Unprecedented TIMELINE: Looking back at North Carolina’s response to the coronavirus outbreak PAGE 11 FOR DAILY UPDATES VISIT CAROLINAJOURNAL.COM AN AWARD-WINNING JOURNAL OF NEWS, ANALYSIS, AND OPINION FROM THE JOHN LOCKE FOUNDATION CAROLINAJOURNAL.COM VOL. 29 • NO. 4 • APRIL 2020 • STATEWIDE EDITION Where’s my REGULATION Carolina Journal? ROLLBACK DEAR FRIENDS AND In policy fight against SUPPORTERS, hank you for your loyal readership. The coronavi- rus has rocked the econ- COVID-19, less is more omy and our daily lives. With Tevents surrounding the crisis of more than 100 people — evolving rapidly, the shelf life then shrank the number of our news is sometimes mere to 50 within a week. Races hours. As a result, we’ve put and concerts were canceled. more resources toward publish- Schools shut down. Dining ing news and updates immedi- KARI TRAVIS rooms in restaurants and pri- ately online. Because of this, for ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR vate clubs closed under exec- the first time in 20 years, CJ read- utive order. ers won’t get a hard-copy edition North Carolina’s path for- of the newspaper in April. nprecedented times ward is paved with sensi- We’ve done some of our most call for unprece- ble policies, JLF experts say. important work since the March dented measures. So As the state is overwhelmed print CJ came out, as you can North Carolina’s leaders and with more than 100,000 see with our continual cover- Ulawmakers say of the fight claims for unemploy- age of COVID-19 at https://bit. against coronavirus. That’s ment insurance and hun- ly/2WN8MXa. true, say a group of research- dreds of residents test posi- Besides printing a month- ers from North Carolina’s tive for COVID-19, boosting ly newspaper, we publish break- John Locke Foundation. But free-market solutions is the ing, in-depth news and commen- those unprecedented mea- best way to ensure both pub- tary every day at CarolinaJour- sures should involve less bu- lic and economic health. nal.com. We send daily updates reaucracy, regulation, and “What makes a free so- by email (sign up at https://bit. government red tape. ciety so formidable is that ly/2QOz8o3). We’re active on On March 10, Gov. Roy it lets more people in on the Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Cooper declared a state of fight,” said Jon Sanders, JLF’s We felt it was more important to emergency. In the days af- get you the accurate news you continued PAGE 8 ter, he outlawed gatherings need and get it quickly. This wasn’t an easy deci- N.C. CORONAVIRUS TIMELINE sion. But we believe it’s the right PAGE 11: A detailed look back at North Carolina’s one. We welcome your feedback. response to the coronavirus outbreak As always, thank you for put- ting Freedom First and support- CORONAVIRUS POLL ing our work. PAGE 2: Civitas Institute and Harper Polling surveyed 500 likely state voters regarding their opinions on Covid-19 Rick Henderson, Editor-in-Chief; Amy O. Cooke, Publisher Interview: CAROLINA JOURNAL 4800 SIX FORKS ROAD, #220 Ilan Wurman RALEIGH, NC 27609 A discussion of constitutional CJ ONLINE PERMIT NO. 302 NO. PERMIT originalism with the visiting DURHAM, NC DURHAM, assistant professor at Arizona jlf.carolina.journal PAID State University’s Sandra Day @carolinajournal U.S. POSTAGE U.S. O’Connor College of Law. NONPROFIT ORG. NONPROFIT www.carolinajournal.com PAGE 14 [email protected] GET MORE CAROLINA JOURNAL 2 CAROLINA JOURNAL // APRIL 2020 CAROLINA JOURNAL FROM THE PUBLISHER North Carolinians Freedom’s moment in time: ‘Now go out on the Coronavirus there and take it’ Coronavirus and Media PUBLISHER How closely are you following the news about Amy O. Cooke coronavirus? @therightaoc ◼ FOLLOWING VERY CLOSELY ...............74% EDITOR-IN-CHIEF FOLLOWING SOMEWHAT CLOSELY ....20% Rick Henderson ◼ @deregulator ◼ NOT VERY CLOSELY ..............................4% ◼ UNSURE/REFUSED ..............................1% MANAGING EDITOR John Trump @stillnbarrel ASST. MANAGING EDITOR Level of Concern Kari Travis Taking into consideration both your risk of @karilynntravis contracting it and the seriousness of the illness, how worried are you personally about EXECUTIVE EDITOR experiencing coronavirus? Don Carrington 22% [email protected] ◼ NOT WORRIED AT ALL ....................... ◼ NOT VERY WORRIED ..........................29% ASSOCIATE EDITORS ◼ VERY WORRIED ..................................17% Julie Havlak ◼ SOMEWHAT WORRIED .......................31% @juliehavlak ◼ UNSURE/REFUSED ..............................1% Mitch Kokai ust days ago, the term social take comfort in each other out of @mitchkokai distancing hadn’t entered our fear of transmission. I’m a hugger, Lindsay Marchello lexicon. The Angus Barn was and I haven’t touched a person in Coronavirus and Trump @LynnMarch007 my new favorite restaurant. I en- more than a week. Do you approve or disapprove of the Trump J administration’s handling of the coronavirus joyed my investment statements, In a matter of days, our state JOURNALISM