News

Appeals Court Upholds Six-Year Easement Limitation

RALEIGH — Duke Energy advanced a number of policy arguments claiming that a six-year statute of limitations was too short, including that the utility would incur “the substantial cost of continuously patrolling [its] easements, [resulting] in higher rates.” The appeals court said that assigning responsibility for those costs was a matter for the legislature rather than the courts to decide.

Michael Lowrey

Dr. Roy Cordato, John Hood

Dranias: Balanced-Budget Compact Could Limit Debt

RALEIGH — Among other functions, the amendment would limit federal debt to 105 percent of its level at the time the amendment passed. Congress would have to gain the approval of a majority of state legislatures to exceed that debt limit. Further, it would require a two-thirds roll call vote of the whole number of each chamber of Congress to approve a new or increased general revenue tax.

Dan Way

Podcast

CJ Radio’s Most Fascinating Interviews Of 2014

John Hood on job-creating policies; Robert George on role of civic virtue in preserving limited government; Benjamin Ginsburg on election law; Chris Conover on risk associated with no health insurance; Roy Cordato on negative impacts of capital gains tax

JLF experts assess N.C. Medicaid debate, court cases

John Locke Foundation Chairman John Hood and Vice President Becki Gray answer host Tom Campbell’s questions about North Carolina’s debates over Medicaid and the state’s most significant recent court cases. These exchanges took place during the Dec. 28, 2014, episode of N.C. Spin.

PARODY: McCrory’s Christmas Gift List Shows He’s No Grinch

RALEIGH — With the holidays approaching, Carolina Journal has learned that Gov. Pat McCrory plans a 2015 “charm offensive” targeting legislative leaders, his most ardent left-of-center critics, and other key players in N.C. politics and public policy. A series of internal memos uncovered by CJ details several pieces of the governor’s campaign, including a list of potential Christmas gifts for people across the political spectrum.

CJ Staff

Federalist 18: Insufficiency of Present Confederation to Preserve Union cont..

As a weak government, when not at war, is ever agitated by internal dissentions, so these never fail to bring on fresh calamities from abroad.

James Madison

Supreme Court was right to protect donor privacy, and NC was ready

This decision is good news for every organization that has ever stood in government’s crosshairs for holding the “wrong” views. And it is good news for every North Carolinian who has ever written a check to a cause worth fighting for.

Jeanette Doran

Medicaid ‘home health’ spending needs a closer look

While NC's $35 billion budget seems large, consider that spending on the state's Medicaid program ALONE spends that much, mostly through the federal government.

David Larson

Hedge-fund winnings from courtroom bets aren’t capital gains

When a hedge fund stakes $20 million on a mass tort and walks away with $200 million, somehow the IRS is supposed to treat it like a lucrative investment into an early Silicon Valley unicorn.

Yaël Ossowski

Celebrating the late birthday of NC women’s right to vote

By 1971, however, feminism and women’s rights were emerging issues, and North Carolina had not ratified women’s most basic political right, the right to vote.

Nate Graham

Should NC reform its primary system? The case to return to 40% threshold

In a Carolina Journal poll conducted shortly after the November elections, 43% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the results of the 2024 primaries, stating that they did not produce the best candidates for the general election. While 46% were satisfied and 10% were unsure, the significant level of dissatisfaction highlights potential issues within North Carolina’s primary system.

Donna King

Boliek sworn in as state auditor, says he’ll start with audit of DMV

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.

Katherine Zehnder

2024 in review: A year of civic engagement in NC

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.

Donna King

Trump nominates Bishop to be deputy director for budget at OMB

"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."

Theresa Opeka

Democrats want federal court to address GOP challenge of 60,000 NC ballots

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.

CJ Staff

Griffin asks Appeals Court to order decision on election protests by Tuesday

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.

CJ Staff

UNC-Asheville whistleblower complaint explored

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.

David N. Bass

Locke’s Mitch Kokai analyzes NC’s marquee Senate race

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).

Mitch Kokai

Locke’s Donald Bryson analyzes NC teacher pay proposals

John Locke Foundation CEO Donald Bryson discusses current ideas for raising teacher pay in North Carolina. Bryson offered these comments during the April 10, 2026, edition of PBS North Carolina’s “State Lines.”

Donald Bryson

Locke’s Mitch Kokai analyzes Berger’s election concession

Mitch Kokai, John Locke Foundation senior political analyst, discusses Sen. Phil Berger’s concession in his primary election loss to Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page. Kokai offered these comments during the March 27, 2026, edition of PBS North Carolina’s “State Lines.”

Mitch Kokai

Carolina Journal analyzes Berger’s election concession

Nick Craig of the Carolina Journal News Hour and the John Locke Foundation’s Mitch Kokai discuss Senate Leader Phil Berger’s election concession on March 24, 2026.

NIck Craig, Mitch Kokai

Cooper, King analyze recent polling in NC’s US Senate race

Political scientist Chris Cooper of Western Carolina University and Carolina Journal Editor-in-Chief Donna King discuss recent polls in North Carolina’s 2026 US Senate race. Cooper and King offered these comments during the Jan. 23, 2026, edition of PBS North Carolina’s “State Lines.”

Donna King

How UNC silenced satire and the Daily Tar Heel

The articles may have been a bit out of touch, yes — but many of them were also really funny. And more importantly, students on campus should have the latitude to make clumsy jokes.

Isabella Cashman

Carolinians helped shape comic culture

While we properly associate American pop culture with places such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, I’d recently come to appreciate the pivotal contributions of North and South Carolinians to the pulp fiction of the early 20th century and the comic-book culture that followed it.

John Hood

2027 Military World Games: Charlotte to make history as first US host city

The Queen City is set to be the first US host of the 2027 Military World Games.

Katherine Zehnder

Gov. Stein presents Long Leaf Pine honors at Executive Mansion

The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is one of North Carolina’s highest civilian honors, awarded to individuals with a proven record of extraordinary service to the state.

Anna Claire Walker

NC home to key figures in renewed religious freedom debate

Although the debate is national in scope, NC has become an unexpected focal point, with figures like Greear, Wolfe, and Spangler reflecting an ongoing divide within American conservatism over the role religion should play in public life.

Anna Claire Walker

A post-Thanksgiving reflection on gratitude over grievance

Outrage won’t solve our problems. And it won’t prepare us for tomorrow. What is needed now is a sense of redemption and reasons to feel hopeful.

Michael Cooper

The importance of civic engagement 250 years after the founding

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.

Drew DiMeglio

Institute fosters stronger public leadership

Times change. When we introduce IOPL to potential fellows, partners, and donors, some hear the word “political” and think “toxic,” or at least “partisan.”

John Hood

NC leaders champion post-election unity through ‘Civic Saturdays’

Like a faith gathering, it incorporated music, fellowship, shared meals, and thoughtful discourse — but with democracy as its central theme.

Ashlynn Warta

For healthy civil society, politics needs to stay in its lane

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...

David Larson