john locke foundation

December 13, 2013 - Corporate interest advocacy groups including the controversial American Legislative Exchange Council made repealing North Carolina's renewable energy law a top priority last year. Their effort failed, but now ALEC is trying a different approach by taking aim at the solar boom.

December 2, 2013 - This week, the North Carolina NAACP and other groups launched an informational picket at stores owned by North Carolina mega-donor and state budget director Art Pope -- highlighting the disconnect between who shops at Pope's stores and the agenda he promotes.

November 14, 2013 - The State Policy Network -- a national alliance of right-wing think tanks funded by businessmen including the Kochs of Koch Industries, the Waltons of Wal-Mart, and Art Pope of Variety Stores -- is driving a corporate agenda in state legislatures. So why they aren't reporting their lobbying activities?

August 29, 2013 - The conservative mega-donor, now the state budget director, played important but behind-the-scenes roles in the passage of one of the nation's most restrictive voting laws, from ginning up fear of voter fraud to backing politicians who fought for voting restrictions.

June 16, 2013 - Facing South's report on Art Pope's role in killing a pioneering election reform in North Carolina garners national attention -- and a statement from Pope that doesn't dispute any facts of the original story.

June 13, 2013 - For more than a decade, North Carolina's Republican mega-donor fought tirelessly to stop the state's pioneering program to free judges from special interest influence. This week, Pope's crusade came to a victorious end.

May 15, 2013 - For years, North Carolina mega-donor Art Pope kept a low profile, quietly building one of the most influential state-based political networks in the country. Now, from his perch as the governor's budget director, Pope and his agenda are getting national media scrutiny.