits everyone.
This alignment is delivering results. North Carolina has been named the No. 1 state for business three out of the past four years and ranks No. 1 for workforce — reinforcing what’s possible when leaders stay focused on shared priorities.
This strong foundation has enabled progress in areas that often stall in partisan debate. Through strategic policy and philanthropic investments, the state has expanded pathways into high-demand careers, strengthened connections between education and industry, and increased access to work-based learning opportunities, including apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships.
That same foundation is shaping how policy is developed in real time. The proposed Workforce Act of 2026 reflects North Carolina’s cross-sector approach — bringing together business and education leaders, policymakers, and philanthropists to strengthen pathways into high-demand careers and expand access to work-based learning. Rather than introducing a new direction, this Act builds on what is already working, demonstrating how alignment can translate into coordinated action.
The bipartisan-led Governor’s Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships puts this approach into practice. Building on the state’s existing foundation, the council brings together leaders from industry, education, and government to strengthen coordination across the workforce system. Its value lies not in setting a new direction, but in reinforcing and accelerating a shared one.
This is what it looks like to build systems designed to last. Workforce development is not a one-year initiative or a single funding cycle — it is a long-term investment in people, communities, employers, and the educational infrastructure that supports them. North Carolina’s progress is rooted in structures that bring partners together consistently, align efforts across sectors, and create continuity beyond political cycles.
By embedding collaboration into how the work gets done — not just what gets prioritized — the state has created a model that can evolve over time while staying focused on its goals.
Work remains to be done. Gaps in attainment persist, and ensuring opportunity reaches every corner of the state will require continued focus and innovation. But North Carolina’s significant progress and continued success being No. 1 nationally in many related categories demonstrates what is possible when leaders choose partnership over partisanship.
At a time when it’s easy to focus on what divides us, North Carolina offers a reminder: Some of the most important work we do — preparing people for the future of work and ensuring employers have access to skilled talent — is our north star and unifying force.
And in our shared goal of 2 million by 2030, we are not just building a stronger workforce. We are building a stronger state — for today and for generations to come.
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