Parent-Teacher Association groups at public schools usually focus on fundraisers and other methods of supporting the school. The PTA at a Raleigh magnet school recently raised eyebrows by moving into politics. The PTA encouraged parents to lobby legislators to change a state law mandating smaller class sizes from kindergarten through third grade. Terry Stoops, John Locke Foundation vice president for research, analyzes the PTA’s actions and the possible impact. North Carolina has returned to the national spotlight as Congress debates federal tax reform. U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., was speaker of the state House of Representatives when the Tar Heel State approved its major 2013 tax reform package. Now Tillis is urging colleagues on Capitol Hill to follow his state’s lead in pursuing reform. You’ll hear Tillis’ comments along with reaction from Roy Cordato, John Locke Foundation senior economist. Cordato highlights aspects of North Carolina’s reforms that would work well at the federal level. The University of North Carolina system’s Board of Governors continues to focus on the proper level of student tuition. At least one board member, David Powers, recently urged his colleagues to allow more flexibility for flagship campuses in Chapel Hill and Raleigh to pursue their own policies. Some libertarians object to American patent protections. They say patent laws thwart economic progress. Adam Mossoff, professor of law at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School, takes the exact opposite approach. Mossoff explained during a recent lecture at Duke University how American patent law has helped support a thriving economy. The U.S. Supreme Court recently head oral arguments in a case involving a Colorado cake maker and same-sex marriage. Jon Guze, John Locke Foundation director of legal services, analyzes key issues in the case and offers his assessment of the possible outcomes.
Carolina Journal Radio Program No. 761: PTA group plays politics with class-size concerns
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