Some of the state’s most ardent reformers have decided not to seek re-election. And that has some analysts wondering if this year’s election could usher in a change in the governing body’s approach and ideology. Carolina Journal Managing Editor Rick Henderson looks at key retirements and that match-ups that have ensued in the race for open seats, as well as the lack of competition in about one-third of the districts. Then we turn to local government policy. The urban cores of many American cities have suffered a number of serious problems in recent decades. Economist Stephen Walters of Loyola University in Maryland documents those problems in the book “Boom Towns.” He explains how cities can help revive their decaying central cores. Next is a look at campaign finance law. Recent controversies involving politicians and donors to their political campaigns have prompted the N.C. Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform to call on state lawmakers to revive a bill that would limit campaign contributions from people seeking state government contracts. The coalition’s Jane Pinsky discussed the legislation in a recent news conference. That’s followed by a look at regulatory policy. Regulations can cause major headaches for entrepreneurs trying to build their businesses. During a recent speech to the N.C. FreeEnterprise Foundation, Heidi Ganahl described the impact of the regulatory burden on her business, the national dog day-care firm Camp Bow Wow. Ganahl says North Carolina is among the states that have erected tough regulatory barriers. And finally, John Locke Foundation Director of Research and Education Studies Terry Stoops analyzes the long-awaited recommendations from a state commission charged with reviewing the controversial Common Core education standards. Stoops explains why neither supporters nor opponents of the standards are happy with the report, and what he thinks should come next in the effort to reform and improve the standards.