Tax reform enacted by legislative reformers and Gov. Pat McCrory mean North Carolinians are keeping more of the money they’ve earned. In fact, all income groups received a tax cut when rates were lowered and flattened. So what comes next? Roy Cordato, the John Locke Foundation’s vice president for research, reviews the reforms and discusses the prudent course of action for legislators when it comes to next steps. Then we turn to comments from a key U.S. Senator. The first Republican to declare his candidacy for the 2016 presidential contest was also the first candidate to agree to speak at a John Locke Foundation Headliner event this year. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, spelled out a number of concerns he has about the Obama administration’s current course, including the president’s signature health care reform law. You’ll hear highlights from Cruz’s speech and his interaction with reporters. Next is a look at a decision that will benefit thousands of North Carolinians. Residents in many eastern N.C. cities can expect to see much lower electric bills. That’s because of legislation in the General Assembly approving a deal between those cities and Duke Energy Progress. The utility company will take over the cities’ ownership of nuclear power plants. A bipartisan group of state lawmakers explained why the deal makes sense for their communities. That’s followed by a look at economics. Markets work better than government to address most public policy problems. That’s the assessment of economist Richard Vedder, a professor at Ohio University and director of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. During a recent visit to North Carolina, Vedder made the case for markets during a conversation with Carolina Journal Radio. And finally, we look at lessons learned from other states that have implemented Medicaid reforms. Katherine Restrepo, the John Locke Foundation’s health care policy analyst, explains the actions and results seen in Kansas, Florida, and Louisiana. She offers recommendations for how these states might help North Carolina lawmakers and the governor in their pursuit of reforms.