North Carolina has been a political battleground state for several election cycles, a state candidates from both parties believe they need to win to become president. But state Republicans want North Carolina to become even more of a player. Carolina Journal Managing Editor Rick Henderson explains the ins and outs of moving the primary up to March and why lawmakers are seeking to ensure the national party doesn’t penalize North Carolina for its move. Then we turn to health care policy. As North Carolina officials continue to haggle over the best way to reform the state’s Medicaid program, the John Locke Foundation hopes Tar Heel leaders will look to states like Kansas that have seen successful Medicaid changes. Kansas Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer recently addressed N.C. lawmakers during a JLF panel discussion in Raleigh. You’ll hear highlights from his remarks.
In health care and other areas of public policy, JLF focuses on freedom. Chairman John Hood explained why during a recent public presentation. Hood offered details of JLF’s First in Freedom Index, a new tool designed to help voters, taxpayers, and officials track how well North Carolina is doing compared to other states in promoting freedom. That’s followed by a look at the role of government. Some people think the government must play a large role in helping protect consumers’ finances from unscrupulous business practices. Adam Smith, assistant professor of economics and director of the Center for Free Market Studies at Johnson & Wales University, disagrees. He highlights some of the problems associated with the work of the relatively new federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. And finally, with the last days of the traditional public school year looming, we delve into the media narrative about unhappy teachers. John Locke Foundation Director of Research and Education Studies Terry Stoops explains why we should expect a spate of stories about teachers leaving the classroom, all blaming their unhappiness on conservative education reformers. He discusses the reasons teachers leave and why North Carolina is really no different than other states in that regard.