Randy Parton, namesake of one of the worst boondoggles in recent N.C. political history, has died at age 67. The bass-playing younger brother of cultural icon Dolly Parton died of cancer, according to a statement from the Parton family. Randy Parton saddled state and local taxpayers with millions of dollars in debt from a performing...
Republicans are blasting Gov. Roy Cooper for a lack of transparency and demanding that he hold in-person press briefings. The N.C. Republican Party announced a public records request Friday, July 31, asking for Cooper’s schedule and travel plans. They criticized him for holding virtual press briefings instead of in-person, socially distanced meetings with opportunities for...
I’m tired. Tired of the lecturing from Gov. Roy Cooper and his cohorts. Tired of waiting for his edicts. Tired of his pedantic lecturing. I’ve written about that. All of it. I’ve written about it probably way too much, as a colleague mentioned to me this week. “How often can you write about being tired?”...
Gov. Roy Cooper told the grassroots group ReopenNC on Monday, April 20, that recent executive orders and local ordinances limiting “mass gatherings” shouldn’t interfere with North Carolinians’ right to protest, worship, or exercise other First Amendment liberties. The lawyer representing ReopenNC told Carolina Journal that Wake County officials agree with the governor’s decision. ReopenNC, an...
I used to live in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, when I was young and could barely remember anything of substance. Just snippets of ragged memories. Things such as Roberto Clemente’s home run in the seventh game of the 1971 World Series. My grandparents’ grocery store, just off their kitchen, where I would steal “pop” and baseball cards,...
Each week, staff at Carolina Journal looks back at the week in N.C. politics and chooses several interesting, relevant stories you may have missed. Here’s a week in review: New CEO: Amy O. Cooke has joined the John Locke Foundation as its new CEO. Cooke is also the new publisher of Carolina Journal. Before joining...
Amy O. Cooke is the new publisher of Carolina Journal. She is also the new CEO for the John Locke Foundation. Cooke for 16 years filled a variety of policy and operations roles at the Independence Institute, a free-market think tank in Colorado — the past eight years she as the institute’s executive vice president. She...
Each week, staff at Carolina Journal looks back at the week in N.C. politics and chooses what we think are some interesting, relevant stories you may have missed. Here’s a week in review: Testy Exchange: The Oct. 2 N.C. State Board of Education got heated when members questioned State Superintendent Mark Johnson’s recent purchases of...
It’s time to wake up, North Carolina. Enough is truly enough. In truth, it’s well past time lawmakers take substantive steps toward rewriting or eliminating much of the arcane laws governing alcohol, painfully documented in N.C. General Statute 18b. It runs nearly 150 pages and almost 70,000 words. So, let’s open that cracked and weathered...
Environmental concerns are real and warranted, particularly when it comes to public health. The GenX chemical produced by Chemours has been found in water supplies and the impact on human health is still being explored. The company has installed carbon absorption units and promises a $100-million pollution reduction project. In the end, overall fluorochemical pollution...
If you’re a regular Carolina Journal reader, you’ll probably notice a big change in the look and feel of our June print edition. The first thing that may catch your eye: Every page is in full color, rather than the four or eight color pages in previous editions. It’s a more expensive process, but the...
