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Senate Majority Leader Harry Brown (R-Onslow) introduced legislation on Monday to reform the state sales tax system. The state levies a 4.75 percent sales tax, while counties levy an additional two percent. The two percent is the focus of the bill, and is currently composed of three different...
Published: Thursday, March 26th, 2015 @ 3:14 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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When folks talk about poverty in schools, they typically reference the number of students who receive a free or reduced price lunch (FRL), which means that I often need to consult FRL statistics published annually by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (DPI). But reviewing last year's data...
Published: Wednesday, March 25th, 2015 @ 4:20 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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It's been a little over one week since the House filed HB 200, which would loosen up the state's Certificate of Need (CON) law - a regulatory burden requiring medical providers to ask permission from the state and their competitors before expanding their businesses.
Published: Tuesday, March 24th, 2015 @ 9:13 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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A new study this week estimated that North Carolina's Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standards (RPS) has increased electricity costs by $276 million, and that the bulk of those costs are concentrated on commercial electricity consumers and residential consumers...
Published: Tuesday, March 24th, 2015 @ 12:03 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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Republicans from Governor McCrory and Commerce Secretary John Skvarla to the leadership and rank and file alike in the General Assembly are falling all over themselves trying to extend and expand so-called business incentive programs, aka corporate welfare. So what does the platform of the party...
Published: Sunday, March 22nd, 2015 @ 8:03 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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Public schools superintendents have been in the news lately and it's not been flattering.
Published: Sunday, March 22nd, 2015 @ 6:49 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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How much does North Carolina's government spend? A simple question, but unfortunately there's not a simple answer.
Published: Saturday, March 21st, 2015 @ 9:44 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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A couple of weeks ago I discussed an excellent NC Court of Appeals decision in which the Court held that development moratoria imposed under the Map Act constitute takings for which just compensation must be paid. Today I'm happy to report that the General Assembly is already responding to that hold
Published: Friday, March 20th, 2015 @ 1:45 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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North Carolina has one of the most aggressive Certificate of Need (CON) programs in the nation. A bipartisan bill introduced this week in the North Carolina House would loosen some of the CON reins.
Published: Wednesday, March 18th, 2015 @ 8:13 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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We will offer this allotment of three with more to come; some old, most new, but all quite informative, and, moreover, necessary to understanding that in North Carolina, there is a wiser path to govern ourselves and our People.
Published: Monday, March 16th, 2015 @ 11:27 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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The AP is reporting that, like the Locke Foundation, the Heartland Institute, and a number of other think tanks, private companies, and individual scientists, Koch Industries, headed by philanthropists and donors to free market causes David and Charles Koch, has received a letter demanding...
Published: Monday, March 16th, 2015 @ 5:08 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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During the progressive era, federal antitrust enforcement agencies were known as "trustbusters." They were usually depicted as righteous warriors courageously fighting to rescue helpless ordinary citizens from the machinations of rich and powerful monopolists. In reality, federal trust busting...
Published: Sunday, March 15th, 2015 @ 6:30 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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Last week Gov. Pat McCrory released his budget proposal for the 2015-2017 biennium, his spending plan for $22 billion in each of the next two fiscal years. While there are some positive spending decisions in this budget, there are also some discouraging choices in certain areas of government...
Published: Friday, March 13th, 2015 @ 2:55 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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Last week the John Locke Foundation received a letter from three US Senators as part of a nationwide witch-hunt targeting scientists, universities, advocacy groups, and think tanks who are skeptical of or have presented any evidence that contradicts the alarmist line on global warming. The letter...
Published: Wednesday, March 11th, 2015 @ 8:20 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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The bottom line is that the governor's budget would increase K-12 education spending by 2.8 percent or $235 million more than the 2014-15 budget.
Published: Tuesday, March 10th, 2015 @ 11:38 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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My colleague Jon Sanders has already commented on last week's Supreme Court decision in North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners v. Federal Trade Commission. As Jon suggests, this is a good result in many ways — the bad guys lost, and the good guys will eventually benefit. It is...
Published: Tuesday, March 10th, 2015 @ 5:55 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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This morning, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in King v Burwell, where the plaintiffs are not seeking to challenge Obamacare, but for the federal health law to operate as written.
