Becki Gray

The question of how to pay for ferries and who pays is a recurring one for the General Assembly, going back at least to 2003.  The ferry toll question has been a hot topic in elections, a dilemma for traffic planners, and a bargaining chip in…

I’ve heard that HB2 is complicated.  That it’s confusing, that no one knows what to do. Did Charlotte have the authority to enact the ordinance that started all this?  Can the General Assembly undo what Charlotte did?  Where does one turn for answers?  At JLF, we think the Constitution is…

With the General Assembly set to begin the short session on Monday, discussion will focus on the 2016-17 state budget. We’ve heard the Governor’s priorities and have a good idea of where legislative leaders are headed. Think in excess of $22 billion in state funding, but (sit down,…

You’ve heard about the Obama mandates for raising the minimum wage and the consequences that work against sound economics. Regular readers of JLF know the facts, reports, studies, scholarly opinion, arguments and pleas for good economics.  But yet the federal government continues this nonsense. Now…

Some interesting thoughts on commuting in this report, A Commentary on the Notion of Extreme Commutes.  With more and more folks traveling across county lines every day, what impact will these patterns have on NC’s transportation funding?  Will providing safe and viable roadways for commuters be a way to…

A new economic study entitled, The Impact of Government Owned Broadband Networks on Private Investment and Consumer Welfare dives into the issue of whether municipalities ought to own broadband systems.  State Government Leadership Foundation (SGLF) findings?  Government owned broadband is not the best idea. “State laws that oversee and…

I’ll be offering some short comments Tuesday (April 5) to the NCGA Administrative Procedure Oversight Committee. Meeting starts at 9:30 in Room 544, if you’d like to listen in. Spoiler.  Here’s what I’m going to say: Thank you for opportunity to speak today and thank…

One solution to the Charlotte ordinance would be to provide a single-occupancy bathroom option for anyone who feels uncomfortable using a multi-stall bathroom. This would be open to anyone who wants additional privacy– senior citizens, mothers with young children and yes, transgender people. These single-occupancy bathrooms would be available in…