Opinion
What process is due to whom, when, why?
William Blackstone and the revolutionaries used Magna Carta to explain the rights of the English everywhere and used it against King George III.
Opinion
This day in 1776, NC’s first constitution was adopted
North Carolina has had three state constitutions. The first one was adopted on Dec. 18, 1776. This column explores some historical context and a few particulars of that constitution. The three state constitutions were adopted in the following years: 1776, 1868, and 1971. (Many revisions were made in 1835 to the first state constitution, yet...
Opinion
NC is not a ‘constitutional carry’ state
Some have called for “constitutional carry” in North Carolina. They advocate for the right of each citizen to carry firearms, whether openly or concealed, without a permit or other hindrance from government. This is seen as a necessary corollary to the right to keep and bear arms under the federal and state constitutions. The history...
Opinion
Woodshed 2022 election predictions
U.S. Senate and State Supreme Court Races Ok folks. I have written about 75 articles and columns about the 2022 election. Here is my last before the results come in. Below are the long-awaited 2022 Woodshed election predictions. (Click here for what I will be watching on election night) U.S. Senate: Republican Ted Budd will...
Opinion
North Carolina Democrats on the ropes
North Carolina Democrats are facing a brutal election that could see their worst results in more than a decade, according to the latest and last Civitas-John Locke Foundation poll of the 2022 election. The poll, released two weeks before Election Day, shows Republican Ted Budd pulling away with a four-point lead. The Trafalgar Group, also...
Opinion
Pistol permits and Jim Crow?
As of 1776, North Carolina has recognized the common law misdemeanor of “going about armed to the terror of the people."
News
Local measures: Booze and bonds yes, sales taxes no
It was a good night for bonds and booze. While voters were picking their representatives, in some counties residents were deciding whether to approve bonds, tax increases, and the sale of alcohol. Small towns are warming to the idea of alcohol sales, said Joe Coletti, a senior fellow at the John Locke Foundation. “But it’s...
News
Debt fared better than taxes in local referendums
In addition to choosing representatives, and deciding six statewide constitutional amendments Tuesday, Nov. 6, North Carolina voters approved more than $1.8 billion in local bonds for K-12 and community college projects, parks and open spaces, low-income housing, and street improvements. Voters also weighed in on sales tax increases, alcoholic beverage sales, and local government reforms....
News
JLF Report Spells Out Local Government Spending Patterns
RALEIGH — Spending per capita by local governments rose in inflation-adjusted terms. And a timing issue prevented the personal income figures from reflecting the worst of the economic downturn.
News
Rural Schools Face Enrollment Decline
RALEIGH — Counter to what urban schools have struggled to endure, most rural counties in North Carolina have had to contend with declining enrollment since 1997. Forty-six of 85 rural counties in the state have incurred a steady decline in the student population over the years. One of the hardest-hit regions is eastern North Carolina.
News
Eminent Domain Cases Decided
RALEIGH — In early May, North Carolina’s second highest court issued rulings in two cases involving government attempts to acquire property via eminent domain. The Court of Appeals rulings highlight both the power of eminent domain and the nuisances of state law regarding both compensation and interlocal agreements when it is used. The first case involved a dispute between two counties and two towns over the construction of a new water supply system. In September 2001, Dominion Energy expressed interest in building a natural-gas-fired electrical plant in Person County. Water supply in the county is handled by the town of Roxboro. While existing water sources are adequate to meet current needs, they could not have handled the proposed power plant.
Opinion
No. 627: Scaring Our Children: Asthma and Ozone Pollution
Despite claims by Erskine Bowles and environmentalists, there is no correlation between ozone pollution and asthma.
