North Carolina Gov. North Carolina ranks first in the all-important Workforce category of CNBC's study. Strong workers fuel GDP, solid state finances North Carolina's strong workforce helped feed its performance in other categories. "It's clear that the Republican legislature is aiming to choke the life out of public education," Cooper said on May 24. Abortion rights demonstrators gather to protest in Raleigh, North Carolina, after the Supreme Court's decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health case, June 24, 2022.

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