September 22, 2022

RALEIGH – Last night, the John Locke Foundation brought home the Bob Williams Award for “Biggest Home State Win” at this year’s State Policy Network Annual Meeting. This coveted award is given to an organization that served as an integral part of securing a significant policy victory in their state. Locke received the award for the critical role it played in the passage of the 2021 bipartisan budget that contained a number of the most consequential policy victories of the decade. 

The first budget ever signed by Gov. Roy Cooper, the “First in Freedom Budget” is a victory for North Carolinians. This budget helps North Carolinians by:  

  • Reducing the personal income tax rate from 5.25% to 3.99% by 2026 
  • Increasing the standard deduction 
  • Eliminating the state’s corporate income tax by 2029 
  • Expanding the Opportunity Scholarship Program for 19,000 lower-income families and Education Savings Accounts for families of special needs students 
  • Reforming the state’s Emergency Management Act.  
  • And accomplished all of this without proposing any new debt 

“I am proud of our team for the work they put into making such a monumental difference for North Carolinians,” said Locke Chief Executive Officer Amy O. Cooke. “North Carolina families will now be able to keep more money in their pockets and business owners will be able to make their bottom lines more confidently. North Carolinians will no longer have to face never-ending states of emergency and abuses of executive authority, and Locke was a major driver of that change.” 

Locke is committed to continuing its work in making North Carolina a freer place to raise a family and build a business. The Locke team is honored to receive the 2022 Bob Williams Award for “Biggest Home State Win.”