Libertarian Ken Fortenberry, a nationally recognized award-winning investigative journalist and newspaper editor, responded to Gov. Pat McCrory's State of the State Address.

by Ken Fortenberry

I nearly fell asleep during Gov. Pat McCrory’s annual State of the State address tonight as he used the same worn-out platitudes that governors of both major political parties have used for years. More than an hour into his speech, I was still waiting for him talk about the critical need to reduce the size of our bloated state government and to protect the ever-declining freedoms of our citizens.

Yes, North Carolina is a wonderful place to live. Yes, we face many challenges (who doesn’t?). Yes, our people are resilient, hard-working and neighborly, but I yearned for him to tell us something new, and more importantly, to outline a realistic, financially-and-constitutionally-sound plan to make state government more responsive, more accountable and more efficient.

Instead the governor wants to spend more, tax more and put his signature on more laws.

Young Americans for Liberty is partnering with state and national organizations to offer a one-day training and networking event designed to build stronger state cooperation, improve activists' effectiveness, and inspire attendees to do even more to advance the cause of liberty.

Their state convention will be held Feb. 7 at UNC-Chapel Hill.

For more information and to register, go here.

Dear Senator Burr, 

When you became Senate Intelligence Committee chair, you said that you would conduct vigorous oversight and ask the tough questions. Libertarians and all those concerned about the erosion of civil liberties and the wholesale violation of Constitutionally-guaranteed rights, were encouraged by this promise. 

However, according to the Washington Post, you recently sent a letter to the Executive Office demanding they return all copies of a report critical of CIA interrogation techniques, claiming it is “highly classified” and a “committee sensitive document.” This action is troubling and not consistent with your pledge. 

In the hope that you will renew your promise, we ask you to consider answering these tough questions: 

President Barack Obama made it clear in his State of the Union address Tuesday that his goal remains the same: make Big Government even bigger.

Libertarian National Committee Vice Chair Arvin Vohra responded in a video.

The president wants to extend federal spending for education by offering "free" community college to students. "But federal intervention has driven up the price of higher education," Vohra said.

The president wants to increase the minimum wage. But this "will destroy one of the most important forms of education in this country," Vohra noted. "Many young people develop responsibility and marketable skills in entry-level, minimum-wage jobs. Those skills make workers more attractive to future employers."

"Mr. President, over the last weeks you have repeatedly argued that Americans should be able to go online without risking their privacy," Vohra observed. "But your words, Mr. President, don’t match your actions. You have funded and enabled the surveillance state."

Several Cato Institute also responded to the president's annual address.