What's the deal with e-cigarettes?
The House voted in favor of, the Senate approved and the governor signed the Omnibus Tax Law Changes bill into law yesterday which includes a tax on a new product – e-cigarettes. What’s... Read More
NC Spin Articles
NC Education Lottery budget deserves a close look
Governor McCrory wants to use lottery money to equip schools with more technology. The Governor thinks some of the money could come from limiting "annoying" advertising and cutting the Lottery's... Read More
5 years after recession's bottom, problematic progress in North Carolina
by Mike Walden, Reynolds Professor of Economics, NC State University, published in News and Observer, May 30, 2014. We’re getting ready to celebrate an anniversary, although I doubt any balloons... Read More
Tackling obesity epidemic
Obesity epidemic? Everyone knows the “facts,” right? Do the following seem so obvious as to be boring? • Obesity is a personal problem that individuals should solve on their own. • A calorie... Read More
Senate approves $21.1B spending plan
After a long and contentious night, the state Senate approved its $21.1 billion spending plan for 2014-15 early Saturday. Votes were held Friday night and shortly after midnight Saturday. The first... Read More
Civitas Poll: Tillis leading Hagan
RALEIGH – The latest Civitas Institute Poll shows state House Speaker Thom Tillis, the Republican candidate, leading Democratic incumbent Kay Hagan in the race for the U.S. Senate. Tillis leads... Read More
Tenure trap
If you did a poll – and Senator Berger surely has – you’d probably get overwhelming support for this proposition: “Should public school teachers get an 11 per cent raise in exchange for giving... Read More
The Follies of the Senate's cynical and dangerous budget
Many of the headlines about the state budget Senate leaders rolled out this week describe it as taking the state in a different direction or remaking North Carolina. True enough, but that’s not the... Read More
New Utility tax another punch in the nose
Editorial by Rocky Mount Telegram, May 28, 2014. Just as we’ve begun warming up to the possibility of a business deal that could lead to a significant reduction in utility bills, news comes this... Read More
McCrory opposes teacher pay plan, budget
Republican Gov. Pat McCrory on Thursday said he had problems with the Senate's plan to give teachers raises in exchange for them voluntarily giving up tenure-style protections. McCrory's office... Read More
