The next step for North Carolina's successful public financing program is having it available for the Council of State races, an idea the Raleigh News and Observer is very much in favor of, principally because "Occupants of those offices typically get large contributions from people who are in the very industries the office-seekers regulate or want to regulate." North Carolina has a very successful public financing program in place for judicial elections, and establishing a similar program for Council of State races is another step towards eventually having public financing available for legislative races. Their legislative session has just started up, but we'll be keeping an eye out for news of progress on this Council of States bill.