Hurricane Dorian has weakened to a Category 1 storm, after generating tornadoes and flooding roads in North and South Carolina.
Read the full storyDorian Crawls Up US East Coast After Weakening to Category 1 Storm
Tag: North Carolina
U.S. Sen. Tillis of North Carolina Underwater Among Republican Primary Voters, Poll Says
New polling shows U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) in serious trouble from a primary challenge by businessman Garland Tucker.
Read the full storyNorth Carolina Gun Shop Faces Backlash for Billboard Criticizing Omar and the Squad
A North Carolina gun shop is facing backlash after putting up a billboard that calls four Democratic congresswomen “idiots.”
Read the full storySupreme Court Rules Judges Can’t Block Partisan Gerrymandering
by Tyler Arnold A narrowly divided Supreme Court ruled Thursday that federal judges have no authority to block politically gerrymandered maps. The 5-4 decision fell along ideological lines with the five conservative judges signing onto the decision and the liberal judges dissenting. “We conclude that partisan gerrymandering claims present political questions beyond the reach of the federal courts,” Chief Justice John Roberts said in his opinion. “Federal judges have no license to reallocate political power between the two major political parties, with no plausible grant of authority in the Constitution, and no legal standards to limit and direct their decisions.” Roberts said that the court has been asked to overturn politically gerrymandered lines for the past 45 years, but that it has never done so. If the court made decisions on whether maps were gerrymandered to favor a specific party, he said that judicial reviews would recur with every new round of redistricting. “That intervention would be unlimited in scope and duration,” Roberts said. He said it would be “an unprecedented expansion of judicial power.” Roberts emphasized that the Court is not condoning politically gerrymandered maps, but that the issue can be resolved by state courts enforcing state laws…
Read the full storyCommentary: The Entitled Uninvited
by Pedro Gonzalez On a Sunday afternoon in May, Etta Nugent found Marco Cobos, a Mexican national, at her doorstep in Houston after his truck had broken down nearby. Cobos knocked and Nugent, described by friends as “gentle soul” and a “good Christian woman,” answered. When Cobos asked her to help him fix his truck, the septuagenarian politely declined, citing her age. Feeling entitled to a different answer, Cobos forced his way into Nugent’s home and stabbed her in the chest. He proceeded to show himself to kitchen to look for “more knives,” he told prosecutors, while his victim lay grievously wounded. As Nugent attempted to flee, Cobos killed her in her home of 50 years, across the street from St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church where she had worshiped for most of her life. With cash stolen from the house, Cobos drove Nugent’s car to an auto parts store to buy a new battery for his truck. He stopped for food before returning to Nugent’s home, where he ate and lounged for hours, helping himself to Nugent’s credit cards, even paying his phone bill with one of them. Nugent’s horrific fate has become all too common in an America…
Read the full storyNorth Carolina Governor Under Fire for Proposing Freezing School Voucher Program
by Joshua Nelson A billboard campaign in North Carolina is taking aim at Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper after his announcement proposing freezing a scholarship program that has benefited minority students—more than 30 percent of which are African-American. The billboard says the governor is “failing when it comes to helping minority students” and encourages residents to call Cooper to reverse his decision. A group called the Job Creators Network launched the campaign on May 15 following Cooper’s recent budget proposal that included halting the North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship Program, a state voucher system that gives up to $4,200 to children from low-income households to attend a private school of their choice. The Job Creators Network is a nonpartisan organization that educates business owners, entrepreneurs, and employees on government policies they deem harmful to “Main Street America.” As a former benefactor of a school voucher program, Alfredo Ortiz, president and CEO of the group, has been outspoken against Cooper’s decision. “One of our members who lives in North Carolina made me aware of [Cooper’s decision],” Ortiz said in an interview with The Daily Signal. “And again, because it is the kind of a personal thing with something like this where scholarships…
Read the full storyNorth Carolina’s Rep Mark Meadows Says Declassification of Russia Probe Documents Is ‘Right Around the Corner’
by Henry Rogers North Carolina Republican Rep. Mark Meadows said that important documents relating to the origins of the counterintelligence investigation into President Donald Trump’s campaign will be released soon on Monday. In an appearance on Fox News’ Fox and Friends, the House Oversight Committee member responded to the former committee chair Trey Gowdy’s comments that the FBI possibly withheld “game-changing” evidence regarding the origins of the Russia probe. Meadows said he agreed with Gowdy that former Trump campaign associate George Papadopoulos was being taped and recorded by FBI informants and that the unreleased transcript was never released to the FISA court. “[Gowdy] has seen documents that actually I have not seen,” Meadows said. “But we have come to the same conclusion and that is, indeed, George Papadopoulos was actually taped and recorded,” saying the documents would expose exculpatory information on the question of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. “I think the delay is over,” Meadows continued. “I think the president is serious. I’ve spoken to him recently and I think declassification is right around the corner and hopefully the American people will be able to judge for themselves.” Meadows also said he and Papadopoulos have spoken about the possible declassification…
Read the full storyNorth Carolina Teachers Strike in Consecutive Years Hoping for Higher Wages
North Carolina teachers took to the streets Wednesday for the second year in a row with hopes that a more politically balanced legislature will be more willing to meet their demands. Teachers, auxiliary staff and supporters marched in Raleigh with scheduled speakers including Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and the Rev. William Barber, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign. When an estimated 20,000 people marched for teachers last year, Republicans held a veto-proof majority in the state House and Senate. The results of November’s election changed that, and now Cooper’s vetoes can stand if Democrats remain united. The House budget released Tuesday includes some of the teachers’ demands: higher pay for veteran teachers and restoration of a salary bump for teachers with masters’ degrees. Teachers in neighboring South Carolina also rallied Wednesday and Oregon teachers plan to gather next week as walkouts that began in West Virginia last spring continue across the country, with many proving successful. In Raleigh, teachers were going to meeting spots Wednesday morning ahead of the march and rally. One group of teachers donning red shirts with the North Carolina state outline walked to the state legislative building Wednesday morning. Among them was a seventh-grade student,…
Read the full storyNorth Carolina Governor Vetoes Born-Alive Bill
