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Budget, Taxation & Economy
Discussing some overlooked aspects of Trump’s tariff defeat
On May 28, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) ruled in favor of the challengers in two cases challenging some of President Donald Trump’s tariff…
Elections & Public Integrity
Further impacts of the Griffin legal challenge
For much of the first half of 2025, Jefferson Griffin’s challenge to several of the state’s election laws took most of the air out of the election space. While a…
Law & Public Safety
Why won’t the Supreme Court enforce its Second Amendment precedents?
So-called “assault weapons,” including particularly AR-15s and similar lightweight semiautomatic rifles, have long been the target of gun control legislation. As I have explained in the past, the Supreme Court’s 2008…
Education
HVAC study for Wake County Public Schools: A bad idea at a bad time
Every budget contains provisions that are odious and repugnant. So it’s no surprise to know that there are stinkers in the House budget. Tucked away on page 130 of the…
Budget, Taxation & Economy
After the storm: Will Stein follow Cooper or forge his own path?
The Helene recovery is possibly the most formidable challenge facing Gov. Josh Stein. To be successful, he must distinguish himself from former Gov. Roy Cooper’s failures in the Matthew and…
Elections & Public Integrity
House budget would let election boards hire private counsel
What do you do if you believe that the attorneys tasked with defending a state law or agency sympathize with the plaintiff? That is not an idle question, but a…
Elections & Public Integrity
Federal voter registration lawsuit is important but likely premature
North Carolina’s voter rolls are less secure than they should be. One reason for that reduced security is that hundreds of thousands of voter registrations are missing data that would…
Freedom Focus
Freedom Focus
Yes, AI is new, but the principles for regulating it are not
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) raises questions about regulating its use and abuse. When considering laws regulating speech, we cannot be dazzled or feel threatened by the newness of…
Education
Trump tariffs will have negative impact on NC public schools
President Donald Trump’s tariff proposals have put the country on edge. While many conservatives have rightly applauded the president’s efforts to downsize government, eliminate the Department of Education, and end…
Agriculture
Are robot farm workers the future of NC agriculture?
North Carolina’s farms lack workers. That’s the central warning in “Harvest on Hold,” my new report for the Center for Food, Power, and Life at the John Locke Foundation. The…
Research Brief
Budget, Taxation & Economy
House budget proposal: How does it stack up to the Senate’s?
On Monday, the North Carolina House unveiled its 2025–2027 biennial budget proposal, calling for $32.6 billion in net General Fund appropriations for fiscal year (FY) 2026. This would represent a…
Freedom Focus
Education
Educational equity: the impossible goal justifying public school monopoly
As a thought experiment, imagine if North Carolina passed a law mandating not just that all children be educated, but that they must attend traditional public schools. No more private…