Boxing in the Democrats
You have to give credit to state Republicans: They’re pretty clever. They keep finding simple issues to drive their voters to the polls while putting Democrats on the defensive, like an income tax... Read More
NC Spin Articles
Civitas Poll shows Trump gaining support, 50% approve job Cooper is doing
The Civitas Institute released its most recent poll numbers Thursday at a luncheon in downtown Raleigh, and the survey showed President Trump’s favorability rating in the state as positive for the... Read More
Changes coming to address unfunded liabilities in state retiree benefits?
by Brian Balfour, Civitas Institute, March 22, 2017. Changes to the State Health Plan may be coming, following a vote of the State Health Plan Board of Trustees taking place today. State employees who... Read More
Cooper is in weaker position
Newly elected Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper gave his first State of the State address on March 13. The longtime leader of the North Carolina Senate, Phil Berger, gave the Republican response. Both men... Read More
Government intervention in renewables market a 'slam dunk,' GOP operatives say
Two highly regarded Republican political consultants told an audience of state lawmakers, lobbyists, and renewable-energy entrepreneurs Tuesday they should consider government intervention into the... Read More
Cooper vetoes partisan elections for judges
Gov. Roy Cooper issued his first veto today, and there's a chance it won't be overridden. The measure restores partisan elections for District and Superior Court judges. Cooper's objections are... Read More
Fix our problems before cutting taxes
Editorial by Fayetteville Observer, March 16, 2017. They're likely to make big points with their voter base, but the lawmakers in Raleigh who are proposing another round of big tax cuts may be showing... Read More
Census Bureau definitions make sense in describing local economies
by Mike Walden, NCSU Professor of Economics, published in Durham Herald-Sun, March 16, 2017. North Carolina has a lot of local governments. To be exact, there are 100 counties and 552 municipalities... Read More
Big beer vs. craft beer a complicated fight
by Paul O'Connor, Capitol Press Association, published in Rocky Mount Telegram, March 16, 2016. I love beer, especially craft beer, and from the look of things about 5 p.m. most days so do many other... Read More
Conservatives have lost the big argument over healthcare
Nothing lays bare the ideological divide between conservatives and liberals like a healthcare debate. We are now in the third major debate in my lifetime. The first happened when Bill and Hillary... Read More
