Opinion
Lawmakers aren’t deadlocked on regulation
For more than a decade, lawmakers have used both fiscal and regulatory policy to make North Carolina a more attractive place to live, work, and do business.
Video
Locke’s Jeff Moore discusses NC state budget stalemate
Jeff Moore, John Locke Foundation vice president of communications, discusses North Carolina’s ongoing state budget negotiations. Moore offered these comments during the June 20, 2025, edition of PBS North Carolina’s “State Lines.”
Video
The Debrief: REINS Act, energy mandates, and NC state budget
This week on “The Debrief” we focus on legislators’ efforts to rein in government regulators and get rid of costly renewable energy mandates. We discuss the latest on the state budget debate and efforts to protect young people using social media. We’ll also respond to a Democratic lawmaker’s controversial social media post in the context...
News
Reserve Fund Spotlight: State Capital Infrastructure Fund
Both the House and Senate have outlined appropriations from the SCIF reserve in the budget proposal currently being negotiated.
Opinion
Bridging the divide on personal income taxes
Perhaps a middle ground can be found between the House and Senate tax plans, like replacing the three 0.5 percentage point reductions with six 0.25 percentage point reductions spread over the same eight-year period.
News
NCInnovation audit committee flags errors, delays final approval of IRS filing
The audit committee for NCInnovation, the state-funded nonprofit at the center of recent legislative and financial scrutiny, has delayed approval of its latest IRS Form 990 following a detailed review revealing compliance issues, disclosure gaps, and unresolved questions about past filings. The decision came during a lengthy audit committee meeting this week, where external auditors...
Video
Locke’s Mitch Kokai assesses NC tax cut debate
Mitch Kokai, John Locke Foundation senior political analyst, discusses the divide between North Carolina House and Senate Republicans over future tax cuts. Kokai offered these comments during the June 13, 2025, edition of PBS North Carolina’s “State Lines.”
News
JetZero to bring $4.7 billion manufacturing facility to Greensboro
JetZero invests $4.7B in Greensboro for a cutting-edge aerospace facility, creating 14,000 jobs and revolutionizing aviation with sustainable innovation.
Video
The Debrief: Big Energy Savings, Big Government, And Big Storm Warnings
This week on The Debrief, Carolina Journal’s Donna King, Mitch Kokai, and Brianna Kraemer cut through the noise and break down the biggest headlines shaking up North Carolina. The House just voted to repeal the 2030 carbon mandate, promising $15 billion in savings—but critics say it jeopardizes clean energy; Meanwhile, the Senate passed the REINS...
News
Lawmakers push for 1% sales tax for Charlotte transportation projects
A bill that could dramatically reshape transportation funding and planning in Mecklenburg County took a key step forward this week as House Bill 948—the “PAVE Act”—cleared a House Transportation Committee.
News
NC Senate passes REINS Act to address costly regulations, boost oversight
North Carolina may join a growing number of states to rein in bureaucratic rulemaking with passage of the REINS Act. The measure imposes new checks on unelected regulatory bodies to curb the economic burden of expansive government. It now goes back to the North Carolina House for consideration.
Opinion
Flashy but flawed: The myth of the sales tax holiday
Despite being touted as a pro–working-class policy that spurs economic activity, sales tax holidays fail to increase economic growth while imposing burdensome compliance costs on small businesses and disproportionately benefiting affluent individuals. From 2002 through 2013, North Carolina offered a back-to-school sales tax holiday during the first weekend in August, for which eligible items, such as school supplies and...
