When it was passed in 2005, the controversial state lottery was hailed by supporters as a windfall for the state treasury and public schools. But the John Locke Foundation’s Joe Coletti has analyzed the numbers and says that’s not the case at all. He explains why initial estimates from critics of a government-run lottery – such as the John Locke Foundation – were right on the money after all. Then we turn to national politics. Conservatives have been reeling since the 2006 elections, but some commentators see positive signs for the future. Mary Katharine Ham of The Weekly Standard and Fox News recently shared her thoughts about the future of conservatism during a Tea Party tax protest in Raleigh. She expanded on those comments during a one-on-one conversation with Carolina Journal Radio. More Tea Party tax protests are scheduled for this Independence Day weekend. People across the state will hear from speakers like Ferrell Shimpock, an 85-year-old World War II veteran who shared his concerns about America’s future during a recent Tea Party in Albemarle. You’ll hear highlights from his speech. That’s followed by a look at how state districts are created and the impact they have on who gets elected and how little or how much the district protects incumbents. Republicans who serve as the General Assembly’s minority party are not alone in seeking changes to the way North Carolina draws its legislative election maps. Bob Phillips, executive director of North Carolina Common Cause, explains why his group also endorses creation of a new independent redistricting commission. And finally, we ask this compelling question: Do state legislators care as much about people as they do about open space? The John Locke Foundation’s Daren Bakst says that some evidently do not. He discusses proposals to exempt certain kinds of property from government seizure via eminent domain law. Bakst says all private property should be protected from seizure unless it is the very last option for a project that clearly meets the definition of a public purpose, and that legislators ought to be much more mindful of the seriousness of property rights.