For years the John Locke Foundation has championed policies grounded in limited government and free markets. This legislative session, many of these ideas — reform efficiency, and greater accountability — won the day with many legislators. That means every North Carolinian will be impacted. The John Locke Foundation’s Vice President for Outreach, Becki Gray, explains the principles that guided legislators and the key issues they addressed. Then we turn to energy policy. We’ve heard a lot in recent years about hydraulic fracturing — “fracking” — for natural gas in North Carolina’s underground shale. State lawmakers are also interested in boosting the search for offshore energy options. You’ll hear a recent legislative debate about offshore energy exploration, along with reaction from Carolina Journal Managing Editor Rick Henderson. Next is a look at the growth of “cronyism.” Jon Sanders, director of regulatory studies for the John Locke Foundation, recently devoted a public presentation to defining cronyism and explaining its harmful economic impact. That’s followed by an interesting look at the education of the next generation. Nuclear energy production involves some advanced knowledge of physics, but the basics are easy enough to describe in a children’s book. Amelia Frahm, executive director of Nutcracker Publishing, has written an award-winning book on the topic. She explains why nuclear literacy among elementary-age students makes sense. And finally, after months of negotiations, state legislators and Gov. Pat McCrory have agreed on a 2013-15 General Fund budget. There are no tax increases and no new debt. Sarah Curry, the John Locke Foundation’s director of fiscal policy studies, explains key elements of the budget and why Medicaid is the program driving other levels of spending.