The North Carolina Senate unanimously voted June 6 for a bill that increases the penalties and charges for organized retail theft. House Bill 1005 passed by a vote of 102-0 and would mean a maximum 41 month prison term for those who conspire to steal $50,000 of merchandise or more within a 90 day period. If they steal more than $100,000 worth of goods in a 90 day period, they could face up to 182 months in prison; more than 15 years.
A coastal N.C. town faces a new lawsuit over rules that block an entrepreneur from selling local artists’ goods outside a traditional brick-and-mortar store. Ami Hill filed suit Tuesday morning in Dare County Superior Court against Kill Devil Hills. With help from the Pacific Legal Foundation, Hill is challenging the Dare County town’s restrictions for...
In a vote Monday evening, the N.C. Senate gave final approval to legalize use of medical marijuana in North Carolina. The Compassionate Care Act lays out a system of limited licensed growers, distributors who must be associated with those growers, and two boards to regulate the new industry made up of industry experts, doctors, and pharmacists, all appointed by N.C. lawmakers and the governor.
A Democratic North Carolina Congresswoman deemed to be one of the richest members of Congress has over $1 million socked away in a Cayman Islands-based fund, a notorious tax haven for wealthy Americans.
A former candidate for town council in Sedalia says he filed a report with the N.C. State Auditor’s Office in early June to make the auditor aware of questionable issues with the council’s use of credit cards and town finances. Ed Piotrowski’s complaint comes amid allegations that council members targeted him due to his race...
In our latest CJ Poll, one of the highest concerns among voters was Social Security and Medicare, the two behemoth entitlement programs that seniors rely on after retirement.
Laws are a dead letter without courts to expound and define their true meaning and operation.
NC law should not force consumers toward malt-based alternatives simply because those products fit more neatly into older regulatory categories.
I’m not saying government should stand by and do nothing, but we should certainly be wary of creating broad new authorities for state government without clear evidence that the benefits outweigh the costs.
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, 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).
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.”
Social media bill is quickly advancing through the General Assembly, Democrats say it may not go far enough.
I’m not saying government should stand by and do nothing, but we should certainly be wary of creating broad new authorities for state government without clear evidence that the benefits outweigh the costs.
The federal ban, and a new UNC Board of Governors policy emphasizing free speech and nondiscrimination, have not ended research targeted by the Trump administration for promoting left-wing racial and gender ideology.
Several participants suggested modern institutions have become more isolated, more bureaucratic, and less connected to the communities they serve.
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...