Debate over the best way to spend public money and sell North Carolina as a place to do business is to be expected, especially during a tough budget year. But John Hood, president of the John Locke Foundation, says the divide is widening between fact and fantasy surrounding the debate. He explains why. Then we turn to election politics. After Democrats won big in the 2008 election and Republicans responded with a major victory in 2010, it’s hard to say what will happen in 2012. Stephen Hayes, senior writer for The Weekly Standard and contributor to Fox News, offers his thoughts about President Obama’s chances for re-election. Next is a look at the debate over requiring a photo I.D. to vote in North Carolina. Lawmakers approved a bill this year to require voters to present photo identification at the polls, but Gov. Beverly Perdue vetoed the measure. Perdue cited a number of concerns about voter ID. In a recent presentation for the John Locke Foundation and Federalist Society, senior legal fellow Hans von Spakovsky of the Heritage Foundation countered Perdue’s arguments. You’ll hear highlights from that presentation. That’s followed by a look at the influence of the environmental movement. One analyst says the movement appears to have waned in recent years. Steven Hayward of the American Enterprise Institute and Pacific Research Institute explains why he believes the radical environmental lobby has little impact on public policy these days. Next, Carolina Journal Managing Editor Rick Henderson discusses a range of occupational licensing bills that have been introduced in the state legislature and why, if passed, the laws would erect barriers to entry for entrepreneurs looking to use their trade or skill to earn a living. Henderson also explains who really wins when these barriers are put in place and details some of the sillier pending legislation, such as one that would impact African hair braiders.
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The North Carolina State Election Board held a webinar Wednesday for the media to discuss the changes with the new photo ID requirement when voting.
Berger weighs in on Medicaid expansion, abortion limits, and next week’s Leandro arguments
Talks about Medicaid expansion in North Carolina continue between members of both the House and Senate with no imminent solution. N.C. Senate Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, addressed that issue, along with abortion laws and the latest on court cases, including Voter ID, and Attorney General Josh Stein at a press conference Tuesday.
Judge blocks voter ID law for entire 2020 election cycle
Barring a successful and rapid appeal, North Carolina’s voter ID requirement for the March 2020 primary looks dead. U.S. District Court Judge Loretta Biggs blocked Senate Bill 824 in an order issued Tuesday, Dec. 31. Biggs said racial motivation was a likely factor in the General Assembly’s crafting of the voter ID law. The N.C....
Federal court to block N.C. voter ID law … for now
A federal court gave North Carolinians who adopted a constitutional amendment requiring voter ID a late lump of coal. U.S. District Court Judge Loretta Biggs and Magistrate Judge Patrick Auld issued a notice Thursday, Dec. 26, saying the court will put the law implementing the constitutional amendment on hold. They’re presiding over a lawsuit challenging...