Carolina Journal News Reports | 2012 Archive

RALEIGH — Net growth in the percentage of North Carolina students attending schools of choice between 2001 and 2010 posed no threat to traditional public school enrollment. That’s a key conclusion in a new John Locke Foundation Policy Report.

RALEIGH — Under the proposed legislation, N.C. high school students who scored a 3 or better on most Advanced Placement tests would have been eligible to receive college credit in exchange for the passing grade. Teachers would have received a $50 bonus for each student who received a 3 or better on an AP test.

RALEIGH — Remarks made July 13 by President Obama about business owners did not sit well with North Carolina entrepreneurs and a business trade association representative who spoke with Carolina Journal.

RALEIGH – State Treasurer Janet Cowell is pushing to require Nike Inc., Devon Energy, and Halliburton to make their political contributions more transparent. The state’s pension funds hold substantial investments in the three companies.

ASHEVILLE — The rule requires board members to submit all requests for information to the superintendent of schools for “discretionary decisions” on allocating staff time. Requests submitted within 48 hours of a meeting also must go to the school board chairman.

RALEIGH — GOP candidates in 2010 promised voters they would enact a detailed policy agenda if they won a legislative majority, even though they would have to work with a Democratic governor, Bev Perdue. The 10-item agenda dealt with fiscal policies, economic growth, and education reform, among other issues.

RALEIGH — At some schools, nearly 80 percent of students receive Pell Grants — meaning only one in five students at those schools does not get one. Pell grants are the biggest expenditure of the Department of Education.

HILLSBOROUGH — Though the state Supreme Court is expected to rule on the legality of video sweepstakes parlors, state lawmakers and many municipalities have crafted laws to tax and regulate Internet cafés, which critics contend are a back door to gambling. Hillsborough’s experience is no different.

RALEIGH — Both major party candidates for governor said they could not support the proposed North Carolina International Terminal, a priority of Govs. Mike Easley and Bev Perdue. But oppponents of the project worry that a future General Assembly could revive it.

RALEIGH — North Carolina could promote economic growth and wealth creation by replacing its existing personal income tax with a flat-rate consumed income tax. That’s the assessment of Dr. Roy Cordato, economist and John Locke Foundation vice president for research and resident scholar. Cordato discussed the issue with Donna Martinez for Carolina Journal Radio.

RALEIGH — Less than a month after North Carolina legislators approved more money for the state’s film tax incentives program, a new John Locke Foundation Spotlight Report pans film incentives as a clear example of cronyism. Another newly released Policy Report helps launch a series titled “Carolina Cronyism.”

DURHAM — Despite — or perhaps because of — food trucks’ success, city planners have proposed banning them within 100 feet of restaurants, and 300 feet of special events including Durham’s weekly farmers’ market, which has become a hot spot for food trucks.

RALEIGH — Election officials and academics called on the General Assembly to scrap the state’s expensive, no-show runoff elections. Second primaries are held when no candidate in the first primary reaches a 40 percent plurality threshold and the second-place finisher requests it.

ROANOKE RAPIDS — The failed Randy Parton Theatre may soon become an Internet gambling facility and bar. Plans for a lease-to-buy deal for the financially ailing facility, now known as the Roanoke Rapids Theater, could be announced within days.

RALEIGH — The 2012 short session of the General Assembly saw some proposed reforms to the public schools move forward, while others lacked the political support to advance. More changes to state public school policy could make headway once lawmakers return to Raleigh next year.

RALEIGH — The N.C. Court of Appeals has upheld the state’s ban on smoking in most bars and restaurants, rejecting a challenge from a Pitt County operator of for-profit clubs that sought to avoid the ban. Dr. Roy Cordato, John Locke Foundation vice president for research and resident scholar, says the smoking ban represents just one example of government overreach into our daily lives. Cordato discussed the issue with Donna Martinez for Carolina Journal Radio.

RALEIGH — The state has put each taxpayer $14,800 in debt, A report from the Institute for Truth in Accounting says. The financial burden on North Carolinians is worse than that on taxpayers in 34 other states, landing not too far behind California and New York on a scale of indebtedness.

CHAPEL HILL – While some states are opting out of expanded Medicaid provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, state Rep. Verla Insko confidently predicts North Carolina will participate in the expansion despite a temporary spike in costs to the state.

RALEIGH — The John Locke Foundation’s new Agenda 2012 Policy Report offers more than 100 recommendations addressing such critical public policy goals as boosting taxpayers' job prospects, improving children's education, and reducing overly high taxes and burdensome regulations.

RALEIGH — Bear Grass Charter School wants to move into the Bear Grass High School building, which has been closed since June 2010. The high school was consolidated with a school in a nearby town because of low student populations. Moreover, the Martin County School Board said the building was unsafe.

RALEIGH — Activities such as bill drafting, model legislation, and disseminating research and analysis for the use of legislators are standard activities for many nonprofits of the right and left. Only ALEC has drawn the ire of left-of-center groups for its participation in these activities.

RALEIGH — If you’ve spent much time following the news surrounding global warming, you might have noticed that each new report on the topic seems to tell us that conditions are much worse than scientists had expected. It’s rare to hear about research that says conditions are better than projected or about the same. Dr. Patrick Michaels, senior fellow in environmental studies with the Cato Institute, says there’s a good reason for this pattern in the way global warming research is presented. Michaels discussed the issue with Mitch Kokai for Carolina Journal Radio.

RALEIGH — Democratic Reps. Mike McIntyre of the 7th District and Larry Kissell of the 8th District say they will vote July 11 to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Retiring Reps. Heath Shuler of the 11th District and Brad Miller of the 13th District have not said what they will do.

RALEIGH — North Carolina economic development officials continue to tout overseas trade as an avenue to lift the state from its economic doldrums. But some business owners and elected officials believe federal policy has become an impediment to the growth of exports in manufacturing.

RALEIGH – An override of Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue’s budget veto highlighted a day of votes in which the Republican-controlled General Assembly shot down the governor’s vetoes three times.

RALEIGH — They are heralding solutions to education woes, an anemic economy, joblessness and illegal immigration, but Republican congressional and lieutenant governor candidates in North Carolina’s July 17 runoff elections lament that their messages will not spark much voter turnout.