Cover

• New era dawns in N.C. politics
• N.C. Revenue assessment notices resemble tax bills
• Competing tax plans seek to spur growth

North Carolina

• State Bar solicits lawyer help to pay for new HQ, Page 2
• General Assembly to take another pass at voter ID bill, Page 3
• JLF report criticizes occupational licensing, Page 4
• State Briefs, Page 4
• N.C. raw milk consumers use out-of-state suppliers for product, Page 5
• Legislative leaders want review of ‘nagging’ Medicaid problem, Page 6

Education

• Freshman lawmaker proposes letting districts go all-charter, Page 7
• Terry Stoops commentary: Head Start shenanigans, Page 7
• Regulators flooded with 154 new charter application letters, Page 8
• JLF book promotes reforms to N.C. public education, Page 9

Higher Education

• Critics question state’s customized job training, Page 17
• Jay Schalin commentary: Texas roundup, Page 17
• UNC pilot accountability program bearing fruit, Page 18
• Campus Briefs, Page 18
• Issues in Higher Education: Some New Year’s resolutions for improving higher education, Page 19

Local Government

• Ban has not ended sweepstakes operations, Page 10
• Town and County, Page 10
• Charlotte puts stadium funding on 2013 legislative agenda, Page 11
• Rick Henderson commentary: Internet sweepstakes two-step, Page 11
• High Court: Search of car during traffic stop not unreasonable, Page 12

Learning Curve

• Book review: Forbes and Ames show virtues of economic freedom, Page 20
• From the Liberty Library, Page 20
• Troy Kickler commentary: Founders believed Second Amendment main protector of liberty, Page 21
• Book review: Phillips: 1775 was year that spawned the War of Independence, Page 22
• Book review: MIT professor’s Alone Together shows dark side of technology, Page 23

Opinion

• Editorial: License to stifle, Page 24
• Mitch Kokai commentary: Unrealistic employment expectations, Page 24
• Editorial: Time for a breakup, Page 25
• Editorial: Reform judicial elections, Page 25
• John Hood commentary: Make N.C. First in Freedom, Page 25
• Michael Walden commentary: Policies that boost growth, Page 26
• Editorial Briefs, Page 26
• Andy Taylor commentary: Suggestions for the GOP on higher education, Page 27
• Becki Gray commentary: Tax reform key to economic vitality, Page 27

Parting Shot

• Perdue shares job-announcement form with McCrory (a CJ parody), Page 28