The N.C. House spent much of the week hammering out a state budget plan, and UNC Public Television’s “North Carolina Now” turned to the John Locke Foundation for analysis of the House’s ideas. Joseph Coletti, Director of Health and Fiscal Policy Studies, discussed the House budget for the statewide television audience. In addition to television, Coletti earned radio air time for his budget insights. Interviews with WCHL Radio led to stories about the budget debate’s impact on nonresident University of North Carolina students and a potential nine-semester limit on financial aid. Speaking of the budget debate, the John Locke Foundation released a new Policy Report from national transit expert Wendell Cox that urges state lawmakers to return a federal stimulus grant for high-speed rail. The Lincoln Tribune publicized that research, along with TrainForFuture.com. Another JLF Policy Report from Eli Lehrer of the Heartland Institute calls for reform of the state’s auto insurance system. Watchdog.org and Heartland’s Out Of The Storm News promoted Lehrer’s report. In other news, the Greensboro News & Record published JLF Health Policy Fellow Nicole Fisher‘s column on the potential benefits of Medicaid block grants. The Cape Fear Business News and Lincoln Tribune published a column from Daren Bakst, Director of Legal and Regulatory Studies, on the expansion of North Carolina’s smoking ban. Bakst, Coletti, Director of Education Studies Terry Stoops, and Associate Director of Research Jon Sanders traveled to Cincinnati this week to meet with the American Legislative Exchange Council.