Gov. Pat McCrory has proposed raising the salaries of North Carolina public school teachers who are entering the profession. But the idea of paying these teachers more has been met with criticism from some in the education community – and calls for even more money to be spent. John Locke Foundation Director of Research and Education Studies Terry Stoops analyzes the debate and the frequently repeated assertion that teachers are leaving the state because of low pay. Then we turn to another key fiscal issue. The most recent Tax Day offered North Carolina leaders the opportunity to tout the long-term benefits of the state’s 2013 tax reform package. Gov. Pat McCrory led a news conference touting tax reform. You’ll hear his comments, along with those of John Locke Foundation President John Hood, Jonathan Williams of the American Legislative Exchange Council, and Gregg Thompson of the National Federation of Independent Business. Next is a look at election law reform. A recent cross-check of North Carolina voting records with corresponding records in more than half of the rest of the states revealed 765 cases in which people with the same name and birthdate, and identical last four digits of the Social Security number, cast ballots in the 2012 election in North Carolina and another state. That news has prompted state lawmakers to call for further investigation and possible criminal action for voter fraud. That’s followed by conversations with the executives in charge of two different grassroots organizations. First, the group Americans for Prosperity has played an active role in North Carolina public policy debates in recent years. New state director John Dudley explains why he joined AFP, and he discusses the group’s priorities for 2014. And second, the man who used to lead AFP has taken on a new role with a new group. Dallas Woodhouse discusses the goals of Carolina Rising.
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