It just got easier for children in North Carolina to qualify for a Special Needs Education Savings Account. ESAs, established by the N.C. legislature in 2017, provide up to $9,000 annually to families with children suffering from autism, visual or hearing impairment, developmental and…
The state legislature adjourned the 2017 long session June 29. They were done, right? Expected back all afresh and new in spring of 2018 after a long break of doing nothing? Not exactly. They’ve held special sessions in August, October, and January, when they passed a technical corrections bill, confirmed appointments…
Props to N.C. Senate leader Phil Berger for guiding the conversation in our state back toward things that matter. Things about which we can happily disagree. Courts, pipelines, solar farms, elections? Nah. Let’s talk barbecue, he says. Better yet, let’s talk barbecue while…
Protecting our investments means taking care of what we own. As state taxpayers, we own a lot of stuff — office, school and university buildings, state agencies and department offices, courthouses, prisons, libraries, books … and lots of land. North Carolina owns 42 parks, a symphony orchestra, a zoo, and seven history and two art museums. …
Imagine a man serving a 20-year prison sentence. He’s told when to eat and what to wear, and he lacks the option of opening a door. He has little to no independence or free will. This man, like so many prisoners in North Carolina, spends a long time in solitary…
Editor’s note: This story was updated several times January 26 after initial publication. UPDATED 2:55 p.m. Joseph Coletti, a senior fellow at the John Locke Foundation and former program budget analyst at the state Office of State Budget Management, provided the following statement: “The $57.8 million payment from…
The Piedmont Triad Airport Authority certainly had good intentions when it voted to change the airport’s name late last year. It had some good reasons, as well. But it wasn’t such a good idea. The airport, which straddles the city limits of Greensboro…
Every few days, I see another story. They’re always the same. They start with some headline about how a company has chosen North Carolina over another state. Occasionally it’s another country. Sometimes it’s a city. They read like this: [Insert Company Name Here] chooses [North Carolina/City Name] over [other state/country] for latest expansion. It’s not…
Much of the reporting on the recently passed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has been cluttered with moans, groans, and general derision. But the act includes provisions that, until now, were talked about mainly within their respective circles of interest. Provisions that reduce taxes for…
It’s the holidays. Time for good cheer, glad tidings and songs of the season. Good will to all, peace and joy. But in North Carolina, a Grinch hides around every corner. He steals opportunity and won’t let people work. The Grinch is occupational licensing. He’s a mean one. Traveling…
