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Hundreds Rally to Protect the ACA, Expand Medicaid on Valentine’s Day

By Eleanore Wood / February 15, 2017 / Comments Off on Hundreds Rally to Protect the ACA, Expand Medicaid on Valentine’s Day

On Valentine’s Day, hundreds of people across the state gathered outside Thom Tillis and Richard Burr’s offices to protest the ACA repeal, calling for the lawmakers to “have a heart.” Those at the rallies challenged lawmakers to consider the people instead of party politics, telling their personal stories and explaining how the ACA has helped…

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As NCAA deadline approaches, NCGOP shirks responsibility to repeal HB2

By Eleanore Wood / February 8, 2017 / Comments Off on As NCAA deadline approaches, NCGOP shirks responsibility to repeal HB2

RALEIGH — Progress NC Action Executive Director Gerrick Brenner released the following statement on Wednesday in response to the NCGOP’s attempts to deflect responsibility for fully repealing HB2 onto Governor Cooper: “The solution to HB2 is simply a full and clean repeal of this discriminatory law,” said Brenner. “Instead, the NCGOP is lashing out and trying to…

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Courts Rule Temporarily Block Berger’s Unconstitutional Power Grab

By Eleanore Wood / February 8, 2017 / Comments Off on Courts Rule Temporarily Block Berger’s Unconstitutional Power Grab

During the NCGA’s December power grab, they passed an unconstitutional bill that requires confirmation hearings for Gov. Cooper’s appointments. Cooper filed a lawsuit challenging HB17, and now a superior court has issued a temporary restraining order blocking the legislature from implementing the law. A full hearing will take place on Friday.  From Policy Watch: During…

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NC Could Lose 6 Years of NCAA Events Because of HB2

By Eleanore Wood / February 7, 2017 / Comments Off on NC Could Lose 6 Years of NCAA Events Because of HB2

The NCAA began evaluating cities for championship games in January and is said to have pulled all North Carolina cities from consideration because of HB2. This could mean 6 years without NCAA tournaments because the General Assembly continues to refuse to repeal HB2. And if the NCAA pulls out, the ACC and other leagues are…

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ICYMI: Once again, NCGOP doesn’t live up to promises on teacher pay

By Logan Smith / February 3, 2017 / Comments Off on ICYMI: Once again, NCGOP doesn’t live up to promises on teacher pay

As predicted, Republican promises to raise average teacher pay “over $50,000” fall short RALEIGH — Every year, like clockwork, Republican lawmakers make big claims on teacher pay that inevitably fail to materialize — and this year is no different. In 2014, Sen. Phil Berger claimed teachers were getting “the largest pay increase in history.” The claim…

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UNC and Duke Have One Thing in Common: Both Coaches Hate HB2

By Logan Smith / February 2, 2017 / Comments Off on UNC and Duke Have One Thing in Common: Both Coaches Hate HB2

With the news that the NCAA might pull all championship games from North Carolina for the next 6 years, coaches Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski have spoken out. They don’t agree on much, but they do agree on at least one thing: HB2 needs to be repealed immediately. The two coaches have made statements about…

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NC lawmakers ask Trump to shut down nearly-complete wind farm

By Logan Smith / January 13, 2017 / Comments Off on NC lawmakers ask Trump to shut down nearly-complete wind farm

$400M wind farm may be shut down weeks before going online thanks to GOP opposition to renewable energy RALEIGH — North Carolina lawmakers, including Sen. Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore, are asking the incoming Trump administration to shut down a $400M wind farm in northeastern North Carolina — even though the facility is…

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McCrory’s Coal Ash Cronies: When Misleading the Public Pays Off

By Eleanore Wood / January 11, 2017 / Comments Off on McCrory’s Coal Ash Cronies: When Misleading the Public Pays Off

In February of 2014 a pipe burst at a Duke Energy plant, spilling 39,000 tons of coal ash into the Dan river. For many in the state, it was the first time they had ever heard of coal ash, or worried about the potential hazards. While the Dan river spill was eventually stopped, the disaster…

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Sessions on Sessions on Sessions: A Wild (and Unfortunate) End to 2016

By Eleanore Wood / January 5, 2017 / Comments Off on Sessions on Sessions on Sessions: A Wild (and Unfortunate) End to 2016

The last few weeks of 2016 saw a flurry of legislative activity that included undemocratic power grabs and the failure to repeal HB2. While the courts are still sorting out the mess that politicians created, we wanted to take a look back at the last few weeks of 2016. It all started when Pat McCrory…

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ICYMI: Thursday’s HB2 vote was NOT full repeal

By Logan Smith / December 22, 2016 / Comments Off on ICYMI: Thursday’s HB2 vote was NOT full repeal

A procedural vote tied to a larger bill that leaves parts of HB2 in place indefinitely can under NO circumstances be considered a full repeal RALEIGH — After breaking their word by refusing to allow a clean vote on full repeal of HB2, Republican lawmakers are now blaming Democrats for not going along with the…

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