The commissioner of labor is one of 10 independently elected members of the Council of State, which constitutes the executive branch of North Carolina’s government.
All in Opinion
John Hood: New Evidence Confirms Taxes Matter
Ever since Republicans won control of the North Carolina General Assembly in 2010 and began reforming the state’s tax code, progressive critics have argued that taxes play little to no role in shaping economic outcomes.
John Hood: Neighbors Shaped Jefferson’s Views on Liberty
RALEIGH — Before Thomas Jefferson died in 1826, he wrote his own epitaph. Did he mention any of his elected offices? No. Jefferson wanted only three accomplishments listed on his gravestone: author of the Declaration of Independence, founder of the University of Virginia, and author of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.
OPINION: What we know after the close of candidate filing
Now that candidate filing period for the 2024 elections has closed, we now have a first glimpse at what the 2024 elections will look like in North Carolina.
Op-Ed: Oversight or Oversight? 5 Ways the FDA Failed the Public This Year
“This product has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.” That endorsement should be the gold standard by which consumers make smart choices about the medications they use and products they trust. Unfortunately, each year the FDA lets many severely defective drugs and products slip though.
John Hood: North Carolina Song Evokes Wonder
One of the most hauntingly beautiful songs you’ll heard at Christmastime originated right here in North Carolina.
John Hood: Lawmakers Should Close Health Plan Hole
During the 2023 fiscal year, the federal government ran a $1.7 trillion deficit. That’s an increase of $320 billion, or 23%, over last year’s deficit. And the worst is yet to come.
Op-Ed: Action Urged on PBM Reform
It is hard enough to manage the high out-of-pocket expenses that come with the prescription medications I rely on without having to worry about greedy insurers and Pharmacy Benefit Managers using every trick in the book to boost their profits at the expense of patient access and affordability.
John Hood: Land-Use Rules Cost Us Dearly
RALEIGH — Though polarization is a pervasive and powerful force in our politics, housing policy is one area where cross-ideological coalitions have become increasingly common.
John Hood: Can Biden truly contest North Carolina?
How can the Democratic Party hope to win North Carolina’s 16 electoral votes for president next year?
OPINION: Leave concerns about Earls’ controversial comments to the voters
State Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls accused conservative colleagues of placing their ideology above the institution, she might have engaged in constitutionally protected political speech.
Op-Ed: Support RISEE to incentivize clean energy projects
As a native North Carolinian, I know too well the devastating impacts flooding and natural disasters can have on our coastal communities. I also know the positive impact visionary projects can have in helping protect these communities.
John Hood: Give peace a chance - on trade
Former President Donald Trump has proposed an across-the-board tariff tax of 10% on all imports. How would such an increase in protectionist central planning affect our economy?
Op-Ed: Sowell laments progressives' history of certainty, dismissiveness
Progressives differ in substantial ways from those who carried the same political label 100 years ago.
John Hood: UNC Professor shaped modern journalism
In 2005, the veteran journalist and professor spoke at an academic conference in San Antonio. “The demassification of the media did not start with the Internet,” he told a room full of people who’d long assumed otherwise.
John Hood: Inflation remains a potent political issue
Democrats are puzzled and frustrated. Jobless rates are low, wages are rising, and growth in gross domestic product last quarter was sizzling. Why do voters remain so dissatisfied with the current economy? And why do most of them disapprove of the economic stewardship of President Joe Biden and his Democratic Party?
John Hood: Ballot will feature many competitive races
It goes without saying that North Carolina’s 16 electoral votes for president will, as usual, be heavily contested next year by the two major-party nominees, who are presumed to be Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump.
John Hood: America’s Founding Deserves Our Gratitude
In her classic novel Little Women, Louisa May Alcott has her character Margaret gaze bitterly at the family’s frostbitten garden and proclaim that “November is the most disagreeable month in the whole year.”
John Hood: Republican Polls Split on Mark Robinson
In the latest Civitas Poll, 49% of North Carolinians likely to vote in the Republican primary say they’d pick Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson to be the GOP nominee for governor in 2024. Of the remaining voters, 41% are undecided and the rest support other candidates such as State Treasurer Dale Folwell or former congressman Mark Walker.