Liquor business should be private
North Carolina governments shouldn’t be in the liquor business. Two recent stories illustrate this story well.
Opinion
Republican senator’s bill would expand controversial N.C. film grants
Wilmington’s Republican senator has teamed up with a Winston-Salem Democrat to push a bill that would expand North Carolina’s film grant program — a program critics say is actually a money loser for the state.
Austin appointed to Lead Far Western Highway Division Burch promoted to western deputy chief engineer
For the second time in its history, a woman will lead a highway division for the N.C. Department of Transportation.
Rick Henderson: SAVE the primary care providers!
Responding to COVID-19’s death, suffering, and loss, by necessity governments swept aside some rules that let patients get care from medical professionals who weren’t doctors. As we approach widespread immunity, either with vaccinations or COVID patients recovering, questions about whether these regulations that blocked patients from seeing health providers were needed. Period.
COVID stimulus bill is reckless
The $1.9 trillion “COVID relief” bill just enacted by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden gives out $1,400 checks to most Americans. It boosts the child-tax credit, keeps weekly unemployment-insurance checks $300 higher than normal, and throws lots of other (borrowed) money around.
Teacher’s union continues opposition over school reopening law
Even as a bill to reopen schools across North Carolina garnered unanimous bipartisan support and was fast-tracked through the legislature, North Carolina’s teacher’s union released a statement blasting Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and lawmakers from both political parties for the compromise.
Kinston attorney Jimbo Perry appears on NC Judicial Branch’s podcast
A new episode of the North Carolina Judicial Branch podcast All Things Judicial was released today. In this episode, hosted by Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism Executive Director Mel Wright and entitled “The Way to Practice Life,” Mel welcomes Kinston attorney James S. “Jimbo” Perry.
John Hood: Polls underestimate GOP support
Just before the 2020 elections, the RealClearPolitics.com polling average had Joe Biden leading Donald Trump nationwide by 7.2 percentage points. Biden did end up winning the popular vote, yes, but by 4.5 points. There were even larger gaps between pre-election surveys and vote totals in some battleground states.
Three School Initiatives Show Promise
In North Carolina politics, few issues are as contentious as education. For years, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and the Republican-led General Assembly have locked horns on such issues as funding formulas, teacher pay, and parental choice.
John Hood: Levers help charities meet needs
In my role as president of the John William Pope Foundation, I’ve learned that while it’s easy to give money, it’s difficult to give money away well. There’s no shortage of promising ideas turned into well-meaning enterprises by well-meaning people. Alas, many have disappointing results.
John Hood: Reduce health cost, not just price
Through its own regulations, North Carolina restricts the availability of medical services and, as a result, inflates the cost of those services. Rather than looking for ways to redistribute that inflated cost to taxpayers, state policymakers should try deflating it.
PED ‘ban’ could juice legislative oversight
Oversight and transparency are issues The Wall Street Journal call DBI (Dull But Important). They aren’t as compelling as power grid seizures in Texas or censures of retiring lawmakers, but they’re essential to effective and accountable governance. Sadly, they’re ignored far too often.