Human Rights

Dan Forest goes full-on white supremacist in sermon against “diversity”

By Eleanore Wood / July 8, 2019 / Comments Off on Dan Forest goes full-on white supremacist in sermon against “diversity”

Lt. Gov. Dan Forest has apparently decided his best chance to beat Gov. Roy Cooper in 2020 is to go full-on white supremacist, discarding the age-old Republican tactic of racist dogwhistles in favor of a flat-out racist screed against “diversity” and “multiculturalism.” Forest made the comments while speaking to a church in Salisbury. “God doesn’t want us…

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Budget would quadruple funding for anti-choice fake pregnancy clinics

By Eleanore Wood / June 25, 2019 / Comments Off on Budget would quadruple funding for anti-choice fake pregnancy clinics

In addition to throwing schools and low-income families under the bus, the GOP budget awards more than $1.2 million to fake clinics designed to deceive pregnant people. Although Raleigh politicians claim not to have enough money for textbooks or school nurses, they appear to have ample funds for Christian-based conservative clinics that do little other…

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NC Sheriff’s Association flip-flops on legislation forcing sheriffs to act like ICE agents

By Eleanore Wood / June 18, 2019 / Comments Off on NC Sheriff’s Association flip-flops on legislation forcing sheriffs to act like ICE agents

Despite widespread opposition from the immigrant community and even several county sheriffs, the North Carolina Sheriff’s Association has flip-flopped to support the controversial House Bill 370, which forces local sheriffs to be part of Trump’s deportation machine, ripping children from their parents and separating families. Enforcing federal immigration laws is the federal government’s responsibility. Local authorities should be…

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Cooper & pro-choice champions beat back deceptive anti-abortion bill and NC-GOP’s shameful political stunts

By Eleanore Wood / June 11, 2019 / Comments Off on Cooper & pro-choice champions beat back deceptive anti-abortion bill and NC-GOP’s shameful political stunts

The deceptive so-called “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act” has been defeated once and for all, even though House Speaker Tim Moore tried to postpone the veto override vote at least NINE times. He wanted to sneak in a vote when pro-choice champions like Rep. Sydney Batch of Wake County, who is currently recovering from breast cancer treatment, were not…

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Public News Service – Study: Black Women May Be Most Affected by NC Abortion Restrictions

By Eleanore Wood / June 4, 2019 / Comments Off on Public News Service – Study: Black Women May Be Most Affected by NC Abortion Restrictions

In North Carolina, the number of people without access to health care is disproportionately women of color. Without this access, it is very difficult for these women to obtain expensive contraceptive medication. Because North Carolina lawmakers refuse to expand Medicaid, contraception and prenatal care are nearly impossible for lower-income women. North Carolina already has one of the…

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Wake schools work to fight re-segregation

By Eleanore Wood / June 4, 2019 / Comments Off on Wake schools work to fight re-segregation

In the face of growing school resegregation caused by the explosion of charter schools and private school vouchers — as well as the aftereffects of institutional policies such as redlining — the Wake County school board is making a commitment to make school enrollments more racially and socioeconomically diverse. District-wide, a total of 38% of…

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NC General Assembly stoops to new low in latest attack on women’s right to an abortion

By Eleanore Wood / May 28, 2019 / Comments Off on NC General Assembly stoops to new low in latest attack on women’s right to an abortion

The NC House of Representatives do not have the votes to override Gov. Cooper’s veto of SB 359, the so-called “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act,” when all House members are present. So they have placed the bill on the voting calendar and then postponed it ten times in hopes of finding a moment when enough pro-choice champions…

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Protests against immigration bills that force sheriffs to act like ICE agents

By Eleanore Wood / May 8, 2019 / Comments Off on Protests against immigration bills that force sheriffs to act like ICE agents

A group of immigrants and activists came together Saturday morning to rally outside of the North Carolina Sheriff’s Association against House Bill 370 and House Bill 135. They are urging Governor Roy Cooper to take a stand against two bills, which according to Members of the immigrant community makes them feel as if they are “captive in a community…

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Handful of Democrats stand with GOP on bad-faith “born alive” bill

By Eleanore Wood / April 29, 2019 / Comments Off on Handful of Democrats stand with GOP on bad-faith “born alive” bill

Even though Gov. Roy Cooper has vetoed the latest Republican abortion bill, a handful of North Carolina Democrats are standing with the NCGOP in support of this bad-faith attack on health care. Reps. Garland Pierce and Charles Graham have said they would vote to overturn Cooper’s veto. Sen. Ben Clark, who originally supported the legislation, said he…

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Cooper vetoes bad-faith “Born Alive” bill

By Eleanore Wood / April 23, 2019 / Comments Off on Cooper vetoes bad-faith “Born Alive” bill

Gov. Roy Cooper has vetoed the latest Republican abortion bill, another attack on health care using sensationalist claims not based in science. Although the GOP no longer has super-majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly, they may still be able to scrape up the two-thirds majority necessary to overturn the veto. No matter what happens, one…

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