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NONPROFIT PAGE 18 www.carolinajournal.com [email protected] GET MORE CAROLINA JOURNAL 2 CAROLINA JOURNAL // APRIL 2019 QUICK TAKES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Rick Henderson @deregulator MANAGING EDITOR John Trump @stillnbarrel EXECUTIVE EDITOR Don Carrington [email protected] ASSOCIATE EDITORS Mitch Kokai @mitchkokai Lindsay Marchello @LynnMarch007 Kari Travis @karilynntravis Dan Way @danway_carolina DESIGNER Greg de Deugd [email protected] PUBLISHED BY The John Locke Foundation DEUGD DE GREG 200 W. Morgan St., # 200 Raleigh, N.C. 27601 (919) 828-3876 • Fax: 821-5117 www.JohnLocke.org Campbell Law unveils exhibit honoring Kory Swanson President & Publisher first N.C. African-American judges John Hood Chairman Bill Graham, John M. Hood ampbell Law in February, North Carolina Bench” features pho- stories of outstanding men and library entrance. The new exhibit is Ted Hicks, Christine Mele Black History Month, unveiled tographs, press clips, letters and per- women who, against difficult odds, part of Campbell Law’s ongoing year- Brad Muller, Paul Slobodian a new exhibit dedicated to the sonal effects. rose to the top of our profession.” long 10/40 celebration, marking both David Stover, J.M Bryan Taylor history and contributions of trail- Says Rich Leonard, dean of The exhibit follows another pop- the 40th anniversary of the school’s Edwin Thomas Cblazing African American judges in Campbell Law, “Law students need ular retrospective, “First Ladies of the first graduating class and the 10th Board of Directors North Carolina. beacons, and it is important for the North Carolina Judiciary,” which has anniversary of its move from Buies “First African Americans on the walls of our school to chronicle the been relocated near the law school Creek to downtown Raleigh. ISSN 2578-8167 Carolina Journal is a monthly journal of news, analysis, and commentary on state and local government and public policy issues in North Carolina. ©2019 by The John Locke Foundation Inc. All opinions expressed in bylined articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors of CJ or the staff and board of the John Locke Foundation. Material published herein may be re- printed as long as appropriate credit is given. Submissions and letters are welcome and should be directed to the editor. To subscribe, call 919-828-3876. Readers also can request Carolina Journal Weekly Report, delivered each weekend by e-mail, or visit CarolinaJournal.com for news, links, and exclusive content updated each weekday. Those interested in educa- tion, economics, higher education, health care or local government also can ask to receive weekly e-letters covering these issues. GREG DE DEUGD DE GREG DEUGD DE GREG CAROLINA JOURNAL // APRIL 2019 3 QUICK TAKES Elections board recommends High school may be too late tougher penalties for election crimes to require financial literacy he top official at the State .C. high schoolers may be it’s important for children to learn Board of Elections wants required to pass a finan- these types of lessons. tougher punishment for elec- cial literacy course in or- “The main reason it’s so im- tion crimes, suggesting special der to graduate, but a certified portant is because these skills Tprosecutors should be appointed if Nfinancial planner says children with personal finance are the district attorneys or federal author- should start learning about fi- skills kids are going to use the ities refuse to investigate wrongdo- nances even earlier and parents most in their lives,” Murset said. ing. can take the initiative to teach “We are focusing on the wrong The board’s executive director, these lessons. stuff [in school], so that’s why Kim Strach, delivered to the House A bipartisan proposal to re- this is important. It’s the life skills Elections and Ethics Law Com- quire high schoolers to complete we’ll use the most.” mittee March 13 what she called a a financial literacy course to grad- Murset said the N.C. bill is menu of vital reforms to tackle elec- uate is making its way through well- intentioned, but he thinks tion corruption. Legislation passed the General Assembly. Senate Bill students need to be learning last year directed that the board 134 would direct the State Board about financial literacy earlier recommend methods to improve ab- of Education to require all pub- than high school. A foundation sentee voting security after wide- lic high schools to teach a semes- for understanding personal fi- spread fraud was detected in the ter course on “Economics and Per- nances should start as early as el- 2016 and 2018 election cycles. sonal