Citizens United vs. FEC: A Win For Free Speech

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Are corporations people? That may sound crazy, but it gets to the heart of a recent Supreme Court decision that's creating a debate over who does - and doesn't - have the right to political free speech. Daren Bakst, John Locke Foundation director of legal and regulatory studies, explains the ruling, why it is a victory for free speech, and what it changes. He refutes arguments from critics of the ruling who say corporations should be banned from engaging in the same types of poltical speech as individuals. Then we turn to the health care debate. Republican leaders in the General Assembly are pushing a bill they call the Health Care Protection Act. It would block the federal government from mandating that each person purchase health insurance. Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, and House Minority Leader Paul Stam, R-Wake, explain the bill, N.C. Republican Party Chairman Tom Fetzer discusses the political implications of the measure, and Joseph Coletti, John Locke Foundation director of health care and fiscal policy studies, offers a free-market, limited-government perspective on the legislation. Most North Carolinians reject the health-care reform proposals circulating in Washington. That's the consistent finding of the Civitas poll. Civitas Institute executive director Francis De Luca offered discussed results during a recent public presentation in Raleigh. You'll hear details. As the public discussion over serious issues has gotten more intense, an area of focus for fiscal conservatives has been the growing government, increased public debt, and likely tax increases. Could these concerns drive more people to look for alternatives to the current major political parties? That's the hope of Duke University political science chairman Michael Munger, North Carolina's 2008 Libertarian gubernatorial candidate. Munger discusses the Libertarian alternative and its growing appeal. And finally, local government leaders across the state are searching for new revenue sources. Many are looking at sales tax and/or land transfer tax hikes as an alternative to property tax hikes, which have raised the ire of constituents across the political spectrum. Michael Sanera, John Locke Foundation research director, discusses the track record of the tax hike referenda in recent years and explains why local officials should look hard at their expenditures before seeking more revenue from taxpayers, regardless of the mechanism.