RALEIGH – Republican lawmakers are taking the extreme move to change the state constitution because they’re afraid of the blue wave that’s headed for North Carolina.
While the public has to vote on decreasing ballot box access, threatening our state’s economic future, and rigging our judicial system, legislative Republicans refuse to let the voters decide on much-needed school funding.
Why are Republicans pushing these constitutional amendments? They’re terrified of November:
GOP lawmakers are resurrecting their unconstitutional “monster” voter suppression bill piece by piece. It started with a constitutional amendment requiring voters to show ID at the polls, followed by a proposal to cut early voting days and eliminate the popular final Saturday of early voting. They won’t even tell voters the details of their voter suppression amendment, instead saying, “trust us.”
Republicans even threw out an amendment that would force the General Assembly to wait until the next General Assembly is gaveled in before filling in the details of the amendment. Translation: watch out for a special lame-duck session in December after Republicans get swallowed by a blue wave.
Republicans are trying to rig our courts and further limit Governor Cooper’s power by proposing a constitutional amendment that will let lawmakers influence who fills judicial vacancies. It’s no secret why lawmakers want to choose the judges who rule on their laws (hint: they keep losing). N&O:
Sen. Newton: “We are trying to drive our state toward a merit-based judicial selection process”
GOP lawmakers want to set our state up for failure by capping the state income tax with a constitutional amendment. With the income tax capped, future lawmakers will be forced to increase sales taxes in the case of a recession or emergency – hitting low-income individuals the hardest.
“It’s bad for business. It’s bad for the economy. It’s bad for the citizens of North Carolina.”
– Bruce Nelson, former CEO of Office Depot
“The one thing I’ve learned about business is you never know what the future is going to be… Putting a cap on our state income tax handicaps our legislators in the future to addressing what might pop up.” – Eric Henry, Burlington apparel firm T.S. Designs
While North Carolina Republicans have defended the Trump Administration’s decision to separate children from their parents at the border of our country and the president’s charged term that immigrants “infest” America…
…Governor Cooper took a stand against the inhumane and cruel policy, calling back members of our state’s National Guard at the border.
Two weeks ago, Republicans hosted Corey Lewandowski as headliner for their state convention. NC GOP Executive Director Dallas Woodhouse stood with him proudly.
This week, while discussing on national television a young girl who was detained and separated from her mom at the border, even though her father is a legal US resident, Lewandowski responded to the story with a “womp womp”:
Again, this was the man NC GOP courted and was proud to have headline their convention. The company you keep…
NCDP Chairman Wayne Goodwin traveled to nine more counties this past week on the Rural NC Listening Tour. Goodwin spoke with voters in Cumberland, Bladen, Duplin, Sampson, Robeson, Scotland, Richmond, Union, and Anson counties about the kitchen table issues that impact them the most – well-paying jobs, affordable healthcare, quality public education, and access to the ballot box.
According to a new report, Republican policies have reversed health care gains for rural North Carolinians, raised premiums, and threatened key components of the rural health care system. Six rural hospitals have closed or declared bankruptcy in North Carolina, all but one of which are represented by Republicans:
- Morehead Memorial Hospital (HD65, Rep. Jones; SD26, Senate Leader Berger)
- Davie Medical Center – Mocksville (HD79, Rep. Howard; SD34, Sen. Barrett)
- Yadkin Valley Community Hospital (HD73, Rep. Zachary; SD31, Sen. Krawiec)
- Vidant Pungo Hospital (HD6, Rep. Boswell; SD1, Sen. Cook)
- Blowing Rock Hospital (HD93, Jonathan Jordan; SD45, Sen. Ballard)
- Our Community Hospital (HD27, Rep. Wray; SD4, Sen. Fitch, Jr.)
Meanwhile, NCGA Republicans continue to block Medicaid expansion in our state, refusing to even study the effects of expansion. WRAL:
Republicans have their head so far in the sand that they think even a common delay tactic like setting up a commission to study the effects of a bill is a step too far. Expanding Medicaid will be voters #1 issue this fall, yet this ideologically-extreme GOP won’t even debate its merits because they’re afraid of what they’ll find out.
Republican Senator Norm Sanderson openly objectified several high school age women visiting the legislature this week, saying:
“If you continue to recruit young ladies like (those sitting in) the front row, you’re not gonna have any trouble recruiting young men. We’ll have more farmers than we know what to do with.”
– Sen. Norm Sanderson
He says his sexist comments were intended to express his “admiration and respect for these young women.” No one’s buying it, Norm.
The Trump Administration finalized health insurance rules that expand the use of plans with fewer consumer protections provided under the ACA. This is just their latest attempt to sabotage health care for millions of Americans by undermining the Affordable Care Act.
On constitutional amendments…
WRAL:
“In the next few days – with little discussion and even less input from the state’s citizens – the legislature may shove as many as a half-dozen constitutional amendments for voters to consider when they go to the polls. It is foolishly impetuous, needlessly rushed and nakedly partisan… Vote no against any proposed constitutional amendment and while you are at it, reject the legislators responsible for putting them on the ballot. November cannot come soon enough.”
On changing early voting hours…
News & Record:
“Republicans in the General Assembly have been thrusting and parrying with voting options since they took control of lawmaking. Like their court-rejected approaches to redistricting and voter ID laws, they want to reduce the opportunities for voters they deem not to be Republicans. If you fear you can’t win fair and square, you change the rules, it would seem.”
Daily Reflector:
“Given the legislature’s history of trying to limit opportunities to vote — including earlier ill-fated attempts to shorten the early voting period, end same-day registration and require photo identification — and its penchant for extreme partisan gerrymandering, we suspect the revisions are a roundabout way to handicap early voting. This is most clearly demonstrated by the revisions’ elimination of the last Saturday of the current early voting period. More people per hour on tend to vote on this day than most other days during early voting.”
Fayetteville Observer:
“Different place, same tricks. Whether it’s with gerrymandering or with voting rules, the Republican majority in the General Assembly remains committed to doing everything it can to cut the Democratic vote, even if that means resorting to racial discrimination. It’s no wonder so few African Americans are interested in joining the GOP.”
On failure to study Medicaid expansion…
N&O:
“…the Senate’s decision to kick the can down the road is discouraging. As the Senate dawdles, rural hospitals struggle, many teetering on the edge of survival, hoping that they can get paid for the indigent care they provide but wishing also that the adults in the legislature would adopt a more responsible approach for making decisions.”
Fayetteville Observer:
“…a House measure that would have studied a limited Medicaid expansion was quickly shot dead when it arrived in the Senate. Until that changes, we’ll continue to see high rates of children in foster care and we’ll continue to watch helplessly as addicted residents die, leaving their children as wards of the state — at considerable cost to the taxpayers.”
Star News:
“…just one day after it was presented, the Senate Health Committee dutifully hacked the study amendment from the bill. Senators say they want to do their own studying on waste, fraud and abuse in Medicaid and figure out how to nickel-and-dime the system some more. Of course, your massive state tax cuts can go a little toward your rising health insurance bill. And rural areas of our state will continue to lose health-care providers, including hospitals.”
WRAL:
“Legislative leaders can obfuscate all they want. There are strong economic, social and moral reasons to expand Medicaid. There are no reasons other than ideological nonsense not to. Our current crop of legislative leaders and their “think tank” partners regularly shame, blame and disregard low income citizens. Then they do their best to make it harder for them to vote.”
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