by Grace Carr Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed a born-alive bill Thursday that sought to explicitly direct physicians to provide care for infants who survive abortion procedures. Cooper vetoed SB359, also known as the “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act,” which passed the state legislature Tuesday. The state Senate first passed the bill Monday and the House passed the bill in a 65-46 vote Tuesday, according to The News & Observer. “Any infant born alive after an abortion or within a hospital, clinic, or other facility has the same claim to the protection of the law that would arise for any newborn, or for any person who comes to a hospital, clinic, or other facility for screening and treatment or otherwise becomes a patient within its care,” according to the legislation. Physicians who violate the bill would be charged with a Class D felony and fined up to $250,000. Cooper’s spokesman, Ford Porter, criticized the bill ahead of the governor’s Thursday veto. “This unnecessary legislation would criminalize doctors for a practice that simply does not exist,” Porter said, according to the Observer. “Laws already exist to protect newborn babies and legislators should instead be focused on other issues…
Read the full storyN.C. Association of Educators Uses Communist-Inspired Red Fist Logo to Promote May Day Strike
The North Carolina Association of Educators is showing its true (Red) colors by using communist logos in promoting a May Day strike, which is also communist-inspired, says Pete Kaliner of News Radio 570. Kaliner posted an investigative report on the topic on Monday. He said the association has long said it is not a union and is not operated by “leftists.” But the upcoming May 1st demonstration leaves little doubt who is running that organization. Kaliner referenced Twitter posts with photos showing the group using a logo of a red fist, such as this one by The Chad Adams Show:“It’s one thing for folks to THINK you’re a communist organization, quite another when you adopt a communist symbol to represent your group. BAD CHOICE of the week @ncae for choosing Soviet Era CCCP logo as theirs! @TimBoyumTV @wuzzardo @RaleighReporter @TravisFain @PeteKaliner” It's one thing for folks to THINK you're a communist organization, quite another when you adopt a communist symbol to represent your group. BAD CHOICE of the week @ncae for choosing Soviet Era CCCP logo as theirs! @TimBoyumTV @wuzzardo @RaleighReporter @TravisFain @PeteKaliner pic.twitter.com/B77AEJfzhQ — The Chad Adams Show (@Chad_Adams) March 29, 2019 Kaliner also quoted Longleaf Politics, which reports…
Read the full storyProgressive Org ‘Campaign for Accountability’ Turns Sights on Crisis Pregnancy Center in North Carolina
A crisis pregnancy center in North Carolina is the subject of a 93-page complaint filed by the Campaign for Accountability (CfA), a Washington, D.C. non-profit with ties to progressive activist and Media Matters founder David Brock. CfA is calling for state officials such as North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Attorney General Josh Stein and Secretary of Health and Human Services Mandy Cohen to” investigate and terminate” a contract between the Human Coalition and Department of Health and Human Services (“DHHS”). “The state granted Human Coalition funding to help support women with unplanned pregnancies, yet the reality is, those taxpayer funds have been spent proselytizing, which is not the same as actual healthcare,” said CfA Counsel Alice Huling (pictured, above) in a press statement. North Carolina’s Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein has waged his own war using North Carolina taxpayer funds by pulling the state into a multi-state suit challenging the Trump Administrations ‘Protect Life Rule‘ as part of Title X. “North Carolinians should be leary of a Washington, DC-based liberal nonprofit that uses litigation and aggressive communications in an attempt to defund pregnancy centers at a time when Marist poll finds more Americans are pro-life,” responded Tami Fitzgerald, NC Values Coalition…
Read the full storySupreme Court Hears Gerrymandering Case That Could Extensively Redraw the Ohio Electoral Map
The United States Supreme Court began hearing oral arguments Tuesday on a pair of cases that could lead to the Ohio electoral map being completely redrawn. The two cases, Rucho v. Common Cause and Lamone v. Benisekm, could both set precedents that could supersede a similar Ohio case making its way to the Supreme Court. On August 5, 2016, Common Cause, the North Carolina Democratic Party, and a group of voters filed a complaint against Robert A. Rucho “in his official capacity as Chairman of the North Carolina Senate Redistricting Committee,” and several other key members who presided over the drawing of the 2016 North Carolina congressional map. The complaint alleged that the map is an: unconstitutional partisan gerrymander that violates the First Amendment (Count I), the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment (Count II), and Article I, section 2 of the Constitution of the United States (Count III), and also to declare that in adopting the 2016 Plan the legislature exceeded the authority granted by Article I, section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, which provides that state legislatures “determine the times, places and manner of election” of members of the U.S. House of Representatives (Count IV). They also alleged that Democratic votes…
Read the full storyProposed Bill Takes Aim At Sanctuary City Sheriffs in North Carolina
Another North Carolina Sheriff says he will not uphold ICE detainers and will release criminal illegal aliens back onto the streets. In response, state lawmakers are taking action to protect the public with a bill the would require law enforcement to cooperate with immigration enforcement officials. “The sheriff’s office will continue to comply with all applicable state and federal laws, however, we do not make or enforce immigration laws; that is not part of our law enforcement duties,” Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller said at a March 19th press conference. Miller is the latest in a line of sheriffs from Durham, Wake and Mecklenburg counties who are refusing to contact ICE or honor ICE detainers on illegal aliens they have in custody. ICE spokesman Bryan Cox responded to Miller’s remarks, telling the Asheville Citizen-Times that “as a direct result of this policy, persons in Asheville will see an increased presence of ICE.” North Carolina’s top law enforcement official, Attorney General Josh Stein, has made similar moves. In February, Stein contemplated joining a 16 state coalition which is suing President Trump over his emergency border declaration. The official North Carolina Department of Justice account tweeted a statement from Stein that said…
Read the full storyFormer North Carolina Statehouse Democrat Indicted in Campaign Finance Investigation
On Monday, March 18th, former Democratic state house Representative Rodney Moore was indicted by a Mecklenburg County Grand Jury on nine felony charges involving false campaign finance disclosure reports. Moore had turned himself in to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department sometime on Wednesday. According to a press release from the State Board of Elections, “Moore knowingly certified under oath that false campaign finance reports were true, a violation of N.C.G.S. § 163A-1449. Each count is a Class I felony.” Also charged is Tammy Neal, Moore’s campaign treasurer. Neal is charged with one felony count of common law obstruction of justice. “We are grateful to the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office for its work on this case, as we are to all prosecutors who take election matters seriously,” State Board executive director Kim Westbrook Strach said in a statement. Strach said that audits like these help “detect those who try to use their campaign accounts as personal piggy banks.” “We hope these prosecutions highlight the importance of accurate campaign finance disclosure. Voters have a right to know how candidates are raising and spending campaign cash,” said Strach. The State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement voted unanimously in October of 2018 to…
Read the full storyLGBT Complaint Demands North Carolina State Health Plan Cover Sex Changes, Hormone Therapy