FELLOW outbreak? and my biggest concern for the went from reveling in an eco- Brooke Conrad baseball season was whether the nomic renaissance to the fear of STRONGLY APPROVE .........................38% Colorado Rockies would trade economic insecurity, with tens of ◼ DESIGNER SOMEWHAT APPROVE........................15% Nolan Arenado. thousands of North Carolinians ◼ Greg de Deugd ◼ STRONGLY DISAPPROVE ....................32% [email protected] Now? Social distancing domi- wondering how they’ll pay their nates our lives. The Angus Barn rent and buy groceries. ◼ SOMEWHAT DISAPPROVE ....................9% UNSURE/REFUSED ..............................6% PUBLISHED BY is closed, except for takeout. The Even with the economic uncer- ◼ stock market has tanked. I’m tainty, a recent poll from sister imagining a summer without the organization the Civitas Institute Harper Polling, on behalf of Civitas Institute, surveyed 500 likely state voters March 15-17. The margin of error is plus or “Boys of Summer.” And I’m one of reflects North Carolina’s optimism. minus 4.38%. Results may not add up to 100% due to rounding. The John Locke Foundation the lucky ones. Likely voters are concerned about The coronavirus crisis has been COVID-19, but not panicked. 4800 Six Forks Road, #220 jarring. We’re all justifiably wor- But there’s something more Raleigh, N.C. 27609 ried about our families, friends, (919) 828-3876 • Fax: 821-5117 continued PAGE 20 and communities. We can’t even www.JohnLocke.org John Hood Chairman COMMENTARY BY JOHN HOOD Bill Graham, John M. Hood Ted Hicks, Christine Mele, Rodney C. Pitts, Paul Slobodian Easy grades produce David Stover, Edwin Thomas Board of Directors hard landings ISSN 2578-8167 Carolina Journal is a monthly journal of news, analysis, and commentary on state and local government and public policy issues alt Disney was no ence. In education, for example, in North Carolina. stranger to adversity. there’s a growing empirical case He grew up in a large, for the proposition that if we ask ©2020 by The John Locke Founda- tion Inc. All opinions expressed in by- itinerant family of modest more of our children instead of lined articles are those of the authors Wmeans. His first film studio went trying to protect their suppos- and do not necessarily reflect the bankrupt. But Disney never edly fragile egos, they are more views of the editors of CJ or the staff and board of the John Locke Founda- gave up, and he never stopped likely to enjoy success in school tion. Material published herein may learning from his mistakes. and beyond. be reprinted as long as appropriate “All the adversity I’ve had in A new study of grading prac- credit is given. Submissions and let- ters are welcome and should be di- my life, all my troubles and ob- tices right here in North Carolina rected to the editor. stacles, have strengthened me,” has gained significant national Disney once said. “You may not attention. Seth Gershenson, an To subscribe, call 919-828-3876. Readers also can request Carolina realize it when it happens, but a associate professor at American Journal Weekly Report, delivered kick in the teeth may be the best University’s School of Public each weekend by e-mail, or visit thing in the world for you.” Affairs, looked at the records of CarolinaJournal.com for news, links, Celebrating the virtue of per- some 350,000 N.C. eighth- and Learn more about our response to COVID-19 and exclusive content updated each Visit johnlocke.org for a series of articles detailing the free market solutions weekday. Those interested in educa- severance may sound old-fash- ninth-graders enrolled in the proposed by the John Locke Foundation that are already being implemented by tion, economics, higher education, ioned. In reality, it’s a sound health care or local government also continued PAGE 21 North Carolina leaders. can ask to receive weekly e-letters application of modern social sci- covering these issues. CAROLINA JOURNAL // APRIL 2020 3 CJ BRIEFS Legislation targets licensing requirements that bar veterans from working egulations are hurting veter- BY THE NUMBERS plication process results in lost in- ans’ ability to transition in- come for the family and lost tax to civilian life in North Car- 707,000 revenue.” olina, a study by the General As- Number of veterans in North It can also harm veterans’ ca- sembly’s Program Evaluation Divi- Carolina. N.C. boasts the seventh- reers. Some 37% of employed vet- R largest number of veterans in the sion says. United States. erans considered themselves un- The division recommended re- deremployed, according to a 2017 forming occupational licensing survey conducted by Iraq and Af- barriers that prevent veterans from ghanistan Veterans of America. working. It proposed draft legisla- in the nation. Some 707,000 vet- And military spouses earn an es- tion that would help veterans and erans and 86,000 active-duty mili- timated $12,374 less than their ci- military spouses qualify for an oc- tary spouses live in this state.