NCDP Rural Caucus

09/03/2026

Rural counties cannot afford to have the state’s hands tied when it comes to funding schools, healthcare, roads, water systems, emergency services and disaster recovery.

The proposed income tax cap amendment would not lower the cost of groceries, housing, utilities or healthcare. It would limit North Carolina’s ability to respond to future needs and rural counties with smaller tax bases and fewer local options could be hit the hardest.

Before changing our state constitution, voters deserve to understand the long-term consequences. Protect rural communities. Protect our future choices. Vote NO on the income tax cap amendment.

As lawmakers move quickly to advance a constitutional amendment that would cap North Carolina’s income tax rate at 3.5%, North Carolinians should look beyond the political framing of “tax relief” and ask a bigger question: What would this amendment mean for North Carolina’s long-term economi...

09/01/2026

Medicaid is a lifeline in rural North Carolina, where healthcare is already harder to access. New reporting requirements, frequent eligibility checks and higher copays will create even more barriers for rural families and providers.

Read the latest from KFF:

This policy watch provides initial insight into how North Carolina is preparing to implement certain Medicaid provisions of the 2025 reconciliation law and how other policy changes may affect coverage and access to care.

08/28/2026

WHAT MAKES YOUR RURAL COMMUNITY SPECIAL?

Sometimes it’s good to set politics aside for a minute and simply celebrate the places we call home.

In Burke County, tucked into the foothills of western North Carolina, you’ll find the little town of Drexel and a barbershop where a haircut isn't necessarily the main attraction.

For years, the Drexel Barbershop has also been a gathering place for musicians, neighbors and friends to sit down and make a little music together. PBS NC even stopped by to capture some of it.

This is part of rural North Carolina, too the people, traditions and gathering places that give our communities their character.

Take a few minutes and enjoy the music.

Then tell us: What makes your rural community special?

Maybe it's a place, a tradition, a person, a view, a gathering spot — or something only the folks who live there would understand.

We'd love to hear about it.

Watch: The Drexel Barbershop on PBS NC

Rooted in Community • Focused on the Future
NCDP Rural Caucus.

The Drexel Barbershop offers haircuts and live bluegrass jams.

08/27/2026

Eastern North Carolina farmers produce some of the world's best commodities. They deserve strong, reliable markets to sell them.

That’s why I voted for the 2026 Farm Bill, which increases funding for the Market Access Program to $410 million and the Foreign Market Development Program to $82 million.

More access to global customers means greater opportunity for American agriculture, more stable farm income, and a more resilient rural economy across eastern North Carolina.

08/25/2026

"“Across North Carolina, rural communities are working hard to create places where businesses want to invest and where people can find good opportunities close to home,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “In keeping with North Carolina’s new First in Opportunity plan, we are proud to partner with rural communities across the state by providing these tools to support infrastructure.”

The RIA approved 10 grant requests under the state’s Building Reuse Program."

Governor Josh Stein today announced that North Carolina’s Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) has approved 11 grant requests for local governments totaling…

08/23/2026

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE, ARE WE THINKING ABOUT CYBERSECURITY?

When we think about the infrastructure that keeps rural communities running, we usually think about roads, bridges, broadband, electricity, water lines and wastewater systems.

But there is another piece we don't talk about nearly as much: cybersecurity.

Today's water and wastewater systems depend on technology to help operate pumps, treatment equipment and other critical systems. That means protecting our water infrastructure isn't only about maintaining pipes and treatment plants anymore. It's also about protecting the technology behind them.

For smaller and rural communities, that raises some important questions.

Do our local systems have the resources and expertise they need to protect themselves? What happens if technology goes down? Are backup systems and plans in place? And are rural communities receiving the same attention and resources as larger systems?

These aren't questions meant to scare anyone. They're questions worth thinking about.

Because cybersecurity isn't just about computers and big corporations.

It's also about protecting the basic services our rural communities depend on every single day.

08/21/2026

NC Congressional District 3 is one of the NCDP Rural Caucus priority districts for 2026.

Dr. Raymond Smith is holding a fundraiser on Tuesday, September 29, in Raleigh, with special guests NCDP Chair Anderson Clayton and NC House Democratic Leader Robert Reives.

We’re pleased to share this opportunity to support Democratic organizing and candidate efforts in one of North Carolina’s important rural congressional districts.

Event details, giving levels and RSVP information are included on the flyer.

08/21/2026

HOW DO WE KEEP GOOD TEACHERS IN RURAL NORTH CAROLINA?

We talk a lot about improving public education, but rural school districts face challenges that aren't always the same as those in larger cities.

Recruiting teachers is one problem. Keeping them can be another.

Pay matters. But so do housing costs, classroom support, working conditions, healthcare, planning time, school leadership and whether teachers feel supported by the community and the state.

And when a rural district loses a teacher, counselor, bus driver or other staff member, replacing that person isn't always easy.

So we'd like to hear from the people who know these schools best.

Teachers, parents, school employees and rural residents: What would actually help your community recruit and KEEP good teachers?

Tell us what's happening where you live.

08/19/2026

WHEN BIG DEVELOPMENT COMES TO A RURAL COMMUNITY, WHAT SHOULD WE BE ASKING?

Data centers and other large development projects are showing up in conversations across rural North Carolina.

Some communities see jobs, investment and a larger tax base. Others are concerned about water, electricity, noise, traffic, incentives and the impact on nearby residents.

Those are all legitimate things to talk about.

Instead of starting with "for it" or "against it," we'd like to start with questions.

How much power will the project use? What about water? How many permanent jobs will it create? What incentives are being offered? Who pays for new infrastructure? What protections are in place for neighboring property owners? And most importantly when does the community get a seat at the table?

Rural communities shouldn't find out the details after the decisions have already been made.

What questions do you think local leaders should have to answer before approving a major development project?

08/17/2026

RURAL HEALTHCARE: WHERE IS THE MONEY GOING?

North Carolina is receiving new federal funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program. That sounds good but for rural communities, the important question is what happens next.

Where is that money actually going?

Which rural hospitals, clinics and communities will benefit? Who decides? And how can the people who actually live in rural North Carolina have a voice in those decisions?

Access to healthcare continues to be one of the biggest concerns we hear from rural Democrats whether it's keeping hospitals open, finding a doctor close to home, getting emergency care or simply being able to afford the care you need.

We’ll be following the funding and asking where it goes.

But we also want to hear from you:

What is the biggest healthcare problem facing your rural community right now?