Some ideas have hideous consequences
In 1948, a 38-year-old North Carolinian and English professor at the University of Chicago coined a memorable phrase: “ideas have consequences.” Richard Weaver, a traditionalist conservative from... Read More
NC Spin Articles
Scandalous special sessions subvert our democracy
The General Assembly will convene a special session next week but most people in North Carolina, including the vast majority of the members of House and Senate, have no idea what legislation they will... Read More
Beer money and changing markets
News that beer distributors through political action committees poured nearly $100,000 toward defeating a bill to lift a production cap on North Carolina brewers should surprise no one. Tuesday, The... Read More
Know these five budget facts
During the recently completed legislative session, the Republican-led North Carolina General Assembly overrode a veto by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to enact a new budget for state government. Here are... Read More
Race won't be a factor in legislative maps, Republicans say
Lawmakers won’t consider race when they redraw legislative maps to meet a Sept. 1 federal court deadline. Republicans on the House and Senate redistricting committee made that clear as they swatted... Read More
Publicly financed stadiums: Don't believe the hype
Bidding groups from Charlotte and Raleigh are hoping to snag a new Major League Soccer franchise when the MLS expands. JLF’s Julie Tisdale compares the two bids here. But importantly, she also... Read More
Nonpartisan races work best for city
Editorial by Greensboro News-Record, August 11, 2017. The Charlotte Observer paid Greensboro a compliment in an editorial last week. It said Greensboro’s nonpartisan City Council elections are... Read More
Don't play politics with GenX mess
Editorial by Fayetteville Observer, August 10, 2017. In the worrisome saga of GenX pollution in the Cape Fear River, the to-do list is long. As the investigation proceeds, we expect the list will grow... Read More
Tillis right on counsel
Editorial by Winston-Salem Journal, August 9, 2017. Republican Thom Tillis, one of North Carolina’s two U.S. senators, has rightly joined Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware in a bill that would... Read More
School bus bill puts private companies in driver's seat
Drivers who pass stopped school buses could get fined up to $1,000 under a bill that Gov. Roy Cooper signed on July 25 – but the hefty fine isn’t why legislators from both parties opposed the... Read More
