Open enrollment starts Nov. 1. Higher premiums and expiring tax credits could combine for spikes in costs.
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John Hood: Border Control Sets Stage for Reform
RALEIGH — Over the first six months of the Trump administration, the United States has experienced a dramatic decline in illegal border crossings. In June, reported the Department of Homeland Security, there were just 25,243 apprehensions or expulsions — the lowest such number in reported history.
John Hood: Tales of Adventure Engage Young Readers
RALEIGH — I am not much of a weeper. But a recent survey of American schoolchildren is testing my stoic disposition. Only 36% of 13-year-olds say they read for fun at least once a week. Back in 1984, the year I graduated high school, 70% did so.
John Hood: Federal Change Could Transform State Care
RALEIGH — Since the federal reconciliation bill was signed into law last month, fans and foes of the sprawling legislation have waged a war of words over its likely fiscal and economic effects. Some argue its permanent repairs to a broken business-tax code will boost capital investment, productivity, and wage growth. Others argue that adding trillions of dollars to federal deficits over the next decade is grossly irresponsible, risking stagflation or worse.
John Hood: Legislature Was Wise to Reclaim Power
RALEIGH — Of all the legislation enacted by the North Carolina General Assembly this year, none is more significant than House Bill 402, which strengthens legislative oversight of state regulations. Passed by both chambers in June, it drew opposition from Gov. Josh Stein. In July, lawmakers overrode his veto to make it the law of the land.
Ideas for helping NC child care industry are solidifying, but a top suggestion faces headwinds
Halee Hartley is the owner of a preschool with three locations in Boone and has a master’s degree in educational psychology. Kid Cove does not bring in enough money for Harley to pay herself a salary, so she works a second job as a property manager.
Auditor recommends splitting off North Carolina DMV from Department of Transportation
North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek called for the separation of the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles from the Department of Transportation in an audit report released Monday.
N.C. Schools Issue Bonds in N.C. Thanks to Policy Change
An effort to keep state dollars in North Carolina came to fruition today at the N.C. Capital Facilities Finance Agency (NCCFFA) meeting. This group, chaired by State Treasurer Brad Briner, adopted new guidelines earlier this year aimed at making it easier for nonprofit institutions, particularly schools, to issue bonds in North Carolina. Today, two schools used the flexibility afforded by that policy change to bring projects before the NCCFFA and the Local Government Commission.
John Hood: Tax Reform Needs a Clear Goal
RALEIGH — While the North Carolina House and Senate continue to discuss how — or whether — to resolve their budget dispute and enact a new fiscal framework for the next two fiscal years, now is an excellent time for tax reformers in both chambers to spell out precisely what they hope to accomplish.
North Carolina's June County and Area Employment Figures Released
Raleigh, N.C. — Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) increased in 92 counties in June 2025, decreased in four, and remained unchanged in four. Edgecombe County had the highest unemployment rate at 5.8 percent while Currituck County had the lowest at 3.1 percent.
John Hood: Push Reset Button on State Budget
RALEIGH — North Carolina is in a mess. It was an entirely predictable mess. Indeed, I and others have been predicting it for more than two years. But former Gov. Roy Cooper, coming soon to a U.S. Senate race near you, and lawmakers of both parties didn’t listen. They expanded Medicaid to include hundreds of thousands of childless, able-bodied North Carolinians — without a realistic means of paying the bill.
John Hood: Health Bill Shows All Is Not Lost
RALEIGH — Are today’s elected leaders incapable of addressing public problems in a serious, respectful, bipartisan manner? If your answer is yes, I’ll concede that you have a strong case. Congress just enacted a sweeping reconciliation bill by the narrowest of margins, with no Democrats in favor. Neither party exhibits any serious intention to close our yawning federal deficits. Current and would-be officeholders seem more interested in talking up conspiracy theories than talking down political tensions or taking on tough issues.
John Hood: Patriots Lit Torches for Liberty — Literally
RALEIGH — It was 250 years ago this week that Patriot militiamen carried out the first military operation of the Revolutionary War in what became the Tar Heel State. There was no pitched battle. No one died. But the Patriots made their point: reasserting British control over North Carolina would be no easy task.
John Hood: Policy Research Has Its Limitations
RALEIGH — If I didn’t believe public-policy research mattered, I wouldn’t have spent so much of my career commissioning and funding it.
North Carolina Named 2025 Top State for Business
Raleigh, NC — Today, North Carolina has been named the 2025 "Top State for Business" by CNBC. This is North Carolina's third Top States crown in the last four years.
BACK ON TOP: North Carolina Returns to No. 1 in CNBC's 'Top States for Business' Rankings
Raleigh, N.C. – North Carolina returned to the No. 1 spot in CNBC's "Top States for Business" rankings this year. Since 2019, North Carolina has ranked in the top three states for business and was previously the top state in 2022 and 2023.
John Hood: America’s Freedom Clock Needs Winding
RALEIGH — When we commemorate the formal birthday of the United States of America, we don’t just celebrate a place, a set of governmental institutions, and a shared history that binds together people with differing backgrounds, faiths, and aspirations. We celebrate a revolutionary act.
The good that Tillis can do as he escapes from Trumpworld
From the beginning of his tenure in the North Carolina General Assembly, it’s always been evident that Thom Tillis was not a true right-wing, authoritarian extremist.
John Hood: AI Will Aid Transit, Not Transform It
RALEIGH — Artificial intelligence is coming to public transit. In fact, in some functions and places, it’s already here. But can AI elevate transit into a major mode of daily travel in North Carolina cities and towns? Sorry, the answer remains no.
John Hood: Lawmakers Aren’t Deadlocked on Regulation
RALEIGH — Fiscal negotiations between the North Carolina House and Senate appear to have stalled out for now, with the two chambers too far apart on the timing and magnitude of future tax cuts to strike a budget deal before the July 1 start of the 2025-26 fiscal year.