The primary runoffs are in the books and the political field is set for the fall general election, which is just four months away. Carolina Journal Managing Editor Rick Henderson assesses the fall match-ups for U.S. Senate and Congress, including the fundraising challenge Democratic nominee Elaine Marshall faces in light of news that Republican Sen. Richard Burr has $10 million in the bank. Then, we turn to the ongoing debate over reform to North Carolina’s forced annexation law. State lawmakers have shied away from addressing concerns this year. A recent rally outside the Legislative Building featured annexation reform messages from Daren Bakst, John Locke Foundation Director of Legal and Regulatory Studies, Kieran Shanahan of the N.C. Property Rights Coalition, and Cathy Heath of StopNCAnnexation. You’ll hear highlights from their presentation. Next, state lawmakers are pushing legislation to rid North Carolina of Internet sweepstakes cafes, but some local officials would rather keep the businesses open while assessing more taxes on them. Chris Laughlin, assistant professor at the UNC School of Government, recently explained to lawmakers the complicated laws governing taxation of this type of business, which resembles video poker. That’s followed by a look at suggestions from some state legislators to fight North Carolina’s high public school dropout rate by forcing some schools to offer more career and technical education options. You’ll hear highlights from a recent debate on the topic, along with reaction from Terry Stoops, JLF Director of Education Studies. And finally, John Locke Foundation Vice President for Outreach Becki Gray explains North Carolina’s new push to provide even more generous tax incentives to the film industry. The assistance comes in a new package of incentives worth roughly $300 million. Half of the appropriation is devoted to the film industry. Gray assesses the bill and offers alternative suggestions for creating jobs via a business-friendly tax climate.
Battle for Power Takes Shape as Election Nears
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