Counties Want Sales Tax Hikes; Will Voters Say OK?

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At least three North Carolina counties will ask voters to hike the local sales tax by a quarter cent when they head to the polls in November. But Michael Sanera, the John Locke Foundation's Director of Research and Local Government Analyst, says the arguments made by the counties in support of the tax deserve careful scrutiny as more and more officials seek new streams of money for their coffers. Then we turn to analysis of the grassroots Tea Party movement. There's no question the movement has played an important role in American politics in recent years. State Rep. Dale Folwell, R-Forsyth, believes Tea Party activism served as a critical piece of the Republicans' puzzle in winning control of the North Carolina General Assembly in 2010. Folwell explained why during a recent presentation for a Triad-based Tea Party group. Next is a look at the debate over requiring a photo I.D. to vote in North Carolina. Lawmakers approved a bill this year to require voters to present photo identification at the polls, but Gov. Beverly Perdue vetoed the measure. Perdue cited a number of concerns about voter ID. In a recent presentation for the John Locke Foundation and Federalist Society, senior legal fellow Hans von Spakovsky of the Heritage Foundation countered Perdue's arguments. You'll hear highlights from that presentation. That's followed by a look at the highest court in the land. The U.S. Supreme Court recently returned to work, opening its term on the traditional first Monday in October. As the justices resume their business, former Bush administration Justice Department official Gregory Katsas has assessed major developments from the last Supreme Court term. He presented his findings in a presentation for the John Locke Foundation and Federalist Society. You'll hear highlights. And finally, John Locke Foundation Vice President for Research Roy Cordato looks at the impediment to more choices in health care due to a state law known as Certificate of Need (CON). A legislative committee is currently reviewing the law, which has been repealed in the majority of states. The law allows the state to decide who can and can't build medical facilities and offer medical services based on an arbitrary determination of where services are "needed" and who should provide them. Cordato says the law should be repealed since it hurts the very people it claims to protect.