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.
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John Hood: Let workers be more independent
Are you an employee or a contractor? This isn’t simply a matter of what you call yourself, or how you think about your relationship to those who pay you to perform services. Because formal employment is the subject of so many local, state, and federal rules, its definition is spelled out in law — and penalties for violating it can be severe.
John Hood: States Should Lead on Parental Rights
A few weeks ago, three members of the North Carolina Senate — Amy Scott Galey of Alamance County, Lisa Barnes of Nash County, and Michael Lee of New Hanover County — filed a state Parents’ Bill of Rights to ensure that local schools respect parental authority to direct the education, development, and medical treatment of their children.
John Hood: COVID Mandates Were Too Strict
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in early 2020, Gov. Roy Cooper and other officials began exercising government power in ways unprecedented in modern times.
Thomas Mills: The lastest victim of Wokism
The creator of the comic strip “Dilbert” went on a racist rant last week and now hundreds of newspapers across the country have dropped the cartoon. Scott Adams, who posted his screed on his YouTube channel, called Black people “a hate group” and told White people to stay away from them. Of course Adams will complain that he’s being canceled. This time, he’s probably right.
Thomas Mills: An Inhospitable working environment
I grew up the son of a state employee. My father served as a district court and superior court judge. In exchange, he received a steady salary, good health insurance, and a generous pension program. He could have made more money in the private sector as an attorney, but the benefits helped offset the difference and made the job a bit more attractive.
John Hood: Yes, they'll waste our money again
We will probably never know how much of our money was squandered during the pandemic by reckless politicians. But here are two damning numbers to start with: $400 billion and $855,000 per job year.
John Hood: Biden’s Budget Consensus Can’t Last
Newly elected U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards of North Carolina’s 11th District attended his first State of the Union address last week and joined his fellow Republicans in calling out Joe Biden’s fiscal irresponsibility.
Cawthorn cited for having loaded gun at Charlotte airport
On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-11th District, was cited for possession of a dangerous weapon after having a loaded handgun at the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Police say that Cawthorn cooperated with authorities after an agent found the weapon in a bag and Cawthorn said it was his.
Climate change is real. Emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities such as power generation and transportation are a causal factor.
Voters can still be persuaded
Some partisans I know insist political allegiances are so rigid that elections have become little more than turnout contests. Whichever party gets its base out wins. Persuadable swing voters used to exist in significant numbers, they concede, but are now about as hard to find as Bigfoot.
John Hood: Stay the Course on Tax Reform
Over the past decade, North Carolina’s tax code has undergone a dramatic transformation. Once rated by the Tax Foundation as having one of the nation’s worst business-tax climates, our state now has one of the best. Our top marginal tax rate on personal income, once the highest in the Southeast at 7.75%, is now 4.99%
John Hood: Feds blew it on COVID relief
If ever there was justification for sudden, expedited, large-scale federal expenditure, the COVID crisis was it. Americans faced a deadly pandemic.
We need more housing options
As post-COVID shifts in work arrangements and living preferences continue to motivate many Americans to relocate, North Carolina will continue to be a popular destination. Indeed, we can attract even more professionals, families, retirees, and other folks to our state if we lean into one of our competitive advantages: housing options.
Why Carolinians liked strong legislatures
How should North Carolina be governed? The same question can be asked about any other state in America, or any other country in the world. It’s a critical question. It lies at the heart of every political dispute you can think of, from education reform and environmental protection to tax policy and economic development.
State democrats get reality check
The North Carolina General Assembly is going to stay in Republican hands after the 2022 midterms. For state Democrats, this is a bitter pill to swallow. That they’ve already managed to swallow it, however, is evident in their manifest failure to recruit enough candidates to put up a credible fight this year for control of the legislature.
John Hood: Why numbers matter in political debate
I promise I’m no math geek. So why do my columns about North Carolina politics and public policy so often feature rankings, economic data, or other statistics?
The tale of crooked-neck John
The early history of North Carolina is full of fascinating characters. John Kincaid was one of them.
Hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians work in companies that sell goods and services all around the world. They’ll prosper, as will our state, to the extent we knock down barriers to our exports.
John Hood: When Schools Compete, Students Win
The late Walt Disney made a name for himself, and a fortune, by excelling in fields crowded with other high performers: cartooning, publishing, filmmaking, marketing, and storytelling. “I have been up against tough competition all my life,” Disney once said. “I wouldn't know how to get along without it.”