Since President Lincoln, the nation has held to a single charge: to care for those who have borne the battle. In North Carolina, part of keeping that promise has always been simple and free. When a veteran files a disability claim, an accredited service officer, trained and vetted under federal law, helps prepare it at no cost. That is not charity. It is the system Congress built precisely so that no one could stand between a veteran and the benefits they earned and charge a toll to pass.

North Carolina is booming. People are moving here by the tens of thousands, drawn by jobs, weather, and the promise of more opportunity from the mountains to the coast. That growth is a gift, but only if our housing market can keep pace with it. Lawmakers have an obligation to ensure it does.

As a former Republican state lawmaker, I am in favor of closing tax loopholes that benefit big corporations rather than ordinary working people. Even more so, we should eliminate tax loopholes that give an unfair advantage to foreign conglomerates over American businesses.