By Donna King Raleigh, NC – Gov. Roy Cooper has vetoed more legislation than all other North Carolina governors combined. With the past three vetoes stamped over the past three weeks, Cooper’s total comes to 57 vetoes, and the session…
By Carolina Journal Staff Raleigh, NC – A group of N.C. House lawmakers have introduced a bill to, they say, strengthen and clarify current law to require approval from a majority of the Council of State for emergency actions by…
By Donald Bryson Raleigh, NC – Looking into January, state legislative sessions will begin across the nation. For many states, a critical focus point will be on the emergency powers those states’ governments have exercised in the wake of COVID-19. …
By Jon Guze Raleigh, NC – I’ve been a critic of Gov. Roy Cooper’s COVID-19 lockdown orders from the very start. I’ve argued that the orders are unnecessary, divisive, and counterproductive, and I’ve also argued that — because the governor…
By Julie Havlak Raleigh, NC – Gov. Roy Cooper moved North Carolina backward in economic reopening in another virtual news conference that shut out conservative publications. Cooper tightened restrictions on indoor mass gatherings, dropping the maximum allowed gatherings from 25…
By D.G. Martin Chapel Hill, NC – “Why so glum?” I asked a sullen group of Democrats who were expressing despair as they reviewed the results of the November 3rd elections. They explained their gloominess. Democrats had lost seats in…
By John Hood Raleigh, NC – Over the course of 34 years penning a column on North Carolina politics and public policy, I’ve seen it all. Or so I thought. Until 2020 came along. It’s not that I proffered a…
By Julie Havlak Raleigh, NC – It’s Election Day, but a record number of North Carolinians have already decided. This election is on track to smash records. Voter turnout could climb as high as 75%, according to estimates by Michael…
By Julie Havlak Raleigh, NC – Governor Roy Cooper is setting the stage to have even stronger powers if he chooses to impose new COVID-19 rules, a legal scholar tells Carolina Journal. Cooper’s administration is asking local leaders to restrict…
By John Hood Raleigh, NC – There are about 300,000 fewer jobs in North Carolina today than there were in February, before the start of the COVID-19 recession. That’s a 7.5% drop in total employment — the biggest decline in…