AARP in North Carolina commissioned this survey to gauge the opinions of North Carolina residents ages 50 and older on specific legislative issues facing the state. 

Key findings include:

• Half (51%) of all North Carolinians ages 50 and older feel the governor and state legislators should balance the state budget by finding new ways to raise money without cutting state services. Slightly less than one third (30%) feel the state needs to cut state services and find new ways to raise money in order to balance the state budget.
• Nearly six in ten (57%) of North Carolinians ages 50 and older would support the state providing additional funding for home and community based services even if it meant an increase in taxes.  Moreover, most (87%) support the state providing family caregivers with a tax break. 
• Well over two-thirds (69%) of all North Carolinians ages 50 and older support the state increasing the Homestead Exemption income eligibility level for low income seniors and disabled homeowners from $25,000 to $30,000 even if they would not be eligible for the tax exemption.
• The majority (77%) of North Carolinians oppose a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that allows corporations and unions to spend as much money as they want to help political candidates win elections.

This phone survey was done by Universal Survey, Inc. from  December 16 through December 21, 2010 and 800 interviews were completed. For more information, please contact Jennifer Sauer at jsauer@aarp.org.