Blog
North Carolina Budget Sent to Governor: Several Moral Policy Concerns Deserve Attention
by Dr. Mark CreechDirector of Government RelationsReturn America The North Carolina General Assembly has now passed and sent Governor Josh Stein a roughly $34 billion State Budget. After a prolonged budget standoff, the final votes came Thursday, July 2, with the...
Lumbee Voters Rejected a Casino — and They Were Right
by Dr. Mark Creech Director of Government Relations Return AmericaThe Lumbee people have spoken, and they have done so with remarkable clarity. In a historic tribal vote, Lumbee voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have allowed casino gambling and a...
Alcohol, HB 198, HB 921, and the Courage to Do What Is Right
by Dr. Mark Creech Director of Government Relations Return America There are many troubles afflicting America today, but few are as tolerated, excused, celebrated, and politically protected as the destructive use of alcohol. Alcohol is not a minor social concern. It...
When Big Brother Comes to North Carolina Highways
By Rev. Mark Creech RevMarkCreech.org North Carolina lawmakers are considering making a highway surveillance program permanent, which allows automatic license plate readers on state road rights-of-way. At first glance, that may sound like a routine law enforcement...
Bills Return America Has Addressed, the Case Made, and Other Legislation Being Monitored
By Dr. Mark CreechDirector of Government RelationsReturn America The following is a summary of bills that Return America has been monitoring more recently during the legislative session, including measures for which we have tracked committee activity, reviewed...
A Pro-Life Cause Deserves a Prudent Strategy
A measured response to Rep. Keith Kidwell’s controversial pro-life bill Dr. Mark Creech Director of Government Relations Return America RevMarkCreech.org Lawmakers were not convened for any votes last week. Nevertheless, Rep. Keith Kidwell (R-Beaufort) filed a bill...
Gambling on Training Wheels
How House Bills 921 and 198 Would Normalize Casino Culture in the Name of Charity Dr. Mark Creech Director of Government Relations Return America Not long ago, North Carolina treated casino gambling as dangerous enough to prohibit. Even now, state law permits “game...
Alcohol: An Overlooked Link Between Lincoln and Kennedy
by Rev. Mark Creech RevMarkCreech.org Americans have long been fascinated by the striking similarities between the assassinations of Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846; Kennedy in 1946. Lincoln was elected president...
Return America’s Advocacy Is Making a Difference — Major Alcohol Provisions Removed, But Gambling Concerns Remain
by Dr. Mark Creech Director of Government Relations Return America Recently, Return America has been sounding the alarm about H.B. 921, the ABC & Gaming Omnibus Bill. That measure originally contained several troubling provisions that would have weakened North...
HB 921 Would Dramatically Expand Alcohol and Normalize Gambling in North Carolina
By Dr. Mark Creech Director of Government Relations Return America Some weeks at the General Assembly are more discouraging than others, and this was one of them. On Tuesday, I appeared before the House Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee to speak against House Bill...