Who really opposes free speech
RALEIGH — In a free society, the right to express one’s political views without governmental restraint or reprisal ought to be sacrosanct. Unfortunately, it isn’t. Some politicians and political... Read More
NC Spin Articles
Time to stop NC institutions from artificially raising pensions
Editorial by the News and Observer, May 27, 2014. A November series in The News & Observer thankfully got the attention of lawmakers. The series, “Checks Without Balances,” showed that four... Read More
Redistricting revisit
Forty-three years ago as a young, naive Republican state senator from Rowan County, I introduced a bill to provide for a constitutional amendment that would set up a nonpartisan redistricting... Read More
Teachers get higher pay but give up tenure in NC Senate GOP plan
RALEIGH — Republicans in the state Senate are set to propose a major overhaul of how classroom teachers are paid in North Carolina, including a pathway to substantial pay raises for teachers who... Read More
14 arrested after sit-in at NC Legislative building
RALEIGH, N.C. — Fourteen protesters were arrested at the North Carolina Legislative Building early Wednesday after sitting in House Speaker Thom Tillis' office for nearly 11 hours. Nearly... Read More
Rousing a sleeping giant
Why politicians of both parties may rue the awakening of North Carolina’s progressive movement There is a bit of mythology percolating through the mainstream news media these days that the Moral... Read More
Using government power to quiet dissent
Bob Brawley could be a poster boy for today's Republican Party. He distrusts government, espouses lower taxes, votes pro-business, and in the 2013-14 General Assembly he has co-sponsored bills on gun... Read More
Fracking and reform
The North Carolina Senate could have gotten its 2014 session under way with a show of resolve to repair some of the damage from last year’s debacle. Just as one friendly suggestion: Senators could... Read More
The General Assembly needs to get back on track
Editorial by Rocky Mount Telegram, May 26, 2014. We’ve all heard or read the horror stories about nightmare legislation -- bills in the N.C. General Assembly or Congress that are thousands of pages... Read More
Would a real veto power help Governor McCrory?
There’s a secret nobody in the Raleigh power establishment will confirm. It is this. Our Republican governor, Pat McCrory, would not mind if there were a few more Democrats in the General Assembly... Read More
