RALEIGH —The John Locke Foundation celebrated its 14th anniversary March 10 with a dinner featuring Colorado Gov. Bill Owens as keynote speaker.
The nonprofit think tank also honored Stokes County Commission Chairman Sandy McHugh and Franklin County businessman Bob Luddy with awards for their commitments to individual freedom and limited government.
Owens, recognized by National Review magazine as“ the best governor in America,” praised the work of the “new wave” of conservative think tanks such as the Locke Foundation and the Golden, Co.-based Independence Institute. He said those groups help political leaders make better, more- informed decisions.
“When policy makers have data (and) the arguments,” Owens said, “it allows us to win some of these policy debates.”
He won his first term as governor in 1998 and won reelection in 2002. During his tenure he pushed through the largest tax relief package in state history, amounting to $1 billion in cuts in rates of sales, personal income and capital gains taxes, and an elimination of the marriage penalty. Owens also instituted sweeping school reform by creating an education accountability system.
But Owens offered praise for the work of many other former and current conservative governors. He noted the accomplishment of former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson on the issue of welfare reform. He also cited Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s implementation of choice for employees in the state’s retirement plan, and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s ability to eliminate the income tax on capital gains realized from the sale of homes.
Owens attributed those successes to the leadership of President Ronald Reagan, who he said began the revolution that enabled modern-day conservatives to achieve their policy goals.
“Ronald Reagan understood where this nation needed to go to reach its potential,” Owens said.
Owens also explained a few of his own accomplishments, including a Taxpayer Bill of Rights for Colorado citizens, which limits the growth of the state budget by linking it to the inflation rate. All surplus revenues are refunded to the taxpayer. Owens believes Colorado’s tax policy is responsible for its consistently high rankings for business climate and income growth, and its low rankings in taxes per capita.
As the ceremonies closed, Bob Luddy was given the John William Pope Sr. Award for the Advancement of Freedom in North Carolina. He was recognized for, among other achievements, leading commissions in Raleigh and Wake County that promoted efficiency in government.
Sandy McHugh was honored with the James Knox Polk Award for Leadership in Public Office. As interim Stokes County manager in 2003 McHugh held the line on the budget when Gov. Mike Easley withheld local tax revenues. She and other leaders prioritized county spending and prevented a property tax increase.
Paul Chesser is associate editor of Carolina Journal. Contact him at [email protected].