Cover

• The state’s budget woes have prompted serious attempts to reform the tax code. Lawmakers and policy experts have busied themselves this spring with trying to figure out how the tax code got to be such a complex mess and how the state can make it more fair and efficient. Page 1

North Carolina

• Congressional and legislative districts can split county lines despite the state Constitution’s provision saying they may not. Page 3
• Lottery opponents learn valuable lessons from Alabama and South Carolina. Page 4
• In the final of three important school-spending decisions in the Leandro v. North Carolina case, Wake County Superior Court Judge Howard Manning ruled that N.C. public schools must focus their dollars on low-performing students before offering non-essential programs. Page 5

Education

• Is Earth Day education based on science or environmental advocacy? Page 6
• Johnston County school population swells, spurring new teacher retention policies. Page 7
• Paige Holland says people of faith should play a large role in schools. Page 7
• Judge says poor-performing students must come first in public schools. Page 8
• High student expectations can be the key to academic success. Page 9

Higher Education

• Controversial ad ignites protests from some students on N.C. campuses. Page 10
• N.C. colleges and universities do well protecting free speech. Page 11
• UNC Board of Governors approves tuition increases at eight schools. Page 12
• You can’t even pay some colleges to publish conservative ideas. Page 12
• Controversial play turns activists into “frat boy” pranksters. Page 13
• Community College legislation would offer more administrative decision-making authority. Page 13

Local Government

• Is the one-cent sales tax increase dead on arrival? Page 14
• Rural high-speed Internet access is already here, providers say. But that’s not stopping the state from spending money trying to spread it across the state. Page 15
• Vernon Robinson says Winston-Salem’s “Legacy” plan is a bad deal. Page 15
• One on one with Raleigh Mayor Paul Coble. Page 16
• Buses, arenas, historic districts all made local headlines last month. Page 17

Learning Curve

• Reviews of the film, George Washington and Jim Hunt’s book, First in America: An Education Governor Challenges North Carolina. Page 18
• Reviews of Losing the Race: Self-Sabotage in Black America by James McWhorter and A Personal Oddyssey by economist Thomas Sowell. Page 19

Opinion

• Editorials address Gov. Mike Easley’s patronage problem and the state’s cap on charter schools. Page 20
• Editorials on the N.C. Microelectronics Center and the Charlotte Hornets, and John Hood explains the best methods of investing in human capital. Page 21
• Don Carrington argues that most state boards are unneeded and should be abolished. Page 22
• Michael Walden explains how the federal tax code affects married couples and what can be done to eliminate the marriage tax penalty. Page 23
• Erik Root says the state should strengthen, not weaken, marriage laws. Page 23

Parting Shot

• John Hood uncovers forgotten memos from a small, N.C. town revealing that government officials will use any excuse to justify tax increases. Page 24