TV WRAL | August 12, 2026

Where are the teachers? New data shows full-time teacher shortages in the Triangle

Several districts around the Triangle said they are struggling to fill vacancies just two weeks before the start of the traditional school calendar.

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Print News from the States | August 12, 2026

If Idaho insurer met hospital’s pay raise, state employees’ costs would rise, official says

“It’s my understanding: had we given them what they were requesting for an increase, it would have increased our entire health plan by 7%,” Knowlton said. “The entire 65,000 members would see a 7% increase, to allow 3,000 members to stay in the network.”

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Print BusinessNC | August 12, 2026

Another competitive SECU board election?

The N.C. State Employees’ Credit Union is gearing up for its board election that concludes at the Oct. 13 annual meeting, with five people vying for three slots. The credit union’s five-member nominating committee, including four board members, recommended Charles Stone, Michael Clements and Christopher Dillon, according to a letter to members on the credit union’s website.

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Print News & Observer | August 5, 2026

NC lawmaker warns opening ICE detention center could hurt state prisons

Democratic U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross is calling on Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to reconsider opening an immigration detention facility in Eastern North Carolina, citing concerns about st

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Print News & Observer | August 5, 2026

UNC Health says new scheduling system won’t pay nurses less. Why it has critics.

UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill is implementing a new staffing system that changes how nurses sign up for extra shifts they want to pick up, typically in hard-to-fill time slots like nights and weekend

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Print News & Observer | August 4, 2026

Wake schools facing $17.6M in budget cuts. When will employees get their raises?

The Wake County school system is facing more than $17 million in budget cuts to pay for higher-than-expected state raises for school employees this year.

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TV WRAL | August 4, 2026

NC lawmakers advance changes to new state budget, election rules

State House lawmakers gave near-final approval Tuesday to technical corrections to the recently approved state budget.

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Print Carolina Journal | August 3, 2026

NC pension fund gains as Social Security insolvency concerns loom

North Carolina public pension fund posted a strong year, earning an estimated $17 billion and returning 12.4% during the year ending June 30.

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Print NC Treasurer | July 29, 2026

State Health Plan and Atrium Health Meet: Entities Agree to Further Conversations

State Health Plan leaders, including Board of Trustees Chair and State Treasurer Brad Briner, met with Atrium Health leaders on Monday in Raleigh.

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Print NC Newsline | July 29, 2026

NC Senate approves controversial elections bill along party lines

House Bill 834 focused mostly on ballot counting and voters supplying missing signatures.

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Radio/Podcast WUNC | July 29, 2026

NC legislature changing budget provisions, restoring some cuts

Less than a month after state lawmakers passed a long-overdue budget, they are making changes to the spending plan.

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Print BusinessNC | July 27, 2026

State Health Plan officials meet with Atrium execs

State Treasurer Brad Briner and the leader of the N.C. State Health Plan met with Atrium Health officials today.

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Print Washington Post | July 27, 2026

Governments don’t have to settle for mediocre workers

The Public Workforce Modernization Act, which takes effect in October, eliminates many credential requirements that made it unduly difficult to hire state workers.

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Radio/Podcast WPTF | July 22, 2026

Executive Director of SEANC Ardis Watkins discusses the new system for the state health plan

Reactions from major health systems continue for North Carolina new tiered system for the State Health Plan.

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Print WUNC News | July 21, 2026

State employees will wait another month for raises — and longer for bonuses

Ardis Watkins with the State Employees Association of North Carolina says the delay looks political.

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TV Spectrum News 1 | July 21, 2026

Health systems buck at State Health Plan, state employees executive defends change

We want members to be able to go to any provider they want to go to, Watkins said.

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Print Substack | July 17, 2026

Is Private Equity Failing America’s Retirees?

As Ardis Watkins puts it, the industry figured out these pools of public money are where they can get super rich.

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Print News & Observer | July 16, 2026

NC state workers have questions after State Health Plan switches network & insurer

Watkins said while the method is complex and hard to understand, we do need to give it time.

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Print Triangle Business Journal | July 16, 2026

Viewpoint: Hospital market needs more competition

Ardis Watkins, executive director of SEANC, and NC State Health Plan vice-chairman Brian Miller wrote a joint op-ed.

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TV Spectrum News | July 15, 2026

N.C. budget will provide raises for prison staff, but officials say more is needed

Wendell Powell is a captain at Harnett Correctional and president of SEANC. He said the budget will help with staffing, but there are a lot of areas and other issues.

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Radio/Podcast NC Newsline | July 13, 2026

Ardis Watkins, executive director of the SEANC, discusses shortcomings in the state budget

Newsline sat down with Ardis Watkins for a broader look at the spending plan.

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Radio/Podcast WFAE | July 13, 2026

North Carolina state employees get another premium hike, but sweeping changes to their health insurance could lower other costs

A 3% raise for most state employees is not going to cover inflation for this year alone.

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TV WRAL | July 10, 2026

Premiums to rise 5% for State Health Plan; state workers to be pushed to UNC for care

Ardis Watkins told the board that state employees got no raises in the last fiscal year, when premiums also increased.

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Print Carolina Journal | July 10, 2026

Budget prioritizes western NC rebuilding

SEANC has argued that many vacancies stem from compensation that has not kept pace with the labor market.

