Cover

• Tobacco Trust funds footbridge to nowhere
• Major issues avoided in short session

North Carolina

• Six-figure N.C. pension payouts on the rise, Page 2
• Raw milk adherents fight state law forcing them underground, Page 3
• Report: Contractors bought booze for DMV employees, Page 4
• New rules limit pension fund manager political contributions, Page 5

Education

• Charter conference highlights interest in school choice, Page 6
• Terry Stoops commentary: A sound superintendent search, Page 6
• State’s overseer of private education retires after 25 years, Page 7
• N.C. Supreme Court strengthens public records law, Page 8
• Charter schools’ attorney Vinroot keeps racking up victories, Page 9

Higher Education

• Impressive number of dropouts succeed wildly without degrees, Page 11
• Jay Schalin commentary: UNC gets legislative favors, Page 11
• Use of nontenure teaching specialists growing, Page 12
• Campus Briefs, Page 12
• Issues in Higher Education: Can states spur economies by investing in higher education? Page 13

Local Government

• Chowan County digging out of fiscal hole, Page 16
• Town and County, Page 16
• Appeals Court says DENR wrong in septic perk case, Page 17
• Michael Lowrey commentary: Higher-speed rail activists clueless, Page 17
• Durham cries foul over lake regs, Page 18
• Local Innovation Bulletin Board, Page 18
• Orange County pushes tax hike as economic development tool, Page 19

Learning Curve

• Movie review: ‘Rise and rise again’: A philosophical Robin Hood, Page 20
• From the Liberty Library, Page 20
• Troy Kickler commentary: World Cup offered teachable moments Americans desperately need, Page 21
• Book review: The Battle short but informative, Page 22
• Short Takes on Culture, Page 22
• Book review: Updated Geisler classic illustrates how religion and ethics relate, Page 23

Opinion

• Editorial: Time to privatize public broadcasting, Page 24
• Rick Henderson commentary: North Carolina dodges a tax-financed bullet, Page 24
• Editorial: Unions and reform, Page 25
• Editorial: A placeholder budget, Page 25
• John Hood commentary: An ironic deal on tax penalties, Page 25
• Michael Walden commentary: We are still competitive, Page 26
• Editorial Briefs, Page 26
• Becki Gray commentary: We can — and must — do better, Page 27
• Marc Rotterman commentary: GOP — Bold agenda, or pale pastels? Page 27

Parting Shot

• Highway Patrol first to join Text Offender Registry (a CJ parody), Page 28