The North Carolina Supreme Court on April 28 took the curious step of overturning its own 19-week-old decision despite there being no new evidence or material facts in the case.
All in Opinion
John Hood: Who Are You Calling an Extremist?
If you’ve engaged in political activity or debate for longer than, say, a week, chances are someone thinks you’re an extremist. If your activity occurs or draws attention on social media, chances are someone has called you an extremist.
Carl Able: Partisan Gerrymandering: Disenfranchising voters and skewing representation
While both parties have orchestrated gerrymandering efforts, actions taken by Republican-controlled states following the 2010 census have proven to be far more effective at increasing their hold on power than those of the Democrats.
John Hood: Courts Do Have Role in Redistricting
When the North Carolina Supreme Court issued its latest redistricting decision on April 28, both angry Democrats and triumphant Republicans declared that the court had removed itself from any oversight of the state’s electoral districts.
John Hood: Give Nurses More Freedom to Practice
In North Carolina, Medicaid expansion is a foregone conclusion. The General Assembly approved the necessary legislation. Gov. Roy Cooper signed it. While expansion is contingent on the passage of a state budget, no one doubts that’ll happen. So, the governor finally secured his highest legislative priority.
John Hood: Strike a better balance on housing
The North Carolina General Assembly is bustling with activity. Lawmakers are considering a dramatic increase in parental control over the education of their children, major changes in school governance and the structure of state government, pro-consumer reforms of the state’s energy policies, an acceleration of pro-growth tax cuts, huge investments in public buildings and infrastructure, tighter restrictions on abortion, and dozens of other high-profile measures.
John Hood: Lawmakers Propose Electing State School Board
Does North Carolina’s governance system for public schools need a radical overhaul? That’s what some state lawmakers are proposing. Before explaining what they have in mind, I ought to remind you how our current system works.
OPINION: The dystopian nightmare of parents choosing their child’s school
Last week, Republicans held a news conference, with both state House and Senate sponsors of a bill, named “Choose Your School, Choose Your Future,” that would make Opportunity Scholarships, often called vouchers, available to all N.C. families.
John Hood: North Carolina Ranks High in Roads
North Carolina can add another item to its crowded shelf of accolades: according to a newly updated study, our state’s road system ranks second in the nation in performance and cost-effectiveness.
Stein: Don't buy into fake online reviews
Online reviews can be a useful tool to help you decide what products to buy, companies to hire, or rental companies to sign with. When products or services are highly reviewed, they’re more visible and you’re more likely to spend your money on them. But often, the reviews you’re reading weren’t written by a real person who used the product or service. Those fake online reviews have consequences – in 2021, fake online reviews influenced $152 billion in online spending!
John Hood: Spend Now, Reap Benefits Later
When the North Carolina House of Representatives approved its state budget plan a couple of weeks ago, the proposed pay raises for public employees, tax relief, and policy changes found within the budget bill commanded the lion’s share of public attention.
Op Ed: Southeast Hydrogen Hub Would Power a Stronger, Cleaner North Carolina
An all-of-the-above energy strategy that leverages emerging, innovative technologies is a critical component of our energy and economic future—both here in North Carolina and nationwide
John Hood: Suburban Surge Drove GOP Success
North Carolina has long been a political battleground — but the shape of that battlefield has changed significantly over time.
Op-Ed: As COVID emergency ends, don’t lose sight of what worked
Supplemental oxygen therapy patients and providers in North Carolina and throughout the country are anxiously awaiting guidance and action from the federal Medicare program as the Public Health Emergency (PHE) connected to the COVID-19 pandemic is set to end on May 11.
John Hood: Few Institutions Inspire Public Trust
The three most-trusted social institutions in North Carolina are the military, the police, and small business. Make of that what you will. I made the following column.
OPINION: Facts help counter expected climate spin
temperatures warm and the annual Atlantic hurricane season approaches, you’re bound to be bombarded with reports about the dangers of climate change.
John Hood: Sweat the details on teacher pay
The General Assembly ought to enact big pay increases for educators in North Carolina’s public schools. In the context of soaring prices, strong revenue collections, tight labor markets, and persistent vacancies in key teaching positions, it’s the right thing to do.
OPINION: Inflation is not just an ‘NC teacher tax.’ It’s an everybody tax
Kim Mackey, a Wake County social-studies teacher, put together a website called N.C. Teacher Tax, which calculates how much money teachers lose to inflation compared to the pay they “signed up for” when they started.
John Hood: Blue Cross bill makes good sense
How often do the majority and minority leaders of any legislative chamber in America agree on a significant policy change? You can probably count those occasions on your fingers without putting down your coffee cup.
OPINION: Cooper’s tax hikes hide beneath the surface
Roy Cooper’s latest budget proposal wouldn’t raise tax rates. But his plan still calls for tax hikes.