Call me crazy, but I think the real madness this March isn’t happening on a basketball court—it’s happening, and has been happening, right here in North Carolina.

While millions of Americans are glued to March Madness brackets, debating upsets and Cinderella stories, our state is living through a very different kind of bracket—one where every round has the same outcome: delay, dysfunction, and a legislature that still hasn’t done its most basic job.

Passing a budget shouldn’t be dramatic. It shouldn’t be suspenseful. And it certainly shouldn’t be 261 days late.

I’ll admit, I’m not much of a sports person. I don’t spend time analyzing matchups or predicting who’s going to cut down the nets. But I do understand the value of showing up, doing the work, and finishing what you started. That’s not a partisan idea. It’s not even a political one. It’s a basic expectation.

And yet, here we are.

In North Carolina, the budget is more than just numbers on a page. It’s teacher pay. It’s funding for public safety. It’s investments in infrastructure, healthcare, and economic opportunity. When a budget is delayed, those priorities are delayed. When it stalls, communities stall with it.

There are real consequences to inaction. Schools are left in limbo. Local governments can’t plan effectively. Families and small businesses are left wondering when—or if—the support they were promised will actually materialize.

In any other setting, being this late would be unacceptable. Imagine a business operating nearly nine months behind on its financial plan. Imagine a household refusing to finalize its budget while bills pile up. It wouldn’t fly. And it shouldn’t fly in government either.

But too often, the excuses start to sound familiar. Negotiations take time. Differences need to be worked out. The process is complicated.

Sure. Governing isn’t easy. It requires compromise, discipline, and leadership. But difficulty doesn’t justify delay—especially not on something this fundamental.

That’s why I put together a different kind of bracket this year. No buzzer-beaters. No upsets. No underdogs. Just one inevitable outcome, over and over again: pass the budget.

Because at the end of the day, this isn’t a game.

North Carolinians don’t need or want political theater. They don’t need drawn-out standoffs or endless rounds of “wait until next week.” They need a government that functions. They need leaders who understand that public service comes with responsibilities—not just during campaign season, but every single day in office.

There’s still time to get this right. There’s still time for lawmakers to step up, come together, and do what should have been done months ago.

But let’s be clear: 261 days late isn’t just a delay. It’s a failure of priorities and leadership.

So while others are watching brackets unfold on TV, I’ll be watching for something far more important: whether the people elected to lead this state can finally do their job.

No more drama. No more excuses. No more waiting.

Just pass the budget.