Finance.” ementary school and go into mid- Strach said more money was PHOTO POOL OBSERVER & NEWS The course would include dle school. needed to expand the elections Kim Westbrook Strach, executive director of the State Board of Elections, learning about the true cost of “They need to understand the board’s investigative staff to com- speaks Feb. 19 in Raleigh during a public evidentiary hearing on 9th Congres- credit, choosing and managing a basics so they can build on them sional District voting irregularities. bat election fraud better and catch credit card, borrowing money for in a very experiential way,” Mur- it earlier. a major purchase, home mortgag- set said. Committee Co-Chairman Destin es, credit scoring and reports, and Parents don’t have to wait for Hall, R-Caldwell, told Strach he reg- planning and paying for postsec- the General Assembly to pass a ularly hears from constituents who Attorney’s Office for the Eastern is finally taking North Carolina cor- ondary education. bill to teach their children about don’t think the elections board vig- District of North Carolina, she said ruption seriously. It opened an in- S.B. 134 would grant the North good financial practices. Murset orously investigates election fraud. there was scant evidence that office vestigation and issued grand jury Carolina Council on Economic Ed- said they can use technology like The elections board doesn’t was investigating potential crimes. subpoenas involving the 2018 9th ucation, a nonprofit organization, the app BusyKid to do it. have criminal investigation pow- Strach suggested the Gener- U.S. Congressional District election. a little over $1 million to provide BusyKid aims to teach chil- ers and can’t force prosecutors to al Assembly consider a law that al- Leslie McCrae Dowless, the professional development courses dren a balanced approach to fi- launch probes. lows a special prosecutor to be ap- alleged ringleader of an absen- for educators to learn the materi- nances. The app allows parents Hans von Spakovsky, senior le- pointed and look into violations if tee-by-mail ballot harvesting oper- al. Teachers would receive a $500 to set up a digital chore chart gal fellow at the Washington, D.C- existing authorities fail to do their ation in Bladen and Robeson coun- stipend for completing the course. and pay their children when they based Heritage Foundation, has job. ties in 2016 and 2018, and four Sens. Jerry Tillman, R-Ran- complete certain chores through been a critic of local elections of- “We need strong consequenc- co-conspirators have been charged dolph; Deanna Ballard, R-Watau- direct deposit. ficials and law enforcement agen- es for election interference,” Strach after a Wake County grand jury ga; and Jay Chaudhuri, D-Wake, When children receive the cies’ reluctance to investigate elec- said, saying they would deter handed up indictments in a state in- are primary sponsors of S.B.134. money, it can get sorted into three tion crimes. crimes. Currently only two absen- vestigation. A fifth co-conspirator Gregg Murset, co-founder and pots: saving, sharing, and spend- “We have certainly been frus- tee voting crimes are felonies. Most was not indicted. The investigation CEO of BusyKid, a financial app ing. trated ourselves at times,” Strach are misdemeanors. continues. geared toward teaching children said. Although the elections board Strach said the U.S. Department to be financially responsible, said Lindsay Marchello made referrals in 2016 to the U.S. of Justice Public Integrity Section Dan Way State schools superintendent offers budget, including pay raises for teachers STATE SUPERINTENDENT Mark dollars in recurring money to put in- eliminate high-stress standardized ficers. Other related requests include Johnson has put a price on his plan to the budget.” testing and implement a phased-in $11 million in nonrecurring funds to make North Carolina the best Johnson recommends $1.2 mil- plan for personalized-learning op- in fiscal 2019-21 for school safety place for public school educators to lion in recurring funds to provide portunities across the state. equipment and training grants, and begin, learn, and teach by 2030. high-quality preschool opportuni- The budget places an empha- $600,000 in recurring funds for re- Johnson announced #NC2030, ties for 4-year-olds and wants the sis on STEM learning, including gional safety trainers. his education initiative to improve Department of Public Instruction $1.5 million in recurring funds to Johnson’s budget would shift learning and teaching environ- to supervise the NC Pre-K academ- expand computer science cours- more lottery funding to help low- ments in the state, at a Feb.