The N.C. House and Senate have come to terms on legislation to reopen schools for in-person instruction. The measure, Senate Bill 37, says schools shall provide the option of in-person instruction to students in grades kindergarten through 12 for the remainder of the scheduled 2020-21 school year. Classes would begin no later than the first...
Dr. Bob Luebke, senior fellow at the John Locke Foundation’s Center for Effective Education, shares his concerns about a proposal to expand summer school options in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more here: “Lawmakers look to implement statewide summer school program for at-risk students.”
As state lawmakers try to sort out when students can go back to school full time, members of the House are sponsoring a bill that would offer a voluntary summer school program for North Carolina students. House Republicans held a news conference Tuesday, Feb. 16, to discuss their bill, which allows local school districts to...
Jonathan Williams, executive vice president of policy and chief economist at the American Legislative Exchange Council, calls North Carolina the “gold standard for pro-growth tax reform.” Learn more here: “North Carolina is the gold standard for pro-growth tax reform.”
While Burr’s vote to convict, shocked many, those who know him best say they were not surprised.
As recently as 2019, North Carolina schools ranked seventh in the country in value-added performance. In 2024, we were 32nd.
Walk into any given convenience store or smoke shop and buy a vape. No one can tell you where it was made or what is in it, and there’s no guarantee the clerk bothers to ID.
Danny Batten doesn't need to spout economic theory to put a key free-market principle to work for his New Bern and Edenton stores.
While Jaleeyah’s Law is a step in the right direction, it’s not the only place to which lawmakers need to turn their attention.
On Wednesday, Dave Boliek was sworn in as the new state auditor of North Carolina and announced his hires for senior staff and says he will start work with an audit of the Department of Motor Vehicles.
The year 2024 was marked by significant developments across politics, the economy, education, and energy in North Carolina. As one of the nation’s most dynamic and closely watched states, it played a pivotal role in shaping regional and national conversations.
"Dan has been a tireless fighter for our MAGA Movement in the House of Representatives on the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees," Trump said in a press release issued Tuesday night. "Dan will implement my cost-cutting and deregulatory agenda across all Agencies, and root out the Weaponized Deep State."
The North Carolina Democratic Party filed a lawsuit Friday to ensure challenges of 60,000 ballots in the state's latest election are addressed in federal court. Republicans filed the challenges with the State Board of Elections. The challenges could affect the outcome of the state Supreme Court race between Democrat Allison Riggs and Jefferson Griffin, along with a handful of state legislative contests.
Republican North Carolina Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin is turning to North Carolina’s second-highest court for an order that would force state election officials to make a final decision about Griffin’s election protests Tuesday. The State Board of Elections had planned to hear oral arguments about the protests the following day, according to a document Griffin filed Friday with the state Court of Appeals.
This week on The Debrief, we break down the latest on Helene recovery efforts and Lake Lure bridge safety, where rebuilding, public access and long-term infrastructure questions remain front and center. We also bring you an update on North Carolina’s budget process, examine the renewed push to abolish the US Department of Education and what...
This week on The Debrief, Mitch Kokai and Donna King discuss the remaining covid lawsuits and other court cases in North Carolina. Plus, North Carolina State Board of Elections Executive Director Sam Hayes sat down with Carolina Journal’s Theresa Opeka to talk about his first year in office, including his accomplishments and what’s on the...
Donna King, Carolina Journal editor-in-chief, discusses major developments in North Carolina’s ongoing state budget debate. King offered these comments during the May 15, 2026, edition of PBS North Carolina’s “State Lines.”
Carolina Journal reporter David Bass speaks with former University of North Carolina at Asheville research assistant Aidan Settman about his whistleblower complaint against the university.
Mitch Kokai, John Locke Foundation senior political analyst, discusses North Carolina’s high-profile US Senate race. Kokai offered these comments during an April 21, 2026, interview with WNCN (CBS17).
The NC Senate unanimously passed a ban on social media accounts for children under 14, rejecting four Democratic amendments — including a sweeping push from Minority Leader Sydney Batch to extend parental consent to older teens and rein in AI chatbots.
A bill prohibting the possesion and sale of hemp-derived and Kratom products by any under 21 was voted throught to the House Rules Committee.
NC lawmakers consider a $10 fee on strip clubs serving alcohol, sparking debate over sexual assault funding and First Amendment rights.
The future of American civic life depends on students' continued willingness to learn real lessons from the nation's past.
What YMCA's Youth and Government program is doing is remarkable. This year’s conference garnered interest from NC state legislators, mayors, policy analysts, and state officials.
Times change. When we introduce IOPL to potential fellows, partners, and donors, some hear the word “political” and think “toxic,” or at least “partisan.”
Like a faith gathering, it incorporated music, fellowship, shared meals, and thoughtful discourse — but with democracy as its central theme.
Political and cultural causes are important. They motivate us to make the world around us better and hone our sense of justice. Also, the excitement of fighting the good fight can be, for lack of a better word, fun. But everything has its time and place. And even if we think a particular political issue...
On Good Friday state offices will be closed in North Carolina for Holy Week, along with 10 other states. However, that has not always been the case in North Carolina. The Monday after Easter — rather than Good Friday — was a legal holiday in North Carolina for 52 years, and for many years before...