RALEIGH — The top spending U.S. Senate race in North Carolina was in 1984, when incumbent GOP Sen. Jesse Helms defeated then Democratic Gov. Jim Hunt. That year, the two spent $20.14 per registered voter in inflation-adjusted dollars. The next two highest per-voter spending races also had Helms’ name on the ballot — 1990 and 1978, respectively.
RALEIGH — The latest federal employment report delivers excellent news for North Carolina. That's the assessment from the John Locke Foundation's chairman, who notes that state employers added 14,000 new jobs in September. That means a net employment gain of 108,500 over the past year.
RALEIGH — Some of the 32 members of the UNC system Board of Governors say UNC General Administration and college chancellors are reluctant to provide board members information about spending at the campuses. New internal policies frustrate requests for information, and block discussion of important topics at meetings, they say.
Sarah Curry, John Locke Foundation director of fiscal policy studies, discusses property tax rates in North Carolina. Curry offered these comments during an interview with Donna Martinez for Carolina Journal Radio (Program No. 596).
Dr. Philip Miller, who practiced internal medicine and cardiology for 34 years with Wake Internal Medicine Consultants Inc. and who works now as a part-time physician with the Military Entrance Processing Station, discusses North Carolina’s history with frontal lobotomy surgeries. Miller offered these comments during an Oct. 20, 2014, speech for the John Locke Foundation’s...
Under a grade floor, sometimes called a “no zero” rule, students cannot receive below a pre-determined score (often 50% or 60%), even if they never hand in a single assignment during that period.
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.
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...