The popularity of public charter schools has prompted North Carolina’s largest public school system to lower its enrollment projections. Terry Stoops, the John Locke Foundation’s director of research and education studies, assesses the significance of these enrollment changes for parents, students, traditional district schools, and taxpayers. The American system of constitutional government depends on citizens who hold a basic understanding of the way the system works. That’s why people like N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justices Sam Ervin IV and Paul Newby stress the importance of civics education. Chief Justice Mark Martin has charged Ervin and Newby with leading a statewide education campaign about North Carolina government, especially the role played by courts and the judicial branch. The two associate justices explain why they’re happy to discuss the topic in speeches across the state. Some state lawmakers will push again this year to “Raise the Age.” That’s the name of the campaign designed to treat most nonviolent 16- and 17-year-old criminal offenders as juveniles rather than adults. You’ll hear highlights from a recent N.C. Courts Commission debate about the topic. Familiar faces are leading both the N.C. House and Senate this year. Speaker Tim Moore will oversee the House for a second two-year term, while Senate leader Phil Berger is starting his fourth term as the top officer in his chamber. Moore and Berger outlined their priorities during brief speeches on the opening day of the 2017 N.C. legislative session. Both mentioned commitments to building the economy and maintaining the spending and tax restraint Republican legislators have emphasized in recent years. North Carolina’s two largest cities both have groups working toward the potential acquisition of Major League Soccer franchises. Julie Tisdale, the John Locke Foundation’s city and county policy analyst, warns that taxpayers in Charlotte and Raleigh should pay attention as plans move forward. Sports franchises often seek substantial public subsidies.