As North Carolina grapples with the impact of COVID- debate has turned to when and how to reopen the state's economy While many are calling on government officials to ease restrictions tied to the pandemic some worry that a reopened economy could lead to major health-related problems Becki Gray John Locke Foundation senior vice president analyzes the debate Families across North Carolina have been grappling with the challenges of online education since COVID- shut down brick-and-mortar schools Catherine Truitt chancellor of the online Western Governors University North Carolina offered ideas for parents and students during a presentation for the John [... more]

The coronavirus scare reminds us about government-erected barriers that stand in the way of an effective response Jordan Roberts John Locke Foundation health care policy analyst discusses policy changes at the state level that would help North Carolina deal better with problems linked to the virus's spread Medicaid expansion has dominated the N C political debate in recent years A recent report challenges a key claim from expansion's proponents They say the infusion of government money linked to expansion would help shore up struggling rural hospitals Roy Lenardson government affairs director with the Foundation for Government Accountability explains why those [... more]

Gov Roy Cooper's administration ended months of speculation by approving a key water-quality permit for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline While complaints from environmental activists grabbed headlines Cooper also raised eyebrows by announcing the creation of a new fund totaling nearly million Cooper says the money can fund more than just mitigation of the pipeline's environmental impact The funds might also pay for economic development and renewable energy projects Critics contend this money represents a slush fund Rick Henderson Carolina Journal editor-in-chief analyzes the pipeline's latest developments Much has changed in N C politics during the past years The NC SPIN [... more]

President Trump has nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch of the th U S Circuit Court of Appeals to succeed the late Antonin Scalia on the U S Supreme Court Conservatives have offered general praise for Trump's choice while some critics have geared up for a confirmation fight Jon Guze the John Locke Foundation's director of legal studies analyzes Gorsuch's record and assesses his likely impact on the state's highest court North Carolina lawmakers have devoted much of their time and taxpayer dollars in recent years to raising public school teacher pay Now some lawmakers want to focus attention on pay for [... more]