Is his picture coming to a North Carolina elevator near you? Veteran McDowell County state legislator Josh Dobson is North Carolina’s new labor commissioner. It’s a position that runs under the public radar — except for the photo in the elevator! — but a position with key responsibilities around worker freedom and workplace safety.

John Locke Foundation Senior Vice President Becki Gray worked with then Rep. Dobson in her role to help state lawmakers discern the impact of their policy choices. She joined me on Carolina Journal Radio to talk about the new commissioner’s background, his views, and the bully pulpit he will have going forward.

That support is key to defenders of worker freedom, a priority for the John Locke Foundation. Why? Because unions are targeting North Carolina. They want to overturn our right-to-work status and, along with allied state lawmakers, repeal our state’s decades-old ban on collective bargaining for public sector unions. Repealing the collective bargaining ban would have a big negative impact on taxpayers by increasing the cost of North Carolina government.

That’s right. Unions are targeting North Carolina, and they feel emboldened due to their 2020 win at Mission Hospital in Asheville. 

Take a moment to listen to my conversation with Becki about the stakes for North Carolina.