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Print NC Newsline | July 10, 2026

Premiums rise, but overall costs could fall for NC State Health Plan members under a new system

Ardis Watkins said workers should not have to pay higher premiums when their raises have not kept up with inflation.

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Print NC Newsline | July 10, 2026

Blue Cross to return as the NC State Health Plan third-party administrator

Blue Cross NC will return to processing State Health Plan benefit claims as its third-party administrator, replacing Aetna in 2028.

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Print NC Health News | July 10, 2026

What’s coming for state employees insurance in the coming year? Here are the details.

Ardis Watkins, executive director of SEANC, pointed out friction as she spoke to the trustees.

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TV WRAL | July 7, 2026

NC law extends parental leave to 12 weeks for state employees

State employees will be able to take up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after Gov. Josh Stein signed new legislation.

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TV WRAL | July 7, 2026

Stein signs $34B NC budget, ushering in tax cuts and raises for state employees after GOP agreement

Gov. Josh Stein signed a $34 billion state budget that Republican legislative leaders finalized last week.

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TV WRAL | July 3, 2026

As NC prisons struggle with vacancies, new budget ramps up spending. Will it be enough?

If you don't know how prisons work, no one knows what is going on behind closed doors, said Powell.

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Print ABC 11 | July 2, 2026

North Carolina lawmakers approve new state budget, sending plan to Governor Stein

This is a very disappointing budget, said Flint Benson, a political strategist and lobbyist for SEANC.

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TV ABC 11 | July 2, 2026

NC lawmakers approve new state budget — video report

Flint Benson, political strategist and lobbyist for SEANC, reacts to the budget approval.

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Print Axios | July 1, 2026

North Carolina lawmakers release full state budget proposal

State employees got no raise last year, while their healthcare costs went up dramatically.

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TV WFMY | June 30, 2026

Pay raises and tax cuts included in new NC state budget

WFMY News 2 breaks down how the budget will impact your bank account, with Ardis Watkins.

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Print The Assembly NC | June 30, 2026

N.C. Lawmakers Release Long-Awaited Budget. What’s In and What’s Out?

If NC is being run like a business, it is a business in terrible financial shape, said SEANC Executive Director Ardis Watkins.

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TV Spectrum News | June 30, 2026

We simply aren’t competitive: State employee group reacts to proposed pay increases in NC budget

Ardis Watkins, executive director of SEANC, does not think the raise is enough.

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Print News & Observer | June 30, 2026

Raises for teachers, police and state workers in NC budget. Here is the breakdown

Ardis Watkins said the 3% raises do not keep up with inflation and pointed out the lack of raises in 2025.

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TV WRAL | June 30, 2026

NC lawmakers unveil long-awaited state budget with tax cuts, raises for state employees

SEANC strongly disputed the rosy view and pointed to the relatively small raises most state workers will receive.

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Print WUNC | June 30, 2026

Long-delayed NC budget released with raises, Helene funding, ferry tolls and more

SEANC says the raises do not keep pace with inflation and is also concerned about the elimination of vacant positions.

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Print NC Newsline | June 30, 2026

NC legislature releases $34B budget deal, expects votes this week

Ardis Watkins noted the raises did little to financially help most state workers who saw no increase in pay last year.

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TV CBS 17 | June 30, 2026

NC lawmakers release proposed $34.4 billion state budget

This budget sends a strange message, we are doing great financially, but we do not have any money to do the right thing by most of our workers.

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Radio/Podcast WPTF | June 30, 2026

Ardis Watkins discusses SEANC reaction to proposed pay increases in NC budget

A deal has been reached on the North Carolina state budget including income tax cuts and pay raises for state employees.

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TV CBS 17 | June 26, 2026

No budget, no raises: July 1 pay bumps likely delayed for NC teachers, state employees and retirees

It puts a financial hardship on us, a strain. It is like they do not care.

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Print Carolina Public Press | June 17, 2026

Strange bedfellows. Selling WakeMed and Atrium deal as a marriage.

SEANC warned that the deal would increase premiums for state employees.

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TV ABC 11 | June 14, 2026

Dangerous heat leads to families, workers changing daily routines to stay safe

Wendell Powell, President of SEANC, discusses heat safety resources available to members.

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Print EdNC | June 8, 2026

State Health Plan board votes to increase out-of-pocket costs, copays for Medicare Advantage plans

Suzanne Beasley, director of government relations for SEANC, said these increases are going to turn our folks on their head.

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Print Carolina Journal | May 22, 2026

Mergers only make hospital monopolies worse

SEANC Ardis Watkins co-authored this Carolina Journal opinion piece on why the public should be suspicious of the Atrium Health WakeMed merger.

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TV WFMY | May 15, 2026

State employees will push lawmakers for budget, higher pay on lobby day

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TV WRAL | April 18, 2026

North Carolina State Employees fighting for raises with budget up in the air

Ardis Watkins talks with WRAL about the need for state employees to receive cost-of-living raises.

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Print NC Health News | February 5, 2026

NC prisons face dire staffing crisis

Our staffing situation is dire, and it is dangerous to my staff, to the people in my custody and to the people of North Carolina.

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Print News & Observer | January 6, 2026

Does NC government have $1B in lapsed salaries? Auditor and governor disagree

If we are serious about providing decent services to the public, we have to be serious about funding the agencies providing those services, Ardis Watkins said.

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Radio/Podcast WPTF Morning Show

SEANC director Ardis Watkins discusses her concerns about eliminating unfilled state jobs

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