A complaint filed by multiple law firms wants the North Carolina State Employees Health Plan to cover transgender sex-reassignment surgeries and hormone treatments. The complaint was filed by Lambda Legal, the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (LLTDEF) and local attornies affiliated with Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis. “The only reason our plaintiffs are being denied coverage for medically necessary health care is because they are transgender or they have children who are transgender,” said Lambda Legal’s Taylor Brown in a press release. The filing accuses the State Health Plan of discriminating against transgender employees and their dependents by depriving “transgender enrollees of coverage for the treatment of gender dysphoria – the clinically significant distress that can result from the dissonance between an individual’s gender identity and sex assigned at birth.” The suit claims ‘targeted discrimination’ due to the lack of “coverage for the treatment of gender dysphoria – the clinically significant distress that can result from the dissonance between an individual’s gender identity and sex assigned at birth.” The suit says that the State Health Plan is not providing “counseling, hormone therapy, surgical care, and any other health care provided in relation to a person’s transgender status and/or gender transition.…
Read the full storyMillions in Fraud Missing From North Carolina Medicaid Expansion Debate
Every major North Carolina Democrat, including Governor Roy Cooper, is focused on pushing for the expansion of Medicaid. Cooper included Medicaid expansion in his budget and in his State of the State speech. In both instances, the tax hit to North Carolinians went unaddressed by Cooper but not by state lawmakers. “Governor Cooper is pushing this idea that his Medicaid expansion proposal is revenue-neutral to the state, but that idea is just not based in reality,” said Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) in a press release. “There is no such thing as ‘free’ money, someone always has to pay. In this case, it’s the taxpayers in the private insurance market who at the end of the day will pay the price of this new tax to fund expansion.” Part of the argument to expand is a ‘but the other states are doing it’ argument. As of February 2019, 36 have expanded Medicaid and 14, including North Carolina, have not. What the current debate on the topic has left out is the millions of Medicaid fraud cases each year. According to the North Carolina Department of Justice, settlements in Medicaid fraud cases have totaled over $65.5 million just in the last…
Read the full storyNorth Carolina Governor State Supreme Court Pick Keeps Court Hyperpartisan
North Carolina Democratic Governor Roy Cooper announced the appointment of Judge Mark Davis to the state’s supreme court this week. “Right now I’m the most excited human being in the state of North Carolina to be able to join the Supreme Court,” said Judge Davis during the announcement at the Executive Mansion. “This is truly the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for me, and I feel like I have been preparing for this moment for my entire professional career,” Davis said. “I know Judge Davis is dedicated to his work and to serving the people of North Carolina, and I know he will continue to serve with distinction as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court,” said Gov. Cooper. More on the announcement here: https://t.co/3gS1oKapfb pic.twitter.com/mPQGZyNhoC — Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) March 11, 2019 “I know Judge Davis is dedicated to his work and to serving the people of North Carolina, and I know he will continue to serve with distinction as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court,” said Governor Cooper in a statement. The appointment of Davis keeps the state supreme court overwhelmingly partisan with six Democrats and one Republican. The maintaining of a hyperpartisan court is a…
Read the full storyNorth Carolina’s 3rd Congressional Special Election Draws 26 Candidates
Over two dozen candidates have filed for the North Carolina 3rd Congressional District’s special election. Filing closed on March 8th with a tally of six Democrats, seventeen Republicans, two libertarians and one Constitution party candidate. The Democrats considered front-runners are Richard Bew, a Retired Marine who was a pilot at the North Carolina Marine Corps Cherry Point station, and Allen Thomas, the former mayor of Greenville who currently serves as the Executive Director of the Global TransPark located in Kinston. Other Democrats in the race are Isiah ‘Ike’ Johnson, a retired Marine; Gregory Humphrey, a retired Deputy Fire Chief and Vietnam Vet; Dana Outlaw, the mayor of New Bern; and Ernest Reeves, a retired Army Captain who took on Jones in 2016 but lost big with only 32.8% of the vote compared to Jones’ 67.8%. The Republicans have 17 candidates in the running with three current state house representatives and the former vice chair of the NC GOP being considered as competitive ‘tier one candidates’. Phil Shepard is the state house representative for Onslow and Greg Murphy represents Pitt County. Both have five terms in the North Carolina General Assembly under their belts. There had been speculation that Shepard’s Onslow…
Read the full storyDemocrat North Carolina Attorney General Joins Suit Against Protect Life Rule
North Carolina’s Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein has pulled the Tarheel state into a multi-state suit challenging the Trump Administrations ‘Protect Life Rule‘ as part of Title X. “Title X clinics screen for cancer, prevent unintended pregnancies, and reduce the spread of sexually transmitted infections,” said Attorney General Josh Stein in a press release. “These are critical healthcare services that change and save lives. This proposed gag rule would prevent women in North Carolina from making the healthcare decisions that allow them to lead happy, healthy lives.” The national suit was filed March 4 by 20 other states and District of Columbia with California filing its own version. North Carolina will be the only state in the south to join the suit. The other states involved are Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. All of the states involved have Democratic attorney generals. “North Carolina Values Coalition supports the Trump administration’s Protect Life Rule, which redirects Title X family planning program funds away from the abortion industry and bars taxpayer-funded family planning clinics from referring patients to abortion providers,” said Tami Fitzgerald, NC…
Read the full storyCourt of Appeals Grants Stay Request By North Carolina Lawmakers On Lower Court Ruling
The North Carolina Court of Appeals has granted a stay of a Wake County Judge’s ruling pending review of the Writ of Supersedeas filed this week by state lawmakers. The order from the Court of Appeals grants a stay motion requested by filed by Speaker Tim Moore and Senator Pro Tem Phil Berger and the ruling by Wake County Judge Bryan Collins is temporarily suspended. The order also says that the court will consider the Writ of Supersedeas “upon the filing of a response to the petition” or no response is filed in the proper time frame. March 1, Superior Court Judge George Bryan Collins, Jr. ruled that two out of four state constitutional amendments passed by North Carolina voters in 2018 were invalid because the State Legislature was itself “illegal.” “An illegally constituted General Assembly does not represent the people of North Carolina and is therefore not empowered to pass legislation that would amend the state’s constitution,” Collins wrote in his ruling. “Although the ruling only directly invalidates the two laws that were challenged in the suit, under Judge Collins’s theory every act passed by the General Assembly between June 5, 2017, and December 31, 2018, is invalid,” says…
Read the full storyThree More Arrests in North Carolina’s Ninth Congressional District Case
