Research Brief

Session Law 2019-198: Criminal Law Reform became law this month.  It marks an important step forward for criminal law reform. But the bill that was signed into law looks…

The North Carolina Education Lottery has seen many changes since its scandal-soaked enactment in 2005: lots of new games, Mega Millions, even a new headquarters. But one thing has…

Kansas has been criticized since 2012 for cutting taxes irresponsibly, despite a court-ordered increase in education spending. Tax cuts in the Sunflower State may have been larger than circumstances warranted,…

From Medicaid expansion to the State Health Plan fight, health care issues in this legislative session have been in the spotlight. Now another policy issue seems to have attracted attention…

When it comes to public policy, extreme, ideologically-driven posturing has become the norm in many parts of the country. Here in North Carolina, however, people tend to take a more…

In debates about whether schools have sufficient supplies and materials for the school year, the contributions of parents are too often overlooked.  Whether it is through taxes or donations, families…

Only four House Democrats refused to sign a letter pledging to uphold Gov. Roy Cooper’s budget veto. That is three fewer than the seven Democratic votes needed to override and…

A 79-year-old Ohio widow, Nancy Segula, made national news last week when a judge sentenced her to serve 10 days in jail for feeding her neighbor’s abandoned cats. Although…

There is a great deal of public discussion right now about the minimum wage. Democrats and activists want to raise it, and they have settled on the arbitrary figure of…

Employer-sponsored health insurance coverage is a unique feature of the American health care system. About 158 million individuals in the country under age 65 get their insurance through an…