North Carolina welcomes a new state superintendent of public instruction in 2021. Republican Catherine Truitt will take the job after serving as leader of the online-only Western Governors University in this state. Truitt also served as former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory’s top education adviser. Terry Stoops, John Locke Foundation vice president for research and resident...
There’s an urgent need to return N.C. public school students to in-person instruction. That’s the message Terry Stoops hopes to send. The John Locke Foundation’s vice president for research and director of education studies explains why the science and data suggest that school kids face much more danger of long-lasting negative effects if they remain...
Elections for president, U.S. Senate, and governor grabbed the headlines. But North Carolinians addressed many other items during the recent election, including local referendums on issues such as taxes, bonds, and alcohol. Joseph Coletti, John Locke Foundation senior fellow, analyzes the results of local referendum votes across the state. While Democrat Joe Biden has declared...
Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper will serve a second term as North Carolina state government’s chief executive officer. But voters have added three new Republicans to the group of elected executives making up the Council of State. Rick Henderson, Carolina Journal editor-in-chief, discusses Cooper’s re-election victory, the historic election of Mark Robinson as North Carolina’s first...
Amy Coney Barrett has joined the U.S. Supreme Court as its 115th justice. She has said her judicial philosophy mirrors that of the late Justice Antonin Scalia, and supporters characterize her as an originalist. Jon Guze, John Locke Foundation director legal studies, analyzes Barrett’s record. He discusses the new justice’s likely impact on the nation’s...
The races for president, governor, and U.S. Senate have been dominating N.C. headlines. But voters are making other important decisions in the next week. Rick Henderson, Carolina Journal editor-in-chief, assesses recent developments in races for offices such as lieutenant governor, superintendent of public instruction, state treasurer, and labor commissioner. North Carolina’s popular Opportunity Scholarship program...
Debate about the COVID-19 pandemic has featured plenty of data involving case numbers, deaths, and hospitalizations. Dig into the details, and you learn that the numbers might not be as useful as they first appear. They might even portray a misleading picture. Jon Sanders, John Locke Foundation director of regulatory studies, discusses key aspects of...
Federal taxpayers cannot afford another bailout of state and local governments. Joseph Coletti, the John Locke Foundation’s senior fellow, explains why in a column he co-wrote for TheHill.com. Coletti contends most state governments have fared better than expected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Throwing more money at them now would lead to waste while continuing to...
Reaction to the nomination of federal Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court offers a reminder of progressives’ continuing attacks against the U.S. Constitution. Jon Guze, John Locke Foundation director of legal studies, analyzes Barrett’s nomination. He discusses the attacks Barrett faces because of her conservative jurisprudence. As the Supreme Court returns to...
Gov. Roy Cooper and other advocates of Medicaid expansion in North Carolina argue consistently that expansion would not cost any state taxpayer dollars. A new analysis from the John Locke Foundation and the Ohio-based Buckeye Institute call that claim into question. A model based on enrollment estimates and Medicaid costs in expansion states suggests N.C....
The outcome of North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race could help determine which party controls the chamber for the next two years. Incumbent Republican Sen. Thom Tillis faces a tough challenge from Democrat Cal Cunningham. Carolina Journal Editor-in-Chief Rick Henderson analyzes recent developments in the hotly contested race. It’s safe to say N.C. colleges and universities...