There have been three more arrests in the current criminal case involving absentee ballot harvesting in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. According to a press release by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Caitlyn Croom was arrested on March 3 in New Hanover County. Croom has been charged with conspiracy to commit felony obstruction of justice and possession of absentee ballots. On March 5, Tonia Marie Gordon and Matthew Monroe Mathis were also taken into custody and charged with felonious obstruction of justice and possession of an absentee ballots. Mathis was also charged with falsely signing the certification on an absentee ballot. Gordon turned herself in at the Bladen County Magistrate’s office and Mathis was arrested by the Sampson County Sheriff’s office. Rebecca Thompson, who also was indicted, has not yet been arrested. Last week, the man allegedly running the operation, Leslie McCrae Dowless, was arrested for three counts of felonious obstruction of justice, two counts of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice and two counts of possession of absentee ballots. Dowless was arrested by State Bureau of Investigation Agents in Bladensboro and a secure bond of $30,000 was set. After several days of evidentiary hearings last month, North Carolina…
Read the full storyCommentary: North Carolina Election Fraud Should Be a Wake-Up Call for the Left
by Jason Snead and Hans von Spakovsky Widespread fraud by a political operative working for a Republican is forcing a redo of the 2018 midterm race for North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. The news confirms just how vulnerable our elections are to voter fraud, and how profound the consequences can be. That should be the takeaway. Yet many on the left and in the media seem far more interested in spinning the situation for partisan gain than finding genuine solutions to the election insecurities that enabled this fraud in the first place. They focus on the fact that this is “Republican” voter fraud and accuse conservatives of “deafening” and hypocritical silence. They even refuse to call it “voter fraud” to avoid embarrassment after years of denying that voter fraud is a problem. These claims debase the political process. They are cynical, politically motivated, and miss the point entirely. Election integrity is about much more than partisan politics—it is about preserving faith in the democratic process itself. That’s why Heritage Foundation analysts were quick to condemn this instance of “Republican” voter fraud and called for an investigation, writing: “It is incumbent on conservatives and Republicans to resist the urge to circle…
Read the full storyNorth Carolina Lawmakers File Writ to Stop a Ruling Blocking Amendments Passed By Voters
State lawmakers have now filed a 32-page Writ of Supersedeas after a motion for a stay was rejected. A Writ of Supersedeas is a legal filing, similar to a stay of proceeding, which suspends a trial court’s judgment until an appeal is heard. “More than two million North Carolinians had their votes suppressed on critical issues of election integrity and the income tax cap for their families,” Speaker Moore said in a statement. “The Court of Appeals should reverse this outrageous decision as soon as possible to restore the people’s confidence that their voices matter and cannot be invalidated by a single judge who disagrees with their decision,” said Moore. On March 1, Superior Court Judge George Bryan Collins, Jr. ruled that two out of four state constitutional amendments passed by North Carolina voters in 2018 were illegal because the State Legislature was itself “illegal.” “An illegally constituted General Assembly does not represent the people of North Carolina and is therefore not empowered to pass legislation that would amend the state’s constitution,” Collins wrote in his ruling. “The trial court became perhaps the first court in the country to invalidate legislation based on the theory that a state’s legislative branch…
Read the full storySpecial Election Date Set for North Carolina 3rd Congressional District
The date has been set for the special election being held in the 3rd Congressional district of North Carolina. North Carolina’s Democratic Governor Roy Cooper issued a Writ of Election which set the date of July 9, 2019, for the special election. Absentee voting for the special general election will start May 24th. “People in eastern North Carolina need a voice in Congress,” Gov. Cooper said in a statement. “We’re moving ahead so they can choose their new representative quickly.” A primary date of April 30th and Absentee ballot voting for the primary is slated to start March 15th. If a primary runoff situation arises from July 9 election, the special general election will be pushed back to September 10, 2019. Candidates have until March 8th to file to run for the seat. The seat had been held for fourteen years by Republican Walter Jones who passed away February 10th. On January 2nd, Jones indicated that he would not be running again in 2020 and later that month it was announced he had entered into Hospice care. North Carolina Republican Party’s Vice Chairwoman Michele Nix was the first to file for the seat, but others are now lining up. State…
Read the full storyNorth Carolina Governor Signs Law to Keep Court of Appeals Seats at 15
North Carolina’s Democratic Governor signed a bill into law which will keep the state’s number of Court of Appeals judges at 15. “A strong and unbowed, independent judiciary that works as part of our system of checks and balances is critical to our democracy and freedom,” said Cooper in a brief statement. Roy Cooper signed off on Senate Bill 75, which repeals a 2017 law (S. L. 2017-7) which would have reduced the Court of Appeals judgeships beginning whenever a vacancy was created until 12 judges remained. “On or after January 1, 2017, whenever the seat of an incumbent judge becomes vacant prior to the expiration of the judge’s term due to the death, resignation, retirement, impeachment, or removal pursuant to G.S. 7A-374.2(8) of the incumbent judge, that seat is abolished until the total number of Court of Appeals seats is decreased to 12.” Senate Bill 75 passed quickly and almost unanimously through both sides of the General Assembly, save for a single ‘nay’ vote in the House. The bill was filed on the 18th and Governor Cooper signed it on the 27th. The first vacancy that would have reduced the appeals court was set to happen in late March.…
Read the full storyCommentary: GOP Senator Thom Tillis Flakes on Border Emergency
by CHQ Staff In an opinion piece posted Monday in The Washington Post, North Carolina’s Republican Senator Thom Tillis argued that President Trump’s declaration of an emergency on the southern border would set a precedent that could be used by future presidents to fund policy projects Congress rejects. Conservatives “should be thinking about whether they would accept the prospect of a President Bernie Sanders declaring a national emergency to implement parts of the radical Green New Deal; a President Elizabeth Warren declaring a national emergency to shut down banks and take over the nation’s financial institutions; or a President Cory Booker declaring a national emergency to restrict Second Amendment rights,” Tillis wrote according to reporting by Cathy Burke of NewsMax. “As a U.S. senator, I cannot justify providing the executive with more ways to bypass Congress. As a conservative, I cannot endorse a precedent that I know future left-wing presidents will exploit to advance radical policies that will erode economic and individual freedoms,” Tillis wrote in his op-ed. Tillis’s point would be worth debating if Democrats exhibited any signs of being constrained by the kind of constitutional limits upon which the Senator bases his argument. However, as we saw…
Read the full storyNorth Carolina Lawmakers File Motion to Block Ruling That Would Overturn New Constitutional Amendments
