North Carolina’s primary election featured the first incumbent congressman to lose an election in 2018. Eight incumbent legislators also lost their re-election bids. Carolina Journal Editor-in-Chief Rick Henderson analyzes these and other results. Henderson assesses the potential impact for the November general election. State lawmakers have been debating potential changes to the system North Carolina uses to select its judges. The John Locke Foundation and Western Carolina University’s Center for the Study of Free Enterprise co-hosted a recent panel discussion of the topic. Carolina Journal Radio asked panelists to share highlights from their presentations. Chris Bonneau, associate professor of political science at the University of Pittsburgh, explains why he believes partisan elections offer the best available solution. Panel moderator Edward Lopez, professor of economics at Western Carolina and director of the Center for the Study of Free Enterprise, highlights academic research raising concerns about the potential impact of partisan elections on the legitimacy of a state’s legal system. As state lawmakers study the process that allows school systems to challenge county commissioners’ local school budget allocations, they might focus more attention on school systems’ budget reserves, also known as fund balances. At least one lawmaker, Republican Sen. Chuck Edwards, wants to investigate local school taxing authority. You’ll hear his comments, along with a word of caution from Rep. Nelson Dollar, R-Wake. North Carolina policymakers are not alone when it comes to wrestling with public policy issues such as the proper level of occupational licensing and the use of incentives targeting the film industry. Jon Sanders, John Locke Foundation director of regulatory studies, compares the Tar Heel State to its neighbors and competitors when it comes to dealing with these two contentious topics.