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Research Brief
Education
K–12 open enrollment is better than OK in the Sooner State
North Carolina is starting to progress toward statewide K–12 open enrollment, a type of school choice that lets parents choose any traditional public school with open seats in lieu of…
NC 250
Not too late to see the original Halifax Resolves in NC this summer
As we plod through the dog days of summer, parents and grandparents are often looking for new ideas for outings with the youngsters. One possibility to consider is visiting the…
Energy
Power in numbers: Electricity demand in extreme temperatures
During extreme heat waves and cold snaps, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under President Donald Trump has been issuing emergency orders that allow utilities to exceed their environmental emissions…
Elections & Public Integrity
New voter ID rules better adhere to state law
The North Carolina State Board of Elections (SBE) adopted several rule changes on July 16. The most controversial was a change from a requirement that county elections boards need a…
Education
Education Freedom Tax Credit Scholarship benefits private and public schools
The Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC) has been much in the news lately. How does EFTC work? Taxpayers can make a donation of up to $1,700 to approved Scholarship Granting…
Research Brief
Environment
The ROAD to housing starts with more homes
America’s housing shortage did not develop overnight, and it will not be solved with a single piece of legislation. Decades of restrictive zoning, burdensome permitting requirements, environmental review delays, parking…
NC 250
The Declaration of Independence was just the beginning
The smoke from the fireworks has cleared. The memories of parades and picnics have faded. The 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence has come and gone.…
Research Brief
Elections & Public Integrity
Is there an ideal number of early voting days?
A pair of bills on early voting were submitted in the General Assembly during this year’s short session. Neither went anywhere, but they exposed the mindsets of legislators from both…
Education
NC home school numbers fall
Earlier this week the North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education released new enrollment numbers for private schools and home schools in North Carolina. My colleague, Kaitlyn Shepherd, analyzed changes in…
Research Brief
Energy
Report shines the light on energy poverty in North Carolina
A new report from the John Locke Foundation’s Center for Food, Power, and Life gauges the extent of energy poverty in North Carolina and proposes several recommendations to return the…
Education
Rising private school enrollment shows need for enough seats
More students than ever are enrolling in North Carolina’s private schools, according to a new report from the Division of Non-Public Education. The data show that North Carolina’s private schools…
Research Brief
Budget, Taxation & Economy
The $3 billion in hidden spending in the budget proposal
The recently introduced FY 2026–27 state budget proposal totals $34.37 billion in state spending. That’s the bottom line of General Fund appropriations universally being reported on. But is that figure…