While the deadline for voter registration in North Carolina ended on October 11, 2024, the effort to increase voter turnout continues as we near election day. Early voting began in NC on October 17, 2024, and will end at 3 p.m. on Saturday, November 2, 2024.
Read More“At face value, this conflict might appear as no more than a partisan power grab at controlling the status of S.B. 824 — a frequent occurrence in our contemporary political system. Yet, the effects of this case are more pivotal and far-reaching. If a Supreme Court decision favors Senator Berger and Representative Moore, the legislature will be granted broad autonomy regarding intervention in future cases. A move in this direction might blur the lines between the roles of the Legislature and the Executive, and thus create a more nebulous governmental landscape.”
Read More”If you received a text, phone call, mailer, or a knock on your door during the 2020 campaign cycle, chances are you met an organizer. Campaigns, from local to national, are massive logistical undertakings. To do the heavy lifting, field organizers are hired to manage volunteer bases in order to maximize voter mobilization. But in many campaigns, young organizers who work seven days a week are underpaid, or not compensated at all.”
Read More“Janice Robinson, the North Carolina director for Red, Wine, and Blue, an Ohio-based organization that supports local moms and seeks to prevent book bans, believes that the concerns about explicit material are ‘just a smokescreen for the anti-CRT.’ What book bans are actually doing, claims Ms. Robinson, is allowing the "right wing" to push "their political agenda at the expense of our kids," as they are unable to use literature to encounter uncomfortable experiences of those outside their community, which would prepare them for life beyond the classroom.”
Read More“Many states with Republican governors have already ended the mask mandates and now some states with Democrat governors are following suit. There is evidence supporting claims that masks are not effective for young children and therefore there is no need for them. Additionally, there is evidence that shows that masks have harmed children in both educational and social development. Due to this impact, states are having to reevaluate the cost of wearing masks and if the benefits of masks outweigh the educational and social development of children.”
Read MoreThe United States is the only country in the world that allows for those under the age of 18 to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole (LWOP). Within the U.S., North Carolina is one of only 25 states that has not banned the punishment altogether. Since the practice was introduced in 1994, a series of legal battles nationally and within the state have slowly eroded the use of juvenile LWOP, and one case currently pending review before the state Supreme Court could effectively end the sentence for good.”
Read More“The letter to the Commission, referenced earlier in the article, that recommended rejection of the vaccine mandate did include, however, the caveat that "the Commission could consider adding a COVID-19 vaccine to the childhood immunization schedule at a later date." But, observing the repealing of mask mandates, the plummeting daily COVID cases, the opposition from state officials on all sides of the aisle, and the objections from state health officials, it seems highly unlikely that the Commission will institute a mandate for Covid-19 vaccines for school-aged children in North Carolina.”
Read More“On January 7, 2022, Governor Roy Cooper signed Executive Order No. 246, titled ‘North Carolina’s Transformation to a Clean, Equitable Economy,’ and on January 31, 2022, when the Winston Weaver Co. fertilizer plant in Winston-Salem caught fire, creating the possibility of one of the worst explosions in US history due to the 600 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate inside.”
Read More“No matter your partisan preferences, in this case, it’s nevertheless imperative to assess the ramifications of gerrymandering in the United States and how manipulated districts can corrupt the integrity of American political processes.”
Read More“Cawthorn intends to fight the suit and a spokesperson commented saying the voters bringing the suit are “comically misinterpreting and twisting the 14th Amendment for political gain.” It is clear Cawthorn does not believe the suit will succeed. However, if the suit manages to succeed, Cawthorn will be disallowed from running for public office. Additionally, he could be subject to criminal charges by the federal government like many of the people involved in the riot.”
Read More“With over 24 years of public service under her belt, Senator Valerie Foushee is ready to take her fight to Congress. Shortly after Rep. David Price (NC-06) announced his retirement in November of 2021, Senator Foushee emerged as an obvious challenger to represent residents of Orange and Durham County.”
Read More“North Carolina’s Representative Madison Cawthorn is under scrutiny from the State Board of Elections in response to a group of eleven North Carolinian voters urging the Board to disqualify his candidacy, citing his involvement in the rallies preceding the January 6th Insurrection as a violation of the Constitution.”
Read More“Despite his historic opposition to school choice, Governor Roy Cooper recently issued a proclamation naming the week of January 24-29, 2022 as “School Choice Week.” However, Cooper has not taken any further policy action to confirm a sudden switch in position to supporting school choice, nor has he spoken about his rationale for issuing a proclamation designed to increase the visibility of school choice.”
Read More“With the future of NC redistricting likely playing out in the states' court rooms, Governor Cooper’s veto will not be the last North Carolinians hear about changes to midterm elections. Though lawmakers on both sides of the aisle remain vocal about how the debate should be settled, all eyes now turn towards the seven justices in Raleigh to shape this coming election cycle.”
Read More“Kids are only in school once, and these beginning years are formative in them becoming capable and functioning adults. In fact, the education that staffing shortages are robbing kids of is considered so fundamental that the North Carolina Constitution recognizes that "the people have a right to the privilege of education.”
Read More“After three years without a comprehensive state budget and months of negotiations between the two parties in the legislature and the governor, North Carolina finally has a budget for fiscal years 2021-2023.”
Read More“On November 9th, the UNC’s Institute of Politics hosted a town hall meeting for the upcoming 2022 Senate Race in North Carolina. In attendance for the Democratic Party were State Senator Jeff Jackson — the front-runner of the group — former State Senator Erica Smith, Dr. Tobias LaGrone, and Dr. Richard Watkins, who just recently announced his exit from the Senate race in order to run for North Carolina’s 6th Congressional District. Jen Banwart was the lone Republican of the group, showing a certain level of bravery by bringing conservative views into an environment dominated by young, left-leaning college students.”
Read MoreThe U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced in October that its investigation into NC GOP Senator Richard Burr and his brother-in-law Gerald Fauth was still underway. Burr sold $1.65 million in stock in “February 2020, just before the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic. The court filings by the SEC state "Among other things, the Commission is investigating whether, on February 13, 2020, Senator Burr sold stocks on the basis of material nonpublic information in violation of the federal securities laws." One of these laws in question is the 2012 STOCK Act which prohibits legislators from trading stock based on private information. Senator Burr notably voted against this bill.”
Read More“Jeff Jackson: current state senator, major in the Army National Guard, UNC-Chapel Hill Law school alum, and most recently one of the two main Democratic candidates vying for the United States Senate seat, vacated by the retiring Richard Burr, paid “the Pit” a visit last week as part of his statewide college town hall tour. In his town hall, last week, Jackson addressed a crowd of around 500, comprised primarily of UNC-Chapel Hill students. Jackson touched on gerrymandering, climate change, the rural-urban divide, criminal justice reform, mental health, and the increasing permeance of politics in public schools, in his introductory address and answered students’ questions afterwards.”
Read More“In a viral video, North Carolina’s Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson is seen making homophobic and transphobic comments, saying children should not be taught about “transgenderism, homosexuality, any of that filth.” Robinson faced significant backlash for his comments, including condemnations from the White House and Governor Roy Cooper.”
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