Budget, Taxation & Economy
At the state legislature, Locke advocates for limiting the expenditure of tax dollars and strictly limiting its tax burdens on families and businesses.
NC General Assembly Reform One Pager
Franchise Tax One Pager
Income Tax Cap Amendment: Lost Opportunity
Not deterred, less than a month before the end of the House Republicans’ supermajority, the Senate introduced and passed Senate Bill 920, which aimed exclusively to reduce the income tax…
Increasing Legislator Pay: Making It Affordable for the Average Citizen to Represent the State
This is Part One of a four-part series covering our findings in “Reforming North Carolina’s General Assembly.” Part Two will cover session limits, Part Three will deal with legislative leadership term…
ReBuild NC Debacle: Millions Wasted, and Thousands Still Without Homes
After six years and millions of taxpayer dollars wasted, Governor Roy Cooper discharged the director of the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR), also known as ReBuild NC.…
Reforming North Carolina’s General Assembly
In this report, we evaluate several opportunities for making the North Carolina General Assembly more transparent, effective, and responsive to the public. Specifically, areas under consideration include leadership term limits,…
Solving North Carolina’s Crime Problem: Part Four
In Part One of this series, I confirmed that North Carolina does indeed have a crime problem. I noted that crime rates rose dramatically between 2018 and 2021 and that clearance rates…
Six Years Later, Not a Single New Home Built for Victims of Matthew and Florence
Six years later, North Carolina’s government agency tasked with rebuilding after Hurricanes Matthew and Florence has failed to complete the construction of even one new home and has repaired less…
Josh Stein’s Criticism of the Opportunity Scholarship Program Undermined by the Law He Has Pledged to Uphold
Josh Stein is North Carolina’s attorney general. He’s also the Democratic nominee for governor. Last week Stein was interviewed by Tim Boyum of Spectrum News’ Capital Tonight program on various…
Rerouting How Roads and Highways are Funded
In 2022, Governor Cooper issued an executive order to raise the number of registered zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in the state to 1.25 million by 2030. ZEVs include electric vehicles (EVs)…
An “Inflation Free” Thanksgiving Proves Kamala Wrong
As Thanksgiving approaches, major retailers like Aldi and Walmart are stepping up to offer affordable holiday meals despite inflationary pressures. Both companies have announced significant discounts on traditional Thanksgiving staples,…
Disaster Deliverance: Raising Reserves or Rendering Resentment
Due to years of prudent fiscal policies, when Hurricane Helene stormed through the Appalachian Mountains, the state’s Savings and Disaster Relief Reserves contained $4.75 billion and $732.6 million, respectively.