Democracy

From The News & Observer: You don’t get ‘multiple opportunities’ to fix gerrymanders

By Eleanore Wood / November 2, 2017 / Comments Off on From The News & Observer: You don’t get ‘multiple opportunities’ to fix gerrymanders

Republicans in Raleigh are continuing to try to stall the redrawing of legislative maps.  The latest attempt was to ask the courts to let them try again.  They didn’t want an impartial special master appointed by the courts to redraw the maps, fearing the maps might actually be fair.  The court told them they had…

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From WRAL: Phil Berger rules by whim to gain partisan omnipotence

By Eleanore Wood / October 30, 2017 / Comments Off on From WRAL: Phil Berger rules by whim to gain partisan omnipotence

The Republicans in Raleigh have repeatedly sought to suppress the voters who disagree with them, and the courts have held them accountable.  Losing case after case Republican leaders are now trying to take over the court system.  This judicial meddling is nothing more than another power grab.  The clear message is: if we don’t like…

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From The News & Observer: Stanford law professor could help draw NC legislative districts

By Eleanore Wood / October 27, 2017 / Comments Off on From The News & Observer: Stanford law professor could help draw NC legislative districts

Republicans in Raleigh just won’t let go of the same voter suppression tactics they have been using for years to secure their power.  After the Supreme Court ruled that the legislative maps in North Carolina were unconstitutional Republican legislators redrew the maps, which are just more of the same unfair tactics. Now the federal judges who…

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From The Asheville Citizen Times: This is not what justice should look like

By Eleanore Wood / October 24, 2017 / Comments Off on From The Asheville Citizen Times: This is not what justice should look like

It’s clear that Republican legislators in Raleigh are seeking to gain power over the courts by gerrymandering Democratic leaning districts.  In Buncombe county this rigging of the system is obvious.  If they control the courts by politicizing them, and gerrymander the districts they can subvert any districts that don’t align with their political ideology.  Canceling…

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From The Greensboro News And Record: Legislature sows disorder in court

By Eleanore Wood / October 23, 2017 / Comments Off on From The Greensboro News And Record: Legislature sows disorder in court

Republicans in Raleigh want to make it easier for independent and third party candidates to get on local ballots.  Except when those candidates might run against them.  The goal is clear, split tickets in Democratic districts.  This legislature is clearly rigging the system in any way they can in order to grab power and keep…

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From WRAL: Legislative leaders want to put justice up for sale

By Eleanore Wood / October 20, 2017 / Comments Off on From WRAL: Legislative leaders want to put justice up for sale

GOP legislators in North Carolina have been losing in court.  Their voter suppression laws were struck down. Their racially gerrymandered districts, which enable them to retain their power without accountability, were found unconstitutional.  The Republican solution was not to draw fair maps or start playing by the rules, but to take over the judiciary to…

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From The News & Observer: NC lawmakers bully democracy with vetoes and inaction

By Eleanore Wood / October 19, 2017 / Comments Off on From The News & Observer: NC lawmakers bully democracy with vetoes and inaction

The NC GOP is playing politics at the expense of the people of North Carolina, most poignantly with the drinking water of Eastern NC.  The priorities of our current legislatures are clear: retain power at all costs.  It’s time they admit that years of slashing the budgets of watchdog agencies has lead to GenX and…

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From The News & Observer: Why this Republican is challenging NC GOP political maps

By Eleanore Wood / October 18, 2017 / Comments Off on From The News & Observer: Why this Republican is challenging NC GOP political maps

The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that a portion of our state legislature was illegally elected via racial gerrymandering.  They have now redrawn those legislative maps, but, these new maps are more of the same. This week a three judge panel in Greensboro is hearing arguments about those new maps.  This Raleigh…

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From The News & Observer: Why N.C. voters should care about the Wisconsin redistricting case

By Eleanore Wood / October 16, 2017 / Comments Off on From The News & Observer: Why N.C. voters should care about the Wisconsin redistricting case

North Carolina isn’t alone in fighting gerrymandered districts that were drawn ensure Republican control of state governments.  The Supreme Court is currently hearing a case against partisan gerrymandering in Wisconsin.  This case could change politics in the United States including North Carolina forever.  It is time that “one person one vote” is the priority in…

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Slate: An Even More Insidious Kind of Gerrymandering

By Eleanore Wood / October 12, 2017 / Comments Off on Slate: An Even More Insidious Kind of Gerrymandering

The GOP-led General Assembly continues their power grab. The illegitimate legislature already had their legislative districts ruled unconstitutional by a Supreme Court for racially gerrymandering. Then they passed very restrictive voter ID laws. And now what are they doing? The House passed bills in a special session that will take away a voter election for…

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