When you walk into the voting booth, you’ll also be casting a ballot for several statewide judicial candidates. But how do you evaluate a potential judge or justice? What role, if any, do endorsements play in a judicial race? Retired North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr offers tips and resources to help voters get to know the candidates and make an informed choice. He also explains the role of endorsements and explains why the races are now officially non-partisan. Then we turn to health insurance reform. President Obama signed health care reform legislation into law in March, but many details of that legislation are still unclear. The N.C. Medical Society and News 14 Carolina held a recent televised forum on unresolved issues. You’ll hear highlights from that forum — including comments from state health director Dr. Jeffrey Engel, the Medical Society’s Bob Seligson, and Carolinas Medical Center CEO Michael Tarwater — along with reaction from Joseph Coletti, John Locke Foundation Director of Health and Fiscal Policy Studies. Next, we turn to the upcoming election and the fight for control of the General Assembly. Most pundits and analysts have predicted big Republican gains in this year’s elections. Don’t tell Senate Majority Leader Martin Nesbitt, D-Buncombe. You’ll hear portions of Nesbitt’s recent address to Buncombe County Democrats. Nesbitt says polls show support for Democrats, and he explains that his party needs to win the election to be able to continue drawing the state’s election maps in Democrats’ favor. That’s followed by a look at religion and philosophy. Even if you don’t believe in God, you’re still religious. That’s the argument Eric Dent, professor of management and former dean of the UNC-Pembroke School of Business, makes about the way philosophical values permeate our lives. Dent explains that our “religious” beliefs shape out attitudes toward public policy choices. And finally, we get the details on the recent North Carolina Supreme Court ruling on the case that looked at Gov. Mike Easley’s move of $80 million from the state’s Highway Trust Fund and into the general operating fund. Jeanette Doran of the North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law explains the ruling, why it is a win for NCICL’s clients and taxpayers, and refutes claims by the losing side that Gov. Perdue can feel free to engage in the same financial move without worry.
How Do You Make an Informed Vote for Judicial Seats?
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