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GOP State Lawmakers to Public Educators: My way or highway. No compromise and so no pay raise.

By Eleanore Wood / January 21, 2020 / Comments Off on GOP State Lawmakers to Public Educators: My way or highway. No compromise and so no pay raise.

North Carolina is now seven months into a budget year. State lawmakers came back to the General Assembly in Raleigh last week in hopes of finally passing a full state budget. Instead, GOP leaders who control the legislature adjourned after only one day. They refused to compromise on a pay raise for teachers and other…

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King’s words ring true today

By Eleanore Wood / January 20, 2020 / Comments Off on King’s words ring true today

In the days leading up to Martin Luther King Day – the Raleigh News & Observer republished this editorial which was one of the newspaper’s most shared pieces in 2018 and again in 2019. It’s a reminder that the civil rights icon was not as appreciated during his lifetime as he should have been or as he is today.…

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NC GOP lawmakers support ‘Second Amendment sanctuaries,’ will attend Va. gun rally

By Alanna Joyner / January 17, 2020 / Comments Off on NC GOP lawmakers support ‘Second Amendment sanctuaries,’ will attend Va. gun rally

Republican state lawmakers showed their support for areas that declare themselves “Second Amendment sanctuaries” ahead of the Virginia gun rally against gun control proposals from the Virginia General Assembly’s new Democratic majority. Fifty members of the North Carolina House Republican caucus, including House Speaker Tim Moore, signed a letter circulated last Tuesday during the legislature’s…

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Fox 46: Teachers protest decision not to increase their pay

By Eleanore Wood / January 16, 2020 / Comments Off on Fox 46: Teachers protest decision not to increase their pay

From Fox 46 Charlotte: NC teachers protest for pay raises North Carolina teachers are protesting because they are not getting a pay raise per lawmakers in Raleigh. Teachers in Charlotte protested Wednesday because they’re not getting pay raises from the state of North Carolina. Lawmakers failed to override Governor Roy Cooper’s veto of pay raises.

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Pressure from citizens in coal ash communities credited for winning cleanup settlement

By Alanna Joyner / January 16, 2020 / Comments Off on Pressure from citizens in coal ash communities credited for winning cleanup settlement

For years, communities across North Carolina stood up to Duke Energy (as well as the energy giant’s enablers in the McCrory administration and the General Assembly) and fought to get coal ash pollution cleaned up in their neighborhoods. The tenacity of those communities reflects the true spirit of democracy and resilience, now that Duke Energy…

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WRAL: Growing number of conservative local leaders want Medicaid expanded in NC

By Alanna Joyner / January 16, 2020 / Comments Off on WRAL: Growing number of conservative local leaders want Medicaid expanded in NC

NC’s Republican-controlled state legislature remains calcified in its opposition to expanded Medicaid, which would bring down healthcare costs for everyone, even those with private health insurance.  But a growing number of conservatives are calling on lawmakers to finally allow expansion. From WRAL: “We believe we have a responsibility to look after our citizens. It’s a…

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The News & Observer 01/14 Letters: Deployment to Middle East will hurt NC towns, families, the economy

By Eleanore Wood / January 14, 2020 / Comments Off on The News & Observer 01/14 Letters: Deployment to Middle East will hurt NC towns, families, the economy

The idea that wars are always good for the economy is simply not true. It is likely that the emotional and economic impact of a war with Iran would be a heavy one, not unlike North Carolina’s experience during previous wars in the middle east. Our state simply can not afford another endless war. From…

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Will NC lawmakers play politics or pay teachers in 2020?

By Logan Smith / January 14, 2020 / Comments Off on Will NC lawmakers play politics or pay teachers in 2020?

GOP budget standoff continues with lawmakers returning to Raleigh, as yet another red state expands Medicaid RALEIGH — North Carolina lawmakers are returning to Raleigh this week for a so-called “mini-session” amidst the budget standoff which legislative Republicans have been waging since last summer.  Although the legislature’s paltry pay plan for state educators is expected to be…

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Lawmakers return to talk teacher pay as another red state expands Medicaid

By Logan Smith / January 13, 2020 / Comments Off on Lawmakers return to talk teacher pay as another red state expands Medicaid

The North Carolina General Assembly convenes on Tuesday for a so-called “mini-session” amidst the budget standoff waged by legislative Republicans since last summer.  From North Carolina Health News: “We have not set a date and honestly we’re waiting like everyone else to see what the legislature” does this week, said Dave Richard, the N.C. Department of Health…

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Raleigh N&O: Kansas is expanding Medicaid. What’s the matter with North Carolina?

By Alanna Joyner / January 12, 2020 / Comments Off on Raleigh N&O: Kansas is expanding Medicaid. What’s the matter with North Carolina?

The North Carolina General Assembly convenes on Tuesday for a so-called “mini-session” amidst the budget standoff waged by legislative Republicans since last summer. Meanwhile, the health care spotlight is heating up on North Carolina Republicans as yet another red state — this time Kansas — has decided to expand Medicaid. From The News & Observer:…

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