Advocates wary of scant budget details
As lawmakers work out details of the $21 billion budget deal struck this weekend, advocates for groups at the center of the stalemate are voicing skepticism about the information revealed so far... Read More
NC Spin Articles
Cooper: NC to stop defending marriage amendment
by Amanda Lamb, WRAL, July 28, 2014. Following a federal appeals court ruling Monday that Virginia's same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said his... Read More
Report: Charters give students, taxpayers more bang for the buck
A new national study concludes that charter schools in North Carolina and other states uniformly outperform traditional public schools, and have a significantly better return on investment for... Read More
A cynic's guide to shutting down the short session
The curtains could come down on the General Assembly's "short" session in the next week or two, about a month later than legislative leaders predicted before the 2014 session started. But just in case... Read More
Move to center divides G.O.P. in North Carolina
The objective of the Republican Party here last year was clear: Unleash the pent-up conservative revolution in a state where the party had not controlled the state legislature and governor’s office... Read More
Politics trumping quality research
College and university faculty members have been among the most outspoken critics of private school scholarships for low-income children, measures to improve the quality of classroom teachers, and... Read More
Premature end to river cleanup
Editorial by Jacksonville Daily News, July 24, 2014. The state has lifted its public health advisory regarding recreational use along the environmentally damaged Dan River in Rockingham County. It... Read More
Legislative policies hurt NC kids
Editorial by Charlotte Observer, July 27, 2014. As N.C. lawmakers lumber toward ending their short session still making unwise policy choices that hurt the well-being of many North Carolinians, they... Read More
Read others' views, then decide for yourself
I don’t read the Washington Post. That is not where I get my ideas.” Many years ago when there were still lots of conservatives voting in Democratic primaries, a congressional candidate pandered... Read More
Laboring under a delusion
Several readers have corresponded with me recently about my series of columns on North Carolina’s recent drop in unemployment. Why, they ask, am I devoting so much of my attention to this issue... Read More
