state budget

A criticism of Republicans at the national level has often been that they want the same thing as Democrats, just less of it. Who expected Senate President Pro Tem Phil…

How many times in life have you known the right thing to do and ended up doing the wrong thing? You ate the chocolate cake—the whole thing—instead of going to…

RALEIGH – North Carolina taxpayers would pay the price if state lawmakers endorse complex fund-raising schemes this year. That’s according to a new John Locke Foundation Policy Report. Click…

Budgets reflect priorities. When families face a new expense, they must cut back on another expense. Governments do not have this limitation. When legislators find they have spent too much or that there are new activities worth funding, they can raise taxes to make sure the budget balances and pass along the tough decisions to businesses, entrepreneurs, and families.

RALEIGH – The Easley administration’s claims that a proposed state budget won’t violate the governor’s spending cap are convoluted and contradictory, according to a preliminary analysis by the John Locke…

RALEIGH – Entrepreneurs, investors, and the vast majority of business leaders in North Carolina have little to fear from proposed lobbying reforms, according to a new report from the John…

A broad coalition of lawmakers and policy groups favors fundamental changes in NC lobbying laws to require more disclosure, create "cooling off periods" before former officeholders can lobby, and restrict the value of personal gifts to public officials. Still, reformers are overlooking an important issue: the role that special-interest lobbying plays in distorting fiscal policy and stunting economic growth.

RALEIGH — As the North Carolina Senate prepared to release elements of a spending plan for 2005-07, the John Locke Foundation offered its own alternative Monday that avoids any new…

Supporters of a proposed government lottery argue that it would be a welcome alternative to raising state taxes to fund education. But there is no evidence to suggest that politicians in lottery states use the proceeds to reduce other taxes. They just allow state budgets to grow. Also, properly understood, a state-run lottery does increase taxes — it creates a government gambling monopoly and then levies a steep tax on it.

RALEIGH — Gov. Mike Easley’s proposed state budget uses higher taxes to close the vast majority of an $1.1 billion budget deficit, itself created primarily by the governor’s proposed new…