The Prohibit Compelled Speech/Higher Ed Act, House Bill 607, sits in the Senate Rules Committee this week, after passing the House earlier this month. It seeks to extend and codify protections from compelled speech for students and college applicants in North Carolina. More specifically, this bill would prevent colleges and Universities from using Diversity, Equity,...
Senate District 12 (All of Lee and Harnett counties, and part of western Johnston County.) • Jim Burgin, Republican. Occupation: President and owner of C&D Insurance. Partner, John Hiester Automotive. Education: University of Tennessee, bachelor’s degree in business administration. Career Highlights: Two-term Harnett County commissioner. New Horizon Insurance Group board chairman. B.C. Property real estate...
ROBBINSVILLE — A two-wheeled cavalry roars into Graham County every year. The motorcyclists come to vanquish the world-famous Tail of the Dragon mountain pass, and drop some money along the way. Locals say the secluded mountain county booms as a motorcycle mecca from spring to fall, doubling the normal population of about 8,500. Businesses in...
RALEIGH — If you’ve heard much media coverage about the consumer loan industry, chances are good that the coverage has been negative. Critics use the words “predatory lending” to label the industry as harmful. The N.C. House voted 61-54 this month to approve legislation lifting existing state caps on consumer loan rates. Harold Black, James F. Smith Jr. Professor of Financial Institutions at the University of Tennessee, supports lifting the caps. He discussed the consumer loan industry with Mitch Kokai for Carolina Journal Radio.
RALEIGH — In 2006 when Erskine Bowles gave his inaugural address as president of the University of North Carolina, he listed strengthening K-12 education in the state as a top priority. “Nothing is more important,” he said.
RALEIGH — U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor, N.C. 11, has faced well-financed challengers and been considered vulnerable before in his eight previous House campaigns, but a confluence of events and a high-profile candidate might make 2006 especially challenging for him.
RALEIGH — In today’s Friday Interview the John Locke Foundation’s Donna Martinez discusses the interesting primary races among our state's 13 congressional seats with NC State political science professor Andrew Taylor. The interview aired on Carolina Journal Radio (click here to find the station near you).
RALEIGH — Many cities use tax incentives and other gimmicks to attract large companies with the hope of spurring economic growth. However, a recent study indicates that these large firms may not boost growth, and in fact, may merely displace other businesses. Similarly, advocates of sports subsidies claim that tax-funded stadiums benefit communities by providing jobs and attracting sales revenue from out-of-towners. Numerous studies show that public benefits have not materialized. One found that in 12 metro areas, sports-team venues did not contribute to net employment. Another concluded found that pro sports franchises had no effect on income growth.
RALEIGH — As of August, 21 states, including North Carolina, had passed legislation that brought their sales and use tax laws into alignment with each other, so merchants in their states could collect levies on purchases made on the Internet. Online retailing has flourished iin part because merchants don’t have to collect sales taxes for states outside of where they maintain their physical presence. As a result, governments say, they are losing revenue — an estimated $45.2 billion in 2006 and $54.8 billion by 2011. Critics of the streamlined sales tax say it would discourage tax policy competition and strip states of sovereignty. One analyst calls the deal “OPEC for politicians.”
RALEIGH — The executive committee of the Faculty Senate of North Carolina State University has joined the chorus in calling for an open chancellor search. Students, alumni, media organizations, and well-wishers have all sought an open search process. Officials with UNC and UNC President Molly Broad have always argued that openness has the potential to harm those whose candidacy becomes known. Members of the search committee at N.C. State have signed confidentiality agreements to keep the public from learning anything other than their selection’s name. Other universities, including other UNC schools, have followed the open route in selecting chancellors.
RALEIGH — For a man whose professional passion in life is statistics, Dr. William Sanders has devoted an enormous amount of his career to education. Sanders’ studies have found that teacher quality is as much as 20 times more important than any other factor in explaining student achievement. And class size has an effect only when it approaches the level of private tutoring. Reducing class size by two, or five, he said, is insignificant. Instead, he argues for variable class size, determined by the needs of the students.
