[link removed]
Good evening,

North Carolina’s first public university is old enough to know better.

A former provost accused ([link removed]) the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Trustees of holding closed sessions to discuss policy matters and destroying records (serious violations of state law).

For a place that lectures on governance, this is a teachable moment.

A former provost and professor, Chris Clemens, alleges the board went into closed session to consider individual faculty tenure cases, permissible under state law, and then promptly shifted into a broader debate about tenure policy, finances, conference realignment, and even the high-profile hire of Bill Belichick as head football coach.

Clemens also claims that board Chair John Preyer then launched a “retaliation campaign” by using a combination of text and Signal messages “for purposes of deliberating about and building consensus for a vote of no confidence in [Clemens]”.

That offends more than common sense. State public records law requires retention of records “regardless of physical form.”

If you’re making policy that affects citizens and taxpayer dollars on evaporating messages, you are not safeguarding trust; you are dissolving it.

The fix is refreshingly simple:
* Recommit to the statute: when policy enters the chat, the public enters the room.
* Kill the “nonmajority” game of fragmented, rolling meetings designed to avoid a quorum. If it walks and talks like deliberation, treat it as such.
* Ban auto-deleting platforms for public business; require retention and public access by default.
* Post detailed agendas in advance, take votes in open session, and publish minutes promptly.
* Provide annual training so trustees know the difference between personnel and policy, and act accordingly.

Universities are stewards, not owners, of public institutions. The public is patient, but that patience is not infinite. Trust is built in the open, one meeting at a time.

You can read more about education in North Carolina here ([link removed]) , here ([link removed]) , and here ([link removed]) .

Esse quam videri,

Donald Bryson
CEO
John Locke Foundation

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More from Locke

1) 🚓🚓🚓 Mandating statewide bail guidelines and background checks ([link removed])
* The murders of Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte and Logan Federico exposed severe weaknesses in North Carolina’s judicial system.
+ Iryna Zarutska's suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr., had 14 previous arrests, several convictions (including felony firearm use), and a history of failing to appear in court.
o He was free on a written promise to appear despite a recent arrest, released by a Mecklenburg County magistrate.
+ Logan Federico's suspect, Alexander Dickey, faced nearly 40 charges since 2013, involving robbery, drugs, and larceny.
o Yet he was released after being credited time served, and given a shortened probation for a 2023 burglary conviction.
* In response, the General Assembly passed House Bill (HB) 307, "Iryna's Law," which tightens pretrial release conditions for violent offenders, eliminates cashless bail, establishes mental health evaluation protocols, and mandates secured bond/GPS monitoring for a new category of "violent offenses."
* However, two more crucial reforms are required to strengthen justice at the magistrate level:
+ Mandate a statewide, systematic bail/bond guide for all magistrates to use.
+ Require all magistrates to conduct a comprehensive criminal background check (including prior charges, arrests, and convictions) on every arrestee brought before them.
+ This would:
o Improve consistency and fairness in bail decisions.
o Enhance public safety by informing decisions with full criminal history data.
o Increase transparency and accountability for magistrates.
o Support data-driven justice and reduce the possibility of biases.
o Eliminate any possibility of racial or other biases.
* These reforms would allow more transparency and accountability within our justice system, and help make North Carolina a safer place to be.

You can read the full article here ([link removed]) .

2) 🗳️🗳️🗳️ Which Democrats vote with Republicans on veto overrides? ([link removed])
* A review of veto override votes from 2023 through 2025 found that nine Democratic legislators voted to override a veto at least once, totaling 80 override votes across 27 bills.
+ The nine Democrats who voted for overrides were disproportionately:
o Black: Six out of the nine legislators (6/9)...
o And male: Eight out of the nine legislators (8/9).
+ The racial disparity is more extreme when looking at the total number of votes: Black legislators cast 62 of the 80 Democratic override votes (77.5%) during this period.
* This group of moderate Democrats is facing increasing pressure and attacks from the left wing of their party, often resulting in primary challenges.
+ Rep. Michael Wray and Sen. Mike Woodard both lost their 2024 primaries to challengers supported by groups like the North Carolina Young Democrats.
+ While Rep. Cecil Brockman (known for his bipartisanship) barely survived his 2024 primary, Reps. Carla Cunningham and Shelly Willingham easily beat their challengers.
* The left wing of the party appears ready to have another go at Rep. Cunningham in 2026, and other surviving members could face primary challenges in 2026 as well.

You can read the full analysis here ([link removed]) .

3) 🌾🌾🌾 A proposal for the North Carolina Agricultural Worker Reform Group ([link removed])
* North Carolina farmers, particularly small and mid-sized operations, rely heavily on the federal H-2A guest worker visa program but find it costly, complex, and burdensome, leading to critical labor shortages.
* Model legislation should be passed to create the North Carolina Agricultural Guest Worker Reform Working Group.
+ To convene farmers, lawmakers, state and federal agencies, and worker advocates to study the impact of the H-2A program on North Carolina agriculture and advocate for commonsense reforms at the federal level.
+ The Working Group would identify pain points, study best practices, and develop recommendations for federal policymakers, such as:
o Streamlining the H-2A application process.
o Adjusting wage and housing requirements.
o Creating more flexibility for farms with year-round labor needs.
* Ultimately, the Working Group’s goal is to strengthen North Carolina’s voice in national policy debates and secure much-needed labor for farmers across America.

You can read the draft legislation here ([link removed]) .
Donate ([link removed])

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