Democracy
House leaders in bipartisan support, have moved forward with a house bill containing changes to the state’s election rules due to the pandemic. House Bill 1169, contains many measures requested by the State Board of Elections and voting rights advocates to help the state prepare for conducting a safe election for voters during the COVID-19…
Read MoreOn Monday, Trump threatened to pull the Republican National Convention (RNC) out of North Carolina if Gov. Roy Cooper doesn’t immediately sign off on allowing a full-capacity gathering in August. Trump’s tweets about the upcoming RNC come two days after North Carolina’s largest daily increase in virus cases yet. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the convention…
Read MoreTwo weeks after meeting to approve a $1.6 billion package that distributed COVID-19 funds from Washington, the North Carolina General Assembly resumed its annual session on Monday. Republicans in the N.C. Senate unveiled spending priorities on Tuesday for the coming fiscal year, rolling out more than 18 separate bills. The N.C. house has yet to…
Read MoreRepublican Senate Leader Phil Berger recently called on Gov. Roy Cooper to relax specific executive orders on coronavirus-related closures. In Trumpian fashion, Berger has been pushing for the reopening of the state, despite COVID-19’s continuous spread around North Carolina. While the coronavirus outbreak has taken more than 90,00 American lives, Berger is seeking out a…
Read MoreU.S. Senator Richard Burr is temporarily stepping down as Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee as federal investigators look into timely stock sales he and his wife made after receiving coronavirus briefings from U.S. public health officials. This comes after federal agents served a search warrant on the lawmaker and seized a cellphone on Wednesday…
Read MoreIn late March, the State Board of Elections asked legislative leaders and Gov. Roy Cooper to make it easier for North Carolinians to vote absentee by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic. The State Board of Elections executive director Karen Brinson Bell, asked for voters to be allowed to request mail ballots through an online…
Read MoreDespite health officials concerns, Trump has made clear that he wants the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. to proceed in late August. With Mecklenburg County having over 2,132 confirmed coronavirus cases — the highest cases in the state — the convention is scheduled to begin Aug. 24 at the 20,000-seat Spectrum Center. Yet, as…
Read MoreA new study released from the Urban Institute has revealed the devastating cost of states not expanding Medicaid, as more than 25 million workers could lose employer-based health insurance due to COVID-19-related unemployment. According to the study, in the states that rejected Medicaid, about 40 percent of the people who lose their jobs and their…
Read MoreCOVID-19 cases are approaching 12,256 in North Carolina; 1.2 million in the nation and 3.7 million worldwide. Instead of increasing testing and treatment; providing adequate protection for healthcare workers; and reducing the spread of the virus that is taking a toll on lives and the economy — Trump chooses to dodge responsibility and deny the…
Read MoreOn May 2, the North Carolina General Assembly approved a $1.57 million COVID-19 relief package. Votes in both the House and the Senate during the Saturday session were unanimous, marking the legislature’s first response to the pandemic. The $1.57 billion package contains funding for education, health care, small business loans, food banks, medical research, testing…
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