North Carolina state lawmakers have filed a motion to stay a ruling made this past week that invalidates two constitutional amendments passed by voters in 2018. The motion, filed by House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) and Senate Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R-Rockingham), calls into question the logic of the ruling, its impact on elections, election law, voting districts, and past laws such as budgets. “The precedent created by this decision casts doubt on even more laws and causes public confusion,” the motion says. Last Friday, Superior Court Judge George Bryan Collins, Jr. ruled that two out of four state constitutional amendments passed by North Carolina voters in 2018 were illegal because the State Legislature was itself “illegal.” “An illegally constituted General Assembly does not represent the people of North Carolina and is therefore not empowered to pass legislation that would amend the state’s constitution,” Collins wrote in his ruling. A press release by the office of Senator Phil Berger blasted Collin’s ruling. The press release states that Collins’s decision “tosses aside the will of more than two million voters” who cast a ballot for the voter ID amendment. The statement says the same disenfranchisement applies to those who cast a ballot…
Read the full storyNorth Carolina Deputy State Superintendent Headed for Florida Department of Education
Deputy State Superintendent Dr. Eric Hall is leaving the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) for a new job in Florida schools. Hall will be taking the role of Chancellor for Innovation at the Florida Department of Education in March. According to a press release by NCDPI, Hall’s new job includes overseeing the implementation of things such as “workforce and computer science education, expanding school choice and K-12 standards.” “Throughout his career, Dr. Hall has shown his dedication to student success and to using innovative strategies to spread that success in support of public schools,” said Florida Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran in the statement. “I thank Superintendent Johnson for his gracious support of Eric’s career and family and am happy to welcome Eric home to the Sunshine State.” “This is an unbelievable opportunity to continue to work at the state level,” said Dr. Hall. Hall said he was looking forward to working in Florida and that both Gov. DeSantis and Commissioner Corcoran have great ideas and a great vision for education in the state. “I think the thing I am most proud of is to be able to really work and build good, strong teams,” said Hall about…
Read the full storyNorth Carolina Governor’s State of State Address Includes More Spending, Medicaid Expansion, And Climate change
More state spending, an education bond, climate change, and the expansion of Medicaid are some of the highlights from North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s annual State of the State address. Gov. Cooper’s speech, which was broadcast on the his Facebook page, started by discussing the devastation Hurricane Florence caused the state and how “resilient” North Carolinians are. “First, we must be determined to help our state recover stronger and smarter than ever,” said Cooper. He went on to say that his administration is “determined to help North Carolinians recover, and we’re making progress.” But the governor’s words on storm recovery ring a bit hollow. While Cooper did talk at length about Hurricane Florence, once again Hurricane Matthew victims seem to be forgotten. The failings of the Cooper administration’s Hurricane Matthew efforts have even caught the attention of The New York Times, who noted that North Carolina was a “slow spender” when it came to the federal funds allotted for Matthew’s victims. As recently as last month, more problems arose with a recovery effort contract. Cooper’s speech segued from Hurricane Florence into climate change. “We’ve seen violent weather threaten every corner of our state, and scientists agree climate change is making…
Read the full storyMark Harris Announces He Won’t Seek Ninth Congressional Seat In New Election
Republican Mark Harris has announced he will not seek to file his candidacy to enter the North Carolina 9th Congressional District special election. Harris won the race by 905 votes and for all intents and purposes was the Congressman-elect. But for months, the 9th District race remained uncertified while state election investigators looked into an alleged absentee ballot harvesting operation involving a man hired by the Harris campaign named Mcrae Dowless. In a special statement from his campaign, Harris thanked those who supported him and cited his health as the main reason he would not enter the special election. “After consulting with my physicians, there are several things that my health situation requires as a result of the extremely serious condition that I faced in mid-January. One of those is a necessary surgery that is now scheduled for the last week in March,” wrote Harris in the statement. “Given my health situation, the need to regain full strength, and the timing of this surgery the last week of March, I have decided not to file in the new election for Congressional District 9,” Harris said. The statement went on to say that he would not be granting any interviews and…
Read the full storyNorth Carolina Superintendent of Schools Rolls Out ‘NC 2030’ Plan
Last week, North Carolina Superintendent of Schools Mark Johnson rolled out “NC 2030,” which is a plan to make the state the “best place to learn and teach by 2030.” “By 2030, North Carolina can be the best place to begin school, the best place to learn and the best place to teach,” Johnson said in a press release. “Today we present an ambitious but achievable plan to get there. Our educators are doing their part. It will take innovation and leadership to make it happen.” The NC 2030 plan will be measured by increasing activity in four areas: Expanding Pre-K opportunities for 4-year olds Fourth graders reading on grade level Students who, after graduation, are on track to their chosen, fulfilling career Recruits to education professions and educators remaining in N.C. public schools Increasing pre-k slots, reducing testing, increasing so-called ‘personalized’ learning, and an emphasis on “Career pathways” were included in the detailed list of Johnson’s legislative priorities. Missing from NC 2030 is the full discontinuation of the Common Core State Standards, which Johnson campaigned on in 2016. What Johnson does suggest is dismantling just the use of Common Core Math: Allow a working group of districts to opt out…
Read the full storyWith Surgical Precision, Judge’s Ruling Disenfranchises Millions of North Carolina Voters
Friday, a Wake County Superior Court judge’s ruling involving state constitutional amendments has left half of North Carolina’s voters disenfranchised. Superior Court Judge George Bryan Collins, Jr. ruled that two out of four state constitutional amendments passed by North Carolina voters in 2018 were illegal because the state legislature was itself ‘illegal’. “An illegally constituted General Assembly does not represent the people of North Carolina and is therefore not empowered to pass legislation that would amend the state’s constitution,” Collins wrote in his ruling. The suit Collins ruled on specifically only sought to invalidate only two of four passed amendments. The case was brought by the Southern Environment Law Center on behalf of the NC NAACP and an affiliated legal group called “Forward Justice.” According to state and federal records, Forward Justice only recently obtained 501(c)3 status had previously been named Southern Strategy Project and Southern Justice. “We are delighted that the acts of the previous majority, which came to power through the use of racially discriminatory maps, have been checked,” said Rev. Dr. T. Anthony Spearman of the NC NAACP. Responses from state leaders were swift, calling the ruling outrageous and a clear act of ‘judicial activism’. “We will…
Read the full storyNorth Carolina Attorney General Won’t Detail ‘Serious Concerns’ About Trump Border Declaration
