Politics As Usual

Progressive Pulse: NC’s response to the COVID-19 crises: Hindered by the “The Big Lie”

By Alanna Joyner / January 27, 2021 / Comments Off on Progressive Pulse: NC’s response to the COVID-19 crises: Hindered by the “The Big Lie”

In opening remarks for the new legislative session, N.C. Speaker Tim Moore said, “And above all, we are committed to a system of government that represents justice for all North Carolinians”. What Moore failed to mention was how for decades, the N.C. General Assembly has failed to expand access to health care, housing support, increased…

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WRAL: NCGOP, elected leaders flout pandemic rules at ‘Victory Party’

By Alanna Joyner / December 14, 2020 / Comments Off on WRAL: NCGOP, elected leaders flout pandemic rules at ‘Victory Party’

Last Saturday, as North Carolina broke a record with more than 6,000 new COVID-19 cases, Republican party leaders ignored COVID-19 restrictions when they held a “Victory party” and meetings in Elkin. Despite the state Department of Health and Human Services reporting that 5,556 more people had been diagnosed with COVID-19 than the day before and…

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The Washington Post: Court upholds North Carolina’s voter identification law

By Alanna Joyner / December 2, 2020 / Comments Off on The Washington Post: Court upholds North Carolina’s voter identification law

Last week, a federal appeals court upheld North Carolina’s voter ID law, which requires voters to present photo identification before casting ballots, even as it acknowledged the state’s “long and shameful history of race-based voter suppression”. Federal judges struck down previous voter ID schemes in which federal judges ruled that the Republican lawmakers targeted minority…

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Salisbury Post: Harrison Peel “Tillis owes voters real answers”

By Alanna Joyner / July 7, 2020 / Comments Off on Salisbury Post: Harrison Peel “Tillis owes voters real answers”

A few weeks ago in an opinion editorial by U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, Tillis claimed that he will remain committed to,“my work of listening to the concerns, opinions, and experiences of North Carolinians”. But since 2014, the senator yet has demonstrated a pattern of dodging voters’ concerns during his town halls and in his decisions.…

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WRAL: Legislative partisanship triumphs over real progress for N.C.

By Alanna Joyner / June 30, 2020 / Comments Off on WRAL: Legislative partisanship triumphs over real progress for N.C.

The North Carolina General Assembly concluded its session Friday without approving a proposal to increase weekly unemployment benefits, among other unmet needs. Amid the pandemic, the legislature refused to address vital needs such as Medicaid expansion, increasing teacher pay, public school funding, unemployment benefits and systemic racism.  Rather than address long-standing issues, Republican lawmakers have…

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America’s Great Divider: Trump

By Alanna Joyner / June 17, 2020 / Comments Off on America’s Great Divider: Trump

Since taking office in 2016, Trump has sown division and has targeted his hatred towards swaths of people — including veterans, immigrants, disabled people, and Muslims, among others — while inciting fear about the future of the country. The recent actions of Trump and his administration are among a growing list of calculated tactics to…

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N.C. Policy Watch: Senator Phil Berger’s calls to reopen are premature and irresponsible

By Alanna Joyner / May 18, 2020 / Comments Off on N.C. Policy Watch: Senator Phil Berger’s calls to reopen are premature and irresponsible

Republican 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…

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WRAL: Trump must act, not distract, on COVID-19 to move U.S. forward

By Alanna Joyner / May 5, 2020 / Comments Off on WRAL: Trump must act, not distract, on COVID-19 to move U.S. forward

COVID-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…

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NC legislature passes COVID-19 relief, without expanding jobless benefits or Medicaid

By Alanna Joyner / May 4, 2020 / Comments Off on NC legislature passes COVID-19 relief, without expanding jobless benefits or Medicaid

On 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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Lawmakers falter on Medicaid expansion in the coronavirus relief package

By Alanna Joyner / May 4, 2020 / Comments Off on Lawmakers falter on Medicaid expansion in the coronavirus relief package

With more than one million North Carolinians who have lost their jobs in a system where many workers receive health insurance through their employers and over 49 rural hospitals losing millions per month, the need for Medicaid expansion is paramount.  Yet, state lawmakers moved forward in passing the coronavirus relief package with very limited and…

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