Regulation
Government regulations typically restrict people’s behaviors and choices– causing economic damage, especially to society’s vulnerable who can least afford to comply. Locke works to deregulate and support innovation and growth.
Is Hog Farming a Form of “Environmental Racism?”
Opponents of hog farms use the term "environmental racism" to characterize the concentration of hog farming facilities and subsequent environmental hazards in specific North Carolina communities, but the charge oversimplifies…
Recent Developments in a Challenge to North Carolina’s Pernicious and Unconstitutional Certificate of Need Law
North Carolina’s Certificate of Need law harms patients, insurers, and taxpayers by making health care more expensive and less accessible. In a lawsuit currently before the North Carolina Supreme Court,…
Hog Waste Management in North Carolina: A Freedom-Minded Perspective on Alternatives
Several alternative ways of hog waste management have been studied, but few have been implemented in North Carolina. Currently the state caps damages that property owners can collect in nuisance…
Gateway to the World
Central to North Carolina’s economic output is its position on the Eastern Seaboard and utilizing that geography to its advantage through its seaports. The Tar Heel State’s two seaports stand…
New Law Stops North Carolina from Repeating Pennsylvania’s ‘Crazy’ Trucking Mistake
I recently wrote about “How the Budget Stops California from Setting North Carolina’s Transportation Policy.” I described how Gov. Roy Cooper had signed a “Memorandum of Understanding” in 2020 with…
How the Budget Stops California from Setting North Carolina’s Transportation Policy
North Carolina’s no-more-stringent law forbids state environmental agencies from imposing stricter environmental regulations than required by the federal government. In 2022, as per his agreement with California Gov. Newsom, Gov.…
Shorter Season, Tighter Regulations Founder NC Flounder Fishing
Attention North Carolinians: If you want to treat yourself to some fresh, wild-caught flounder this season, you better start saving your pennies. With an extremely limited fishing season and stringent…
Freeing Lumber: How to Help North Carolina’s Sawmills and Housing Needs, Too
Sawmills have been decreasing in North Carolina for over a decade due to regulatory burdens and foreign competition. Housing continues to be an issue in the state with input costs…
Why Can’t Meat and Poultry from State-Inspected Facilities Be Sold Across State Lines?
Despite having to meet the same inspection requirements, state-inspected meat processing facilities can sell only within the state, while federal facilities can sell across state lines. This restriction makes an…
Government Affairs Update: Promote Clean Energy (S.B.678)
The North Carolina Senate recently passed Senate Bill 678: Promote Clean Energy, sponsored by Senators Paul Newton, Buck Newton, and David Craven. A commonsense and necessary piece of legislation that…
Greater Accountability for Boards & Commissions
This bill helps provide a check on unchallenged power of the governor's office to single-handedly appoint allies onto these highly influential boards.
DHHS Stops Reporting Covid Hospitalizations by Vaccination Status
Since last summer, the majority of Covid-19 hospitalizations in North Carolina have been to people fully vaccinated or boosted against Covid. Especially in recent weeks, fully vaccinated or boosted individuals…