All in Opinion

John Hood: Most Communities Have a Crime Problem

RALEIGH — In a recent column, I argued that cities would draw more investment and job creation to their downtowns if people felt safer in them. Because the only North Carolina cities included in the national study I cited were Charlotte and Raleigh, some readers concluded that I thought the problem was limited to those two jurisdictions.

A good week for God and country

 Faithful Christians all across America had good reason to celebrate Independence Day this year. In the week preceding the July Fourth holiday, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down two landmark decisions which significantly clarified and extended constitutional protection of religious liberty in American life and law.  

Ross, Sánchez, Raskin, Jacobs, Watson Coleman Introduce Proxy Voting Amendment to the House Rules

Representative Deborah Ross (NC-02) led Representatives Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) in introducing an amendment to the House Rules for the 118th Congress that would allow Members to proxy vote if they, their spouse, or their dependents are experiencing serious medical conditions, including a pregnancy-related condition.

Elizabeth Johnson: Hospital Authorities

As the NC General Assembly nears the end of its legislative session, legislators are working on a massive state budget that includes a proposal to allow the largest healthcare system in the state to grow even bigger. That system, Atrium Health, has 67 hospitals throughout NC, Wisconsin, Illinois, and a multitude of other states. 

John Hood: Elections Bill Ignores State Constitution

RALEIGH — Republican lawmakers in North Carolina have legitimate grievances against the Democrat-controlled State Board of Elections. The latter has abused its power in overtly partisan ways in recent years, most egregiously by striking a collusive settlement with Democratic attorney Marc Elias and Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein in 2020 to change our election procedures in direct contravention of election laws enacted by the General Assembly.

John Hood: Good Policy Doesn’t Require Certainty

When my first book, The Heroic Enterprise, was published by Simon & Schuster in 1996, I asked about releasing it on audio. “Let’s see how it goes,” my editor replied, warning me that while there was an audiobook market by then — primarily in the form of cassette tapes — it wasn’t very large. If my book on corporate social responsibility turned out to be a bestseller, there might be enough demand to justify a cassette version.