Deregulator: Alive since '85!

One purported hallmark of North Carolina governance may be a myth after all. The notion that the Tar Heel State institutionally has a weak governor. On the surface, that seems right.  Article III  of the state Constitution says the governor must live in Raleigh, give the General Assembly information about “the affairs of the state,” and submit a budget. The governor also has to execute the laws the legislature passes and can call special sessions. But that’s about it. The governor can serve only two terms, it takes a mere ⅗ majority of both legislative chambers to override a veto, and he has no say in redistricting and local bills (laws affecting small portions of the state). Any other authority can be given or taken away by the legislative branch. Which, as we’ve learned over the past year, can pose a problem if a governor decides to  turn up his power to 11 . Which Roy Cooper has done using the Emergency Management Act.  His powers under that act place North Caroli...

Originally posted at deregulator.net. The 11th edition of  National School Choice Week  kicked off days after the inauguration of Joe Biden, the most union-friendly president since Harry Truman. You’d think backers of educational freedom would panic. The two initial  favorites  for U.S. education secretary were the current and former heads of the country’s two largest teacher unions. Instead, Biden  chose  Connecticut education commissioner Miguel Cardona — who pushed to reopen in-person classroom instruction as COVID-19 persists (unions  hate that ) and in his current post is a  charter school authorizer . Education reformers see an opportunity from the in-your-face impact of COVID-19 on school-age kids: More than a year of forced virtual schooling in much of the country. Millions of public school parents became involuntary homeschoolers in March 2019. Many of their kids haven’t spent a minute with a teacher or classmates in shared “meat space” s...

A few moments of personal and professional privilege. As of Monday, I became a free agent.  I've wanted to do this for nearly four decades. It's time. "This" is leading a discussion about policy, politics, and society on my own terms and (yes) monetizing it enough to earn a reasonable living. Micropayment technology (Patreon, Substack, etc.) make the move possible. But I have to deliver the goods and find the people who want it. I hope you decide to become part of "the people." This post also is much longer than I wanted, but reading it costs only your time. So thanks for that investment, if you choose to make it. I'm Rick. I live in Raleigh with my amazing wife Cara, a nurse who works with geriatric, intellectually and developmentally disabled, and dementia clients at an adult day center here. She's made this part of my journey possible by loving me, keeping me sane, and letting us pursue our dreams. We have pets. The ruler of the roost is Baxter, a...

Announcement Tuesday (my birthday). Cash, in large or small amounts, welcome.  Contact me for wire coordinates. Cheers!