North Carolina’s Attorney General Josh Stein has “serious concerns” about President Trump’s National Emergency Declaration – but his office won’t detail them. Stein won’t be entering into the 16 state coalition suing President Trump over the move. Instead, a statement from Stein was tweeted by the official North Carolina Department of Justice account that said he has “serious concerns” about the declaration and are reviewing it. .@JoshStein_ : "I have serious concerns about the legality of President Trump’s emergency declaration. We are reviewing the order, and in particular any effects on North Carolina military installations. We will not hesitate to take action if we conclude it is necessary.” — NC Attorney General (@NCAGO) February 19, 2019 Battleground State News reached out to the North Carolina Department of Justice (NCDOJ) for clarification on the Attorney General’s specific “serious concerns.” In our questions to the NCDOJ, we asked about the 31 active National Emergencies that have been declared since 1979. 10 of them were enacted under President Obama. Our research found no “serious concerns” lodged by Mr. Stein as a legislator or since taking office as Attorney General, so we asked for details of what his current “serious concerns” with the Trump…
Read the full storyOIG Report Finds FHFA Director Mel Watt of North Carolina Guilty of Sexual Misconduct
A report released by an Inspector General’s Office (OIG) has concluded that the Federal Housing and Finance Agency’s Director Luther Melvin “Mel” Watt is guilty of the sexual misconduct complaint filed against him. “We found that the FHF A Director violated Section 702 when he attempted to coerce or induce the PMO Manager to engage in a personal relationship with him by suggesting or implying he would use his official authority to assist her in attaining an executive position with FHFA,” the report says. “We find that there are no circumstances under which it would be appropriate for the head of FHFA to induce a subordinate female employee to meet with him alone, in his apartment, for a conversation in which he professes his attraction for that employee and holds out opportunities for the employee to serve in specific executive positions over which he exercises total control.” Mel Watt, a life-long Democrat, was appointed as Director of the Federal and Finance Agency (FHFA) in 2015 by former President Barack Obama. Prior to his appointment, Watt was a Congressman for North Carolina’s 12th district for 11 terms and spent two years as a senator in the state’s legislature. Watt has denied…
Read the full storyCongressman’s Passing Leaves Big Shoes to Fill in North Carolina’s 3rd District
The passing of Walter Jones (R-NC-03) has left some big shoes to fill for whoever runs for the seat. On Jan. 2nd, Jones had stated that he would not be running again in 2020 and later that month it was announced he had entered into Hospice care. Jones has apparently been battling with an undisclosed illness. “Congressman Jones was a man of the people,” said the statement released by his office. Jones, who spent fourteen years representing North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional district, was well-liked by his constituency and won his races by large margins when challenged. The 3rd Congressional is considered a solid ‘red’ or safe Republican district, but in the current political climate that could change. His successor will have a lot to live up to and likely a very crowded battle to fight. So far, the rumor mill in Raleigh has potentially a dozen or so Republicans jockeying to run for the seat. North Carolina Republican Party’s Vice Chairwoman Michele Nix was one of the first names to pop up and, in fact, she is running. Nix filed her statement of candidacy for the North Carolina 3rd Congressional seat with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) last Friday under…
Read the full storyAfter Missing Deadline, North Carolina Turns Over Smaller List of Voter Records
After missing a January deadline to turn in voter records requested in two subpoenas by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), North Carolina officials have turned over a smaller list of voter records. Upon missing the deadline, state lawmakers sent a letter to Attorney General Josh Stein urging his office’s compliance with the subpoenas. According to a letter sent by the Kim Strach, the Executive Director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE), voting records for just 789 individuals will be turned over. “Now, the Attorney General’s office has directed the State Board to acquire the records associated with 289 individuals who were previously registered in counties within the Eastern District,” Strach’s letter reads. “These records will be transmitted to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the Subpoenas. It is our understanding that this limited production is all that is required at this time.” The letter goes on to detail that the NCSBE will be pulling records from multiple counties in order to comply with the subpoenas. According to Strach’s letter, “two-thirds of the prior registrants were already inactive in 2017.” In addition to the 289 individuals, the letter also says that approximately 500 individuals statewide who resided…
Read the full storyFor North Carolina, The Border Wall Is a $2.5 Billion a Year State Emergency
President Trump has declared the nation’s southern border a national emergency after Democrats on Capitol Hill refused to negotiate on building the border wall. The cost of not building the wall for the country is high – both in actual dollars and in criminal activity. It’s also staggeringly high for the states, in particular, California and battleground states like North Carolina. For these states, the annual cost is in the billions. The financial burden on the taxpayer is enormous and spans every area of possible spending from healthcare to education. In 2017, it was reported by the Federation for Immigration Reform that approximately 12.5 million illegal aliens and 4.2 million children of illegal aliens were costing taxpayers just under $135 billion a year. The report puts the cost of states of Texas, New Mexico, California, and Arizona to patrol their portions of the border at $490,780,000 annually. According to the Federation For Immigration Reform’s report, illegal aliens were only contributing around $18.9 million to the tax base, which when subtracted from the $135 million cost, leaves taxpayers on the hook for around $116 million. That translates to approximately $8,075 per illegal alien and citizen child prior to taxes paid, or…
Read the full storyNorth Carolina Economic Report Highlights $150 Million Revenue Surplus, ‘Solid Employment and Wage Growth’
In the most recent N.C. Consensus Revenue Forecast, the Tarheel state boasts a revenue surplus of $150 million as well as “solid employment and wage growth.” “Results for the public and private sector are what really matter,” State House Speaker Tim Moore (R-District 111) said in a statement. “People are paying lower taxes in North Carolina and benefitting from a smart approach to state government and economic growth.” Highlights from the report: General Fund revenue is expected to increase by $1.7 billion and reach $25.8 billion by the end of FY 2020-21 Consistent, solid economic growth will continue throughout the upcoming biennium FY 2018-19 collections are expected to be above the budgeted amount by $150.8 million (0.6%) Stable, modest growth is expected to continue during the upcoming biennium General Fund revenue is forecast to increase by 2.2% over the amount collected in FY 2017-18 Employment should increase during both years of the 2019 biennium The state’s economy has made steady gains since the end of the Great Recession in 2009 by adding 75,000 to 95,000 jobs per year Strong sales tax growth; Partial credit is given to the June 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling (Wayfair) about online sales tax collection…
Read the full storyDemocrat Governor Roy Cooper On $15 Minimum Wage: ‘Admirable Goal’
