We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family.
Hi there,
We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family. As the year is coming to a close, and in the spirit of gratitude on this Giving Tuesday, we wanted to reflect on what we’re grateful for here at Locke.
Among the many successes we've witnessed this year, the big wins for educational freedom have been especially meaningful.
Just last week we received an encouraging email from one of our supporters who is the mother of a sweet eleven year old boy who has faced many health challenges since his birth. She shared about the obstacles her young son faced in their county's traditional public schools and expressed her gratitude for the positive difference the Opportunity Scholarship has made in his life. Her joy was multiplied last month when the General Assembly overrode Governor Cooper’s veto of HB 10, because it now means that her other two children will also receive Opportunity Scholarships and attend schools that are the best fit for their needs.
One of the chief features of HB 10 is that it provides $463 billion in funding for the Opportunity Scholarship Program and Personal Education Savings Account Program, to help meet the increased demand.
The vote passed the 3/5ths requirement to override the governor’s vote, with a few votes to spare, thanks to 69 Republicans and 3 Democrats.
Locke would like to sincerely thank all legislators, on both sides of the aisle, who have supported efforts to empower parents with real educational choice. We are very thankful for your hard work and your courage to do the right thing for North Carolina families.
You can read more about the progress of school choice in North Carolina here and here.
And finally, thank YOU for reading, sending your feedback, sharing your stories, and even sometimes your dissent. You are the reason Locke exists and we couldn't do it without your support. We are grateful for you.
In the latest hurricane-recovery relief package, the legislature has included several changes to various agencies, appointments, and powers issued to Council of State positions
The bill also includes notable changes to the structure of the State Board Elections (SBOE), which would likely moot the Cooper vs. Berger (2023) court case regarding SB 749
SB 749 included major changes to the Board of Elections, including:
Moving the SBE structurally under the Secretary of States’s office
Transferring appointments to the SBE and local boards from the governor to the state legislature
Requiring that both of the state’s largest parties have equal representation on both the state and county boards of elections
The legislative conference report does appear to leave appointment authority to the executive branch…
… but moves it from the Secretary of State’s office to the State Auditor’s office
Which, in light of the recent election results, means that the authority will move from Democrat Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and be given to Republican State Auditor-elect Dave Boliek
Locke evaluated several opportunities for making the North Carolina General Assembly more transparent, effective, and responsive to the public
Leadership term limits
Term limits are nothing new, and an increasing number of states have started adopting term limits for their own legislators
Sixteen states have some form of term limits for legislators
And a growing number of states have implemented term limits specifically for legislative leaders
This would be particularly relevant to North Carolina, because our state constitution grants these leaders some appointment powers (usually associated with governors)
8-year lifetime term limits for legislative leaders would address this problem, and allow for fresh ideas in leadership
Session length limits
Legislative sessions have grown over the past decade
And these extended sessions are costing taxpayers an estimated $50,000 per day
A majority of states already have some form of session length limit
Session length limits would impose more regularity on the General Assembly, and balance power between leadership and rank-and-file members
A June 30th end date should be set for each session
With long sessions of approximately 90 days legislative days across 170 calendar days
And short sessions of approximately 35 legislative days over 65 calendar days
Increase legislator pay
North Carolina has one of the lowest state legislative salaries, at $13,951 (which hasn’t changed since 1995)
The low pay for legislators limits the number of people who can serve, especially considering the increased session lengths
Limiting session length, as proposed above, would allow legislators to raise their salary $20,533.70 at no additional cost to taxpayers (thanks to savings on per diem, mileage and office expenses)
Increase transparency
Legislators must balance transparency with other considerations, but they unfortunately included in the 2024 budget a section granting themselves the power to determine if their own records are public
To find the proper balance, the General Assembly should:
Repeal or modify the provision in the 2023 budget
Put a transparency constitutional amendment on the ballot
A new study found North Carolina in last place for strong open enrollment policies that improve access to traditional public schools
Although North Carolina is one of 13 states to have opened its private-school choice program to all K-12 students, it is still dead last when it comes to open enrollment
Granted, more than 200 charter schools operate in North Carolina, which serve as schools of choice for more than 143,000 students
Additionally, some school districts have passed their own open enrollment policies for students within these districts
Yet these policies don’t apply to students outside these districts
And too much discretion is given to deny a family’s transfer request
All in all, more than 75% of North Carolina students attend a traditional public school. Shouldn’t these students be able to choose the option that works best for them?
To give families more options, North Carolina should consider the example of Idaho, which passed a strong open enrollment law in 2023
It established mandatory cross-district and within-district open enrollment policies, to better serve families and students