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Liberty
Free Trade is Still the Best Practice for Economic Growth
There’s no doubt, freedom and economic growth is tied to free trade. The less countries and communities are hindered by burdensome and unnecessarily regulations, the more wealth that can be…
Liberty
The Problem with America’s Crumbling Railways
Three weeks after a devastating derailment of a train carrying hazardous chemicals in Ohio, the safety of U.S. railways is increasingly in question. Given America’s massive size and geographical distance, competent and…
Research Brief
Energy
North Carolina’s CO2 Emissions Were Already Cut Nearly in Half Before the Carbon Plan
The belief that North Carolina’s electricity-based CO2 emissions are still going up is wrong; they’ve fallen by 46.1 percent since 2005. The belief that North Carolina could positively impact the…
Liberty
Are Wind Turbines Killing Whales in New Jersey?
Coastal cities throughout New Jersey are advocating for more studies on the impact of wind turbines on wildlife after a series of whale deaths. This could have serious implications for…
Budget, Taxation & Economy
NC House Introduces Taxpayer Protection Act to Limit Spending
Rep. Dennis Riddell (R-Alamance) filed a bill yesterday to limit the state’s spending. Specifically, H.B. 146 would amend the North Carolina Constitution by adding a new article to limit the state’s…
Elections & Public Integrity
Wake Elections Bill Goes Too Far, and Not Far Enough
(See the update at the end of this post.) House Bill 99, sponsored by Rep. Erin Paré (R-Wake), introduces an essential reform to how county commissioners would be elected in…
Liberty
More Evidence that Raising the Minimum Wage Is Bad for the Poor — and in Ways You Probably Haven’t Thought Of
In a new article at the Journal of Public Economics, Zachary S. Fone, Joseph J. Sabia, and Resul Cesur report, “Using data from the 1998–2016 Uniform Crime Reports and a difference-in-differences approach, we find robust evidence that…
Energy
Green Hydrogen Isn’t Nearly As Simple As Promised
The Wall Street Journal on February 16 took careful note of “Europe’s Lesson in Green Hydrogen.” That lesson places significant doubt on hydrogen as the “carbon-neutral fuel of the future”:…
Budget, Taxation & Economy
NC Senate Introduces Bill to Enhance Transparency on Bond Referendums
Voters should know total interest payments and potential tax hikes that accompany new debt.
Research Brief
Elections & Public Integrity
North Carolina Constitution: Repeal the Literacy Test and Add Citizen-Only Voting
The literacy test should be removed from the North Carolina Constitution. A requirement that only citizens may vote should be added to the North Carolina Constitution. The General Assembly should…
Education
Ending Payroll Dues Deductions — The Right Way
A bill to end payroll dues deductions for all public employees In North Carolina was introduced earlier this week. The legislation (SB-87), sponsored by Senators, Hise, Krawiec and Johnson, will…
Liberty
The $50 Trillion Carbon Neutral Plan That Experts Admit Won’t Work
At a recent Senate hearing, climate experts claimed it would cost $50 trillion to make the country carbon neutral—and then admitted that it may not even work. Though the U.S.…