North Carolina’s Democratic Governor Roy Cooper recently said that a $15 minimum wage is an ‘admirable goal’, however, wants to see “how high we can get it.” WRAL reported: Gov. Roy Cooper called Wednesday for an increase in North Carolina’s minimum wage and said it need not be the $15-an-hour phase-in many Democrats have called for. “We need to work with the General Assembly to see how high we can get it,” Cooper told WRAL News. “$15 is an admirable goal.” According to the WRAL report, Governor Cooper made these remarks “in a morning speech to the AFL-CIO and from a brief conversation with WRAL News afterward.” The report by WRAL also states that Cooper “endorsed, in broad strokes,” the AFL-CIO’s legislative priorities and that he said that the AFL-CIO’s priorities list “align with the mission” he has established. It’s unclear exactly what “mission” Cooper is referring to, however, a set of incremental wage hikes he appears to endorse combined with the tax hikes he has called for would likely torpedo the promises made in his “jobs plan.” “What we need is a leader with a laser focus on creating good paying jobs and lifting wages,” Cooper’s campaign website reads.…
Read the full storyToddler Dies After Drunk Driving Illegal Immigrant Smashes into Ambulance
by Will Racke A 3-year-old boy has died after the ambulance he was riding in was struck by a drunken illegal immigrant in North Carolina, police said Monday. Jose Duran Romero, 27, allegedly crashed his Honda Accord into the side of a Lifecare Ambulance in Winston Salem, N.C. early Sunday morning, reports the Charlotte News & Observer. A breathalyzer test administered two hours after the crash revealed Romero’s blood-alcohol content was 0.19 — more than twice the legal limit — according to Winston Salem police. The toddler had been in stable condition before the crash but suffered life-threatening injuries in the wreck, police Lt. Rick Newnum said Monday. Police did not have further information about why the boy, who has not been publicly identified, was being transported to the hospital. Police say Romero and his passenger, Andres Figueroa Leon, 33, attempted to run away after the crash. A witness prevented one of the men from leaving, while responding officers established a perimeter and caught the other man a few minutes later, Newnum said. Romero was initially held on $50,000 bail, which was revoked when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials placed an immigration detainer on him, reports the Daily…
Read the full storyNew General Counsel Named By North Carolina Speaker Of The House
On Tuesday, North Carolina Speaker of the House Tim Moore announced the addition to his legal staff of Neal Inman has General Counsel. “We are fortunate to retain Neal as our General Counsel to ensure we have another successful session serving the people of North Carolina,” said Speaker Moore in a press statement. We are fortunate to retain Neal Inman as our General Counsel this session advising House leaders on complex legal questions. Neal has earned the trust of legislators with his work ethic and impressive command of state law & constitutional matters. https://t.co/ucTZkdDp2B #ncpol — Speaker Tim Moore (@NCHouseSpeaker) February 11, 2019 Inman had worked with Representative David Lewis (R-District 53) as House Rules Committee Counsel between 2017 and 2018. “Neal played a vital role as Rules Committee Counsel advising House leaders on complex legal questions and litigation,” Moore said in a press release. “He has earned the trust of legislators with his work ethic and impressive command of state law and constitutional matters.” Inman, who received his law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law, also worked as an Associate General Counsel for former Governor Pat McCrory. Included in the press statement was the transition…
Read the full storyGovernor Cooper Bypasses More Experienced Justices for Democrat Black Female Justice to Fill Chief Justice Spot
North Carolina’s Democratic Governor Roy Cooper has bucked the tradition of elevating the next most experienced associate justice to be the interim Chief Justice of the state’s Supreme Court in favor of a black female associate justice from his own party. Cooper announced on Tuesday that he has chosen to put Associate Justice Cheri Beasley into Chief Justice spot that is being vacated by the current Chief Justice Mark Martin. In doing so, Cooper, in fact, bypassed not one, but two current Associate Justices with far more experience on the high court. Today, Gov. Cooper named Associate Justice Cheri Beasley as Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. https://t.co/whIZkVFh7a pic.twitter.com/b4DHroboik — Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) February 12, 2019 Beasley will be the first black female Chief Justice on North Carolina’s Supreme Court and will begin her duties on March 1. North Carolina’s only other black chief justice was Henry Frye (1991-2001), but three women have served as Chief Justice in the state: Rhoda Billings, Sarah Parker, and Susie Sharp. Lorna Lockwood in Arizona was the first woman in the country to serve as chief justice of a state supreme court in two one-year long terms during 1965 and 1970.…
Read the full storyNorth Carolina State House Democrats File Progressive Agenda ‘Wish List’ Bill
North Carolina State House Representatives Pricey Harrison (D-D61) and Susan Fisher (D-D114) filed a bill on Monday that contains a progressive agenda wish list of tax reform rollbacks and social justice inspired mandates. House Bill 46, is titled the “Economic Security Act of 2019,” and includes items such as barring public employers from looking into the criminal history of an applicant and increasing the minimum wage. Here is what the bill seeks to do: Increase the minimum wage to $15 over 5 years statewide; no distinction is made for public or private and the raises would happen on Labor Day each year. “Mandate” equal pay for equal work regardless of experience or education. Require mandatory paid sick leave and family medical leave Increase the ‘tipped’ minimum wage. End “wage theft.” “Ban The Box” or which is removing the checkbox indicating a criminal record on employment applications. Bar public employers from looking into the criminal history of an applicant until a ‘conditional’ offer is made. Remove the ban on unions for public employees in the state Reinstate the earned tax credit. Reinstate the old child care tax credit and old employment expense tax credits. The majority of the bill appears to…
Read the full storyConstitutionalist, Pro-Life, and Pro-Military: North Carolina Congressman Walter Jones Passes Away at 76
On Sunday, February 10th, Congressman Walter B. Jones (Republican, NC-3) passed away. He leaves behind his wife, JoAnn, and his daughter Ashley. Jones was 76 years old. “Congressman Jones was a man of the people,” said the statement released by his office. With a kind heart and the courage of his convictions, he dedicated his life to serving his Savior and to standing up for Americans who needed a voice. https://t.co/JqP0wk3ECi — Rep. Walter Jones (@RepWalterJones) February 10, 2019 The statement continued: “He was a champion for our men and women in uniform and their families, always mindful of their service and sacrifice. “Congressman Jones will long be remembered for his honesty, faith and integrity. He was never afraid to take a principled stand. He was known for his independence, and widely admired across the political spectrum. Some may not have agreed with him, but all recognized that he did what he thought was right. He will be sorely missed.” On January 2nd, Jones had stated that he would not be running again in 2020 and later that month it was announced he had entered into Hospice care. Jones has apparently been battling with an undisclosed illness. Walter Jones attended…
Read the full storyICE To NC Sheriff’s Refusing Illegal Alien Detainers: Raids Will Be The ‘New Normal’
The Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) announced they will be stepping up raids on illegal aliens in North Carolina. According to WBTV, ICE Atlanta field office Director Sean Gallagher said that sheriff’s in the areas with policies allowing illegal aliens to go free without notifying ICE should consider these raids to be the ‘new normal’. Recent raids by ICE in the Raleigh-Durham area has netted close to 200 arrests. WBTV reported that the recent raids include 50 suspects with criminal convictions, 40 suspects with pending criminal charges, and 50 who were previously deported but had re-entered the U.S. illegally. The increased activity by ICE in the Tarheel state is a direct response to response to sheriff’s from Durham, Orange, Wake, and Mecklenburg counties refusing to comply with the 287g Program which requires placing detainers on illegal aliens who are arrested. “Residents should expect a more visible ICE presence in the Raleigh-Durham area,” said ICE’s Gallagher. “ICE will now have no choice but to conduct more at large arrests in local neighborhoods and at work sites, which will inevitably result in additional collateral arrests instead of arrests at the jail where enforcement is safer for…
Read the full storyNorth Carolina Lt. Governor Lambasts NY, VA Infanticide Bills: ‘A Brutal, Horrible Death’, and ‘Democrats Should Be Ashamed’
In a radio interview, North Carolina’s Lt. Governor Dan Forest spoke truth to power about the Democrat push of bills in New York and Virginia which remove all limits on abortion and open the door to infanticide. Forest, who has started a gubernatorial exploratory committee, told K.C. O’Dea on O’Dea’s morning radio show that all limits on abortion are being ‘thrown out the window’ by the Democrats. “They are completely fearless on this issue now,” said the Lt. Governor. “What was their term? It was going to be ‘ rare and safe and legal’ and whatever? They don’t care about that at all. They’ve thrown that all of those things out the window.” “They took everything off… all limits off. Basically, if the mother’s having a bad day and doesn’t feel like having that baby up to the very last second right before it’s born, they can kill it,” said Forest. “And that’s a brutal, horrible death.” The Lt. Governor Forest slammed the Democrats for pointing to science but ignoring that science shows a baby feels pain very early in its development. Forest also described the process and that Democrats should be ashamed. “Inject poison into the baby’s brain and…
Read the full storyNorth Carolina Leaked Commission Email: It’s Not False to Call Police ‘Home-Grown Terrorists’
Charlotte City Councilwoman LaWana Mayfield, who called police “home-grown terrorists,” was notified by Governor Cooper’s office on Wednesday that she is off the North Carolina’s Human Relations Commission (HRC). A short letter was sent to Mayfield from William McKinney, Cooper’s Chief Legal Counsel informing the councilwoman that her appointment was rescinded immediately so that the commission could do its work “without distraction.” “Spox for Gov. Cooper: The Governor values law enforcement and recognizes that more must be done to build meaningful respect and understanding between law enforcement and communities,” tweeted Joe Bruno, a reporter with WSOC9. But the problems with Roy Cooper’s appointments to the HRC aren’t ending with Mayfield. In an email leaked exclusively to Battleground State News, a member of North Carolina’s HRC says that fellow Commissioner LaWana Mayfield isn’t wrong to call police “home-grown terrorists.” The HRC is tasked by state statute with the promotion of “understanding, respect, and goodwill among all citizens.” The email discusses calls for Governor Cooper to reconsider LaWana Mayfield’s appointment to the HRC due to her past comments where she called police officers “home-grown terrorists.” The calls for Mayfield’s removal are “partisan-bullying attack for a statement that no one is calling false regarding…
Read the full storyNorth Carolina’s 9th Congressional District Still Undecided, Hearing Set for February 19
New members of the North Carolina State Board of Elections are now in place, but the state’s 9th Congressional District winner has still not been made official. A winner may be named soon, as the newly appointed North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) members announced they will hold a hearing on the 9th Congressional issue on Monday, February 18th. The new NCSBE members, which were confirmed by the state legislature, are Stella Anderson (D), David Black (R), Jeff Carmon III (D), Bob Cordle (D), and Ken Raymond (R). The NC Republican Party had originally put forth the names of Colonel Francis Deluca, Eldon ‘Buck’ Newton III, Stacy Eggers IV, and Edwin Woodhouse, Jr. Governor Cooper said that two of the NC GOP’s picks, Deluca and Newton, needed to be disqualified due to engaging in electioneering within a 48-month window of their nomination. Governor Cooper’s original list included Democrats Greg Flynn and Valerie Johnson. Both were disqualified for the same reason Cooper had used to removed two Republican candidates – electioneering. Democrats Bill Bell and Jeff Carmon replaced Flynn and Johnson. NEW: Yesterday NCDP was notified two of their nominees are not eligible to serve on the new NCSBE– Valerie…
Read the full storyLGBT Group, ACLU Applaud North Carolina DMV Update to ‘Gender Designation Change Form’
The ACLU of North Carolina and the LGBT rights group, Equality NC, are applauding changes made to a form used to change one’s gender assignment on a North Carolina driver’s license. The revised form now allows for a long list of professionals to complete the form regarding their opinion on the “applicant’s gender identity.” “We applaud this step the DMV has taken to modernize the process to update gender markers on driver’s licenses,” said Sarah Gillooly, Director of Political Strategy & Advocacy for the ACLU of North Carolina in a press release. “People of all genders shouldn’t have to face invasive questioning and surgical requirements just to have their government identification reflect their true identity. Trans men are men and trans women are women — period,” said Equality NC Executive Director Kendra R. Johnson in the ACLU press release. There is no state or federal law mandating such a change process. Patrice Bethea, a Public Communications officer with the North Carolina Department of Transportation said in an email to Battleground State News that the change was made because the “DMV periodically reviews policies and procedures to make sure they are consistent with federal law.” “North Carolina’s policy is similar to…
Read the full storyCharlotte, NC Councilwoman LaWana Mayfield Uses Race in Response to Local Paper Critical of Her Appointment to Sensitive Commission
Democrat Charlotte City Councilwoman LaWana Mayfield took to Twitter on Monday to counter the criticism by the editorial board of the Charlotte Observer of her appointment to a sensitive commission. In December 2018, Mayfield was appointed to the Human Rights Commission by Democratic Governor Roy Cooper. The Charlotte Observer’s Editorial Board published an Op-Ed critical of the appointment due to Mayfield’s checkered and controversial statements regarding law enforcement and for promoting 9/11 conspiracy theories on her Facebook page. “Mayfield’s appointment sends another troubling message. It normalizes the kind of inflammatory rhetoric that increasingly pollutes public discourse. It says you’re fine saying destructive things so long as you’re on our team,” the Charlotte Observer article read. The Charlotte Observer piece ends with saying that “Cooper should give this appointment another look, instead of looking the other way.” Mayfield’s response to the paper on Twitter arguably underscored the point of the Charlotte Observer’s Op-ed: So interesting, I don't remember outrage regarding the Blatant Bias exhibited by Non-African Americans. Thank You for letting US know what YOU really support #CharlotteObserver #AttemptingToSilenceTheONLYVotingBlackFemale #TheyMadBecauseITalkAboutIt #WellIAmMadThatTHEYWont https://t.co/5q0jm8nQ9f — LaWana Mayfield (@lawanamayfield) February 4, 2019 Since being elected to the Charlotte City Council, Mayfield has made numerous controversial comments.…
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