The N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission has released its initial 2018 annual report, the pages of which are filled with colorful photos of smiling people and happy numbers. Proponents of our ABC system make so much of the commission’s power and propensity to “control”…
Clearly, 2018 was a Democratic year, as it should have been given a Republican was in the White House. The Democrats picked up 40 seats in the House and seven governorships. The Republicans’ veto-proof “super majorities” were broken in both chambers of the General Assembly. It wasn’t quite the “blue…
North Carolinians agree education beyond high school is important, but a traditional four-year degree isn’t the only option people consider, a new poll shows. A Nov. 28 Gallup survey commissioned by the My Future NC Commission, a working group to…
Analysts are turning their attention to the 2020 presidential election, and North Carolina will likely play a big part. The Civitas Institute, a conservative public policy organization, released a preview of its statewide poll Nov. 26 showing voters are split between favoring Republicans…
Occupational licensing may have cost North Carolina more than 42,000 jobs and millions in economic losses, a new study from the Institute for Justice says. The study from the nonprofit, libertarian public interest law firm looked…
The Wall Street Journal warns of a troubling new scheme. It gives privately funded environmental litigator/activists (who are unaccountable to the people) state police power: In August 2017 the NYU outfit emailed then-New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office that demonstrated how the new attorneys would be used. These privately funded…
Members who serve on the 168 boards that control local alcohol sales in North Carolina are doing good work. Know how we know? Because state Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission officials, including one who’s no longer with the agency, say so. The ABC…
A common justification for more government spending on public schools is that such “investments” are a critical factor in driving businesses to a state. Presumably, the increase in spending leads to an increase in quality, and higher quality schools produce a more capable workforce. While there is some merit to…
N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein has launched an investigation into Juul, a fast-growing e-cigarette company, but a consumer freedom expert warns the attempted crackdown could backfire. The attorney general’s office Oct. 15 sent to Juul a “civil…
The 2018 ACT scores are in, and they don’t paint a pretty picture. North Carolina graduates continue to score below national averages, and the percentage of graduates meeting math and English college readiness scores are…
