Cover

• Feds unable or unwilling to stop illegal checks
• Changes concern transparency advocates

North Carolina

• McCrory: Commerce revamp good for business, Page 2
• State’s new Medicaid computer system may face bumpy launch, Page 3
• Officials mum on joining Obamacare lawsuits, Page 4
• State Briefs, Page 4
• Stimulus-funded N.C. Health Information Exchange languishing, Page 5
• Group: Negotiation with pharmacies key to Medicaid savings, Page 6
• Reformers making another push for nonpartisan redistricting, Page 7
• JLF: ‘Reverse logrolling’ would give budget writers flexibility, Page 7

Education

• Several education bills remain in limbo as session nears end, Page 8
• Kristen Blair commentary: Time for a testing revolt, Page 8
• Constitutional concerns help sink independent charter board, Page 9
• Opponents: Longer CMS school day creating hardships, Page 10

Higher Education

• Campus gun-rights bill sidelined by amendments, Page 17
• Jane Shaw commentary: Course correction, Page 17
• Tribal colleges: High costs, weak academic results, Page 18
• Campus Briefs, Page 18
• Issues in Higher Education: Using pop psychology to keep from making real arguments, Page 19

Local Government

• Rural areas seek higher taxes to compensate firefighters, Page 11
• Michael Lowrey commentary: Airport authority would solve nothing, Page 11
• CLT airport authority bill stuck on runway, Page 12
• Town and County, Page 12
• Appeals Court decision on towing has broad implications, Page 13

Learning Curve

• Book review: Authors: Stalin agent in U.S. high posts in Cold War, Page 20
• From the Liberty Library, Page 20
• Troy Kickler commentary: Nathaniel Macon took confidential communications seriously, Page 21
• Book review: Rumsfeld’s Rules offers guidance that reaches beyond Beltway, Page 22
• Book review: Efforts to end labor discrimination called counterproductive, Page 23

Opinion

• Editorial: Get ’em out of town, Page 24
• Donna Martinez commentary: Competition makes us better, Page 24
• Editorial: Capital ideas, Page 25
• Editorial: Medicaid costs, Page 25
• John Hood commentary: Special interests hamper economy, Page 25
• Michael Walden commentary: Technology and the future, Page 26
• Editorial Briefs, Page 26
• Becki Gray commentary: Legislature rolling back bad laws, Page 27
• Marc Rotterman commentary: Freedom threat concerns preceded scandals, Page 27

Parting Shot

• Rural Center launches ’10-Point Emergency Action Plan’ (a CJ parody), Page 28