RALEIGH — It was 250 years ago this week that North Carolinians fought in their first formal battle for American independence. But they didn’t fight it in North Carolina — and they didn’t fight British redcoats.
All in Opinion
John Hood: Treasurer Seeks to Reform Health Plan
RALEIGH — Pointing to a projected $1 billion budget hole in North Carolina’s health plan for teachers and other public employees by 2027, State Treasurer Brad Briner and his team are implementing an array of program changes and premium hikes. Their response may not be popular among beneficiaries — but reform is essential if the state is to continue providing health benefits at a reasonable cost.
John Hood: Democratic Wave Crushes GOP Candidates
RALEIGH — The odd-year elections yielded precisely what all the warning signs of 2025 portended: a strong Democratic wave that crushed Republican nominees in the gubernatorial races of New Jersey and Virginia, gave Democrats their largest legislative majorities in decades in both states, delivered left-wing results in various ballot initiatives, and elected a hate monger as attorney general of Virginia and a socialist as mayor of New York.
John Hood: Low Debt Burden Aids North Carolina
RALEIGH — Because I’m a fiscal conservative, you might think I reflexively oppose government borrowing. You’d be mistaken. I believe that public finance and toxicology share a common rule: the dose makes the poison.
John Hood: North Carolina Still Isn’t Very Urban
RALEIGH — According to the latest count by the U.S. Census Bureau, North Carolina has added yet another metropolitan area. Has our state become an urban colossus?
John Hood: Technology Is Reshaping Policy and Politics
RALEIGH — Having spent nearly 40 years analyzing and writing about North Carolina politics and public policy, I often find myself placing today’s challenges and controversies into historical context.
More Republican Dysfunction: Senate Refuses Receipt of House Bills
After wasting hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to rig congressional maps, the House passed a few bills that were dead on arrival in the Senate. But Senate leadership took the extraordinary step of outright refusing to accept the bills from the House because they were so outside the bounds of regular order.
John Hood: Drawing New Districts is a Terrible Idea
RALEIGH — The North Carolina General Assembly is about to redraw the state’s congressional districts for the 2026 elections. It will be the fourth-such map employed this decade — and a terrible idea.
Leader Reives Statement on Redistricting Announcement
Republican lawmakers made clear today that they plan to come back to Raleigh and disenfranchise the voters of this state.
John Hood: Let Parents Choose Their Public Schools
RALEIGH — Having expanded its Opportunity Scholarship program and strengthened its charter-school laws, North Carolina got a solid “B” in the latest American Legislative Exchange Council ranking of educational freedom. About a quarter of our students attend chartered public schools, private schools, or home schools.
Leader Reives Statement on Rep. Brockman Arrest
"The allegations against Rep. Brockman are serious and, if true, would disqualify him from public office," House Democratic Leader Robert Reives said. "This is a developing situation and it is important to let the legal process unfold."
John Hood: North Carolina Needs More Savings
RALEIGH — With the federal government running massive deficits, inflation still running ahead of the Federal Reserve’s 2% annual target, the administration’s mercurial trade policies generating significant uncertainty, and both business investment and consumer confidence trending in the wrong direction, now would be a good time for states and localities to reexamine their fiscal risk.
Republican Lawmakers Leave Raleigh, Allowing Medicaid Cuts to Begin 10/1
Due to Republican inaction over the past few months, this week the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will have to implement cuts to Medicaid service providers. Those cuts are set to take effect this Wednesday, October 1st, unless lawmakers act. But Republican lawmakers have skipped town and have no plans to return for at least three more weeks.
John Hood: Defining Terms Can Shape Political Debate
RALEIGH – Are you an epicurean? The answer to this question reveals something about you, the English language, and the power of propaganda.
Op-Ed: One-sided and misleading view of the App Store Accountability Act
My name is Josiah Hafner, and I’m 16 years old. I’m writing in response to the recent op-ed titled *“Protecting kids online is easier than it seems”* by Lee Currie. While I appreciate the concern for child safety, the article presents a one-sided and misleading view of the App Store Accountability Act (S.1586/H.R.3149)—a bill that directly affects teens like me.
John Hood: Popularity Is Precisely What We Want
RALEIGH — What is the most popular state in the continental United States? You guessed it: our own North Carolina.
Leader Reives Statement on Failure to Fund Medicaid Rebase
“House and Senate Republican Leadership continues to fail North Carolinians, 1 in 4 of whom rely on Medicaid coverage,” House Democratic Leader Robert Reives said. “Our state needs real leadership and decisive action from the General Assembly to ensure that coverage doesn’t lapse for thousands of families across the state. Lives are hanging in the balance -- political gamesmanship cannot continue to get in the way of health care for North Carolinians.”
John Hood: To Combat Radicalism, Teach the Founding
RALEIGH — Recent assassinations and attempts on the lives of politicians, commentators, and other high-profile leaders are horrifying, wreaking havoc on our political discourse. Those who commit, welcome, or excuse such outrageous crimes differ in ideology, but most share a common objective: to provoke a wider war that, they assume, will result in victory for their “side.”
John Hood: Shoddy Statistics Will Produce Bad Policy
RALEIGH — President Donald Trump has removed the head of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and appointed an economist from the Heritage Foundation to replace her. A legal exercise of the president’s powers? Absolutely. But the replacement, E.J. Antoni, must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. I hope North Carolina’s Thom Tillis and Ted Budd give the matter careful consideration.
John Hood: Yes, We Can Stop the Fire
RALEIGH — I had strong political disagreements with Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, on both style and substance — and I mourn his death, deem it an indefensible crime, and fear its consequences.