NC 250
Richard Caswell: Leader of men
One gentleman in North Carolina stood out during the American Revolution as the ultimate leader of men. Whether fighting on the battlefield, speaking in the colonial assembly room, watching over…
Governor of North Carolina
Research Brief
Budget, Taxation & Economy
Five priorities for this year’s budget plan
Just over two weeks ago, House and Senate leaders announced they had a “framework” for a budget deal for the fiscal year beginning July 1. Lawmakers have not passed a…
Budget, Taxation & Economy
North Carolina should build its own budget simulator
Balancing a state budget is an exercise in tradeoffs. Every dollar allocated to one priority is a dollar unavailable for another. Yet those tradeoffs are often difficult to see, buried…
Budget, Taxation & Economy
Stein announces top spending priorities before the fiscal year ends
Stein has declared the Medicaid shortfall urgent and proposed a “Critical Needs Budget” for FY 2025–26 to address “funding needs that cannot wait until next year.” The proposal primarily focuses…
Budget, Taxation & Economy
When the budget deadline died
North Carolina is now nearly four months into the fiscal year, yet lawmakers have not enacted a budget for the 2025–27 biennium — or even sent a proposal to the…
Liberty
Cooper faces fire from conservative outlet
Andrew Kerr of the Washington Free Beacon notices the policy legacy of North Carolina’s Democratic Senate candidate. Roy Cooper, the leading Democrat for North Carolina’s open Senate seat in 2026,…
Elections & Public Integrity
North Carolina’s misconception of the State Board of Elections’ history
For nearly a decade now, the composition and ownership of the North Carolina Board of Elections (NCSBE) have been a contested battle between the General Assembly and the Governor. The…
Elections & Public Integrity
NC Superior Court anoints the state’s first king
When historians and political scientists discuss the powers and authority of each state’s various branches, the consensus has been that North Carolina’s governor is among the weakest. However, this long-held…
Elections & Public Integrity
Republicans Make Changes to the Structure of State and Local Boards of Elections in Helene Recovery Bill
As part of the latest hurricane-recovery relief package, the legislature has embedded several policy changes into the bill that change various agencies, appointments, and powers issued to Council of State…
Research Brief
Elections & Public Integrity
The Governor Should Not Be Able to Subvert Voters’ Will Through Appointments
North Carolina Commissioner of Labor Josh Dobson, a Republican, resigned on Nov. 6, one day after Republican Luke Farley was elected to succeed him. The voters of North Carolina have…
Elections & Public Integrity
Regarding the Judicial Races in North Carolina
Four years ago, I posted a piece discussing the judicial races that were taking place at the time. Since it’s still relevant, I’m reposting the first part today. A reporter…
Research Brief
Budget, Taxation & Economy
Highlights from the N.C. House Budget Reveal
The North Carolina House released its biennium budget proposal this week as scheduled, and the North Carolina Senate is scheduled to release its version next before the two chambers meet…