Just because the legislature is technically out of session doesn’t mean the work stops. In fact, 20 study commissions are underway and meeting to assess a variety of issues. In this recent Carolina Journal Radio interview, JLF’s Becki Gray and I talked about some of the key commissions and key issues of interest to those of who believe in reforming government and infusing programs with competition.
Martinez: Let’s talk first, Becki, about one that’s going to look at market-based solutions in health care.
Gray: What they’re really talking about — and specifically it says in the charge to the committee — that they’re going to be looking at certificate-of-need regulations in North Carolina, something that actually my colleague [JLF Director of Regulatory Studies] Jon Sanders has just written a paper [about]. I believe you’ve talked to him about that.
Martinez: Right.
Gray: Certificate-of-need regulations are only in a handful of states. North Carolina is one of those. And what we’ve seen with it is that it drives up health care cost and limits access. So it’s something that we have long advocated for, and most recently, Jon has written this paper explaining that. So we were very happy to see a study, legislative study, on certificate of need. Do we need this in North Carolina? Is there a chance that it may be repealed? And that’s certainly something that we would advocate.
Martinez: You know what’s interesting is that it is named market-based solutions. That in itself tells you the philosophy that is coming out of this new General Assembly.
Gray: Exactly, yes.
Martinez: Let’s turn to education because there’s also a committee based on Common Core. Now that, of course, is a very controversial issue in the education world. The Locke Foundation has been analyzing that quite frequently. What is at issue there?
Gray: Well, it’s whether or not we should adopt the Common Core standards, what the costs are going to be. My colleague [JLF Director of Research and Education Studies] Terry Stoops has done a wonderful Spotlight report on Common Core: “60 Questions About Common Core.” And basically the charge to the committee is looking at many of those questions that Dr. Stoops has raised in his paper.
Martinez: Including costs.
Gray: Costs. Implementation. Are these standards as high as we want them to be in North Carolina? Even if we adopted the Common Core standards, should we be limited to that, or should we strive to have the very highest standards in the entire country? And Dr. Stoops’ opinion, and those of us at the Locke Foundation, is that we should not be restrained by these Common Core standards.
There are also some concerns with privacy issues, with data mining with students through our public education system. That is another issue that they’re going to be looking at with the Common Core standards. And again, this is something that we’ve written about and have been advocates for. Again, another Locke Foundation issue that is being studied.