Published: Monday, March 9th, 2015 @ 5:33 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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Last week the Federal Communications Commission moved to set aside North Carolina law in favor of the City of Wilson's Greenlight broadband service. My Spotlight this week explains why this was a bad decision.
Published: Saturday, March 7th, 2015 @ 4:30 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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Tough decisions need to be made during this legislative session, but are they being made in the best interest of the taxpayer or in the spirit of efficient government? Two questions came before the House Finance and Appropriations committees on Tuesday, a change to the state's gasoline tax as...
Published: Saturday, March 7th, 2015 @ 3:10 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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North Carolina is one of the more aggressive states in the nation in licensing occupations. This is a significant impediment to freedom in a state that once boasted, and ought to be able to again, of being "First in Freedom."
Published: Friday, March 6th, 2015 @ 1:29 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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We will offer this allotment of three with more to come; some old, most new, but all quite informative, and, moreover, necessary to understanding that in North Carolina, there is a wiser path to govern ourselves and our People.
Published: Thursday, March 5th, 2015 @ 12:00 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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Lovers of socialized medicine are quick to point out that the United States is the only country in the developed world that doesn't have some form of universal government run, i.e., single payer, health care system. While this may be true, the US system of health care payment and delivery does...
Published: Tuesday, March 3rd, 2015 @ 6:48 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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We will offer this allotment of three with more to come; some old, most new, but all quite informative, and, moreover, necessary to understanding that in North Carolina, there is a wiser path to govern ourselves and our People.
Published: Saturday, February 28th, 2015 @ 2:33 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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North Carolina is one of the more aggressive states in the nation in licensing occupations. This is a significant impediment to freedom in a state that once boasted, and ought to be able to again, of being "First in Freedom."
Published: Saturday, February 28th, 2015 @ 5:23 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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Last week, the News & Observer published an op-ed by Angela Scioli, a history teacher at Leesville Road High School in Raleigh and founder of Red4EdNC. The piece took aim at the Republican-led legislature for "no longer investing in our students." One of her main points was that things were so muc
Published: Thursday, February 26th, 2015 @ 10:21 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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We will offer this allotment of three with more to come; some old, most new, but all quite informative, and, moreover, necessary to understanding that in North Carolina, there is a wiser path to govern ourselves and our People.
Published: Thursday, February 26th, 2015 @ 4:49 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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New Bern may be best known as the birthplace of Pepsi Co., the world's third largest food and beverage company. But it is also home to one of North Carolina's most financially unstable tourist attractions — Tryon Palace — and the neighboring North Carolina History Center.
Published: Wednesday, February 25th, 2015 @ 12:40 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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We will offer this allotment of three with more to come; some old, most new, but all quite informative, and, moreover, necessary to understanding that in North Carolina, there is a wiser path to govern ourselves and our People.
Published: Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 @ 4:04 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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On Tuesday the N.C. Court of Appeals handed down a ruling that strikes at the heart of a controversial piece of legislation known as the Map Act. Here at the John Locke Foundation, we have been urging the General Assembly to repeal or reform the Map Act for some time. Now, however, thanks to...
Published: Saturday, February 21st, 2015 @ 10:34 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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Obamacare's original second enrollment period to #GetCovered has just about come to a close. (It was supposed to end on Sunday, but the administration announced this week that they will be opening a new special enrollment period during tax season.) The Obama Administration has been chirping...
Published: Friday, February 20th, 2015 @ 7:39 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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In a draft report released this week, the working group of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors has completed its review of the 240 research centers scattered among the system campuses. It recommends further review of only 13 and closure of just three.
Published: Thursday, February 19th, 2015 @ 6:50 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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We will offer this allotment of three with more to come; some old, most new, but all quite informative, and, moreover, necessary to understanding that in North Carolina, there is a wiser path to govern ourselves and our People.
Published: Thursday, February 19th, 2015 @ 12:32 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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When the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (DPI) released school performance grades earlier this month, public school advocacy groups noted that the grades reflected the socioeconomic makeup of the schools. They observed that schools with few free and reduced price lunch students generally...
Published: Wednesday, February 18th, 2015 @ 3:08 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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We will offer this allotment of three with more to come; some old, most new, but all quite informative, and, moreover, necessary to understanding that in North Carolina, there is a wiser path to govern ourselves and our People.
Published: Wednesday, February 18th, 2015 @ 12:37 am
By: Stan Deatherage
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