The debate over health care reform has focused on, among other things, the difficulty in obtaining insurance when a pre-existing condition is involved. John Locke Foundation Fiscal and Health Care Policy Analyst Joe Coletti explains state efforts to address the problem. Two years ago North Carolina passed legislation called the high-risk insurance pool. The law went into effect January 1. Coletti discusses the program, who qualifies and who doesn’t, what is covered and what isn’t, and offers his view of whether the U.S. Congress can take any of the program’s elements and incorporate them into federal health-care reform. As politicians on Capitol Hill debate health-care reform, many North Carolinians still have concerns about the proposals President Obama and congressional Democrats are considering. Several of the more than 1,000 people who gathered for a recent Americans for Prosperity health-care rally and town-hall meeting at the State Fairgrounds raised red flags about current reform ideas. You’ll hear their concerns. Then we turn the thorny subject of political correctness. Former Miss California USA Carrie Prejean made headlines when she defended a traditional definition of marriage while answering a question during the Miss USA pageant. Prejean recounted her experience at the recent Civitas North Carolina Conservative Leadership Conference. She urges people not to be afraid to be “politically incorrect.” That’s followed by a look at the future of conservatism. Increased government transparency could lead to a major boost for conservative advocates of smaller government with limited spending. That’s the hope of Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. Norquist shared his transparency ideas during the Civitas conference. You’ll hear highlights from that speech, along with a one-on-one conversation about the prospect of a conservative resurgence in the near future. And finally, we explore property rights in North Carolina. Advocates for property rights are on alert over efforts by North Carolina lawmakers and Gov. Beverly Perdue to pass legislation that would give North Carolina control over Alcoa’s Yadkin River dams and hydro-electric facilities. Carolina Journal Managing Editor Rick Henderson explains the story, the issues involved, and offers perspective on why the state is so interested in the faciliites. He also discusses Carolina Journal’s focus on property rights, including forced annexation.