CCDP Weekly News Digest

February 13, 2023

 

Important Dates to Remember

 

February 13, 5:30 p.m. – Chatham County Board of Education Meeting (George Moses Horton Middle School Multipurpose Room, Pittsboro. Agenda: online here.

February 16 – CCDP Executive Committee Meeting

February 20, 6 p.m. – Chatham County Board of Commissioners Meeting

February 25 - March 11 – Annual Precinct Meetings

March 20 – Chatham County Board of Commissioners Meeting

April 15 – Annual CCDP County Convention

 

For more upcoming events and details, visit: https://www.ccdpnc.org/calendar-of-events 

 

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NCDP Elections

 

North Carolina Democrats elected a new leadership team Saturday at the NCDP State Executive Committee meeting. Details below:

 

From NCDP:

NCDP Elects New Party Chair, Announces 2023-2025 Party Leadership

Today, at the semi-annual State Executive Committee (SEC) Meeting of the North Carolina Democratic Party, North Carolina Democrats elected Anderson Clayton to serve as state party chair.

“I want to thank my fellow SEC members and North Carolina Democrats across the state for trusting me to lead our party as we prepare for the 2023 and 2024 elections,” said Chair Anderson Clayton. “I ran for Chair because I believe that we can build a brighter future for NCDP from the ground up, and I can’t wait to get to work.” 

“With so much at stake in 2023 and 2024, we are proud to have Anderson lead the NCDP team,” said NCDP Interim Executive Director Lillian Taylor. “We look forward to getting back to work with Democrats across the state to strengthen our party infrastructure and elect candidates who will stand up for our shared values.” 

North Carolina Democrats also elected a diverse leadership team: 

• Jonah Garson, First Vice-Chair

• Dr. Kimberly Hardy, Second Vice-Chair

• Elijah King, Third Vice-Chair

• Melvin Williams, Secretary

Related Media Coverage:

 

The Assembly NC: Tangled Up in Blue (Profile of new NCDP Chair Anderson Clayton)

WRAL: NC Democratic Party Ousts Richardson, Shakes Up Party Leadership

Raleigh News & Observer: Opinion -- After String of Losses, Some NC Democrats Are Seeking a New Direction

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Other Local Events

 

Tuesday, February 28, 7 p.m.

“Addressing Gun Violence in North Carolina”

Zoom Event

Sponsored by Fearrington Democratic Club 

 

The Fearrington Democratic Club's meeting on Tuesday, February 28 at 7 p.m. will focus on “Addressing Gun Violence in North Carolina.” The speaker will be Marcia Morey, NC State Representative, former District Court Chief Judge in Durham, and a leading advocate of red flag laws and other measures to reduce gun violence in our state. There will also be a representative from Moms Demand Action with information from that group related to increasing gun safety. This event will be live streamed on Zoom.  To request the link to register for the Zoom, please use the contact form on the Club’s website https://www.fearringtondems.org/our-club/contact-us by 5 p.m. on the day of the event (and sooner is better). 

 

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News from the North Carolina Democratic Party

 

This week’s news releases:

NCDP Statement Ahead of President Biden’s State of the Union Address

Ahead of President Biden’s State of the Union address, North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Bobbie Richardson released the following statement:

“In two years, President Biden and Democrats have helped our economy recover from crisis and are laying the foundation for strong and stable growth – creating 12 million jobs, getting folks back to work with the lowest unemployment since 1969, and empowering a record 10.5 million new small businesses to open their doors. 

“President Biden’s legislative accomplishments have made it possible for thousands of new clean energy jobs to come to North Carolina and take us into a made-in-America future, invested in critical projects like the Alligator River Bridge on the Carolina coast, increased the affordability of high-speed internet to nearly 600,000 families, and will save North Carolinians an estimated $25 million in out-of-pocket health care costs.

“While Democrats are making progress toward rebuilding the middle class, securing a more prosperous future for North Carolina families, and building a stronger union, Republicans are pushing an extreme agenda that leaves families behind and tears apart our democracy.” 

This Week’s Point/Counterpoint:

POINT: Transitioning to clean energy infrastructure will kill NC jobs and the economy. 

COUNTERPOINT: As North Carolina and the nation transitions into clean energy, Democratic leaders such as President Biden and Governor Cooper are determined on revitalizing the economy. Recently, Cooper welcomed an EV manufacturer set to create 300 jobs and invest $41 million in the NC economy (WRAL). Also, President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, will create another 100,000 jobs investing in climate change combatting solutions to energy, infrastructure, and our future (Bloomberg News). There is a future in which a healthy climate and healthy economy can exist. 

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News from Neighbors on Call

NCGA Summary

By Thursday, over 100 bills had been filed in the NCGA. These included:

• LGBTQ Rights

  • A revival of the controversial “parents’ bill of rights” similar to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which would ban discussion of “gender identity, sexual activity or sexuality” in classrooms up to the 4th grade level and require schools to inform parents if children want to change their pronouns.

  • A ban on gender-affirming treatment for minors that would penalize health care providers who try “to facilitate the minor's desire to present or appear in a manner that is inconsistent with the minor's sex.”

• Voting Rights

  • A constitutional amendment to remove the literacy test from the NC Constitution, filed by a group of bipartisan lawmakers after NC Senate Leader Phil Berger told reporters the offensive provision should be removed.

• Health Care Policy

  • A bill filed by NC Senate Republicans to repeal NC’s Certificate of Need law governing new health care facilities that could affect negotiations between NC Senate and House Republicans over Medicaid expansion

  • A revival of a bill legalizing medical marijuana

• Education Policy

  • A bill that would award a $9 million education technology contract without issuing a request for proposals (RFP)

• Economic Policy

  • A bill that would require businesses to compensate customers if they cancel their appointment on short notice

• Criminal Justice

  • An identical bill to the “anti-rioting” bill vetoed by Governor Cooper in 2011, which is now co-sponsored by a Democratic state representative who signaled willingness to join Republicans in a veto override.

  • Two bills loosening gun regulations: one to allow concealed carry on school properties being used for religious services and another to repeal the requirement to obtain a permit from the local sheriff’s office before purchasing a handgun.

Fair Representation

• On Friday the NC Supreme Court agreed to rehear two important cases – a redistricting case and a voter ID case – only recently decided by the court. With a new Republican majority, it is likely that the court will reverse their decisions in Harper v. Hall (the previous court ruled that extreme partisan gerrymanders violated the NC Constitution) and the case governing 2018’s voter ID law, which the court had ruled unconstitutional because it unequally harms Black voters. The two Democratic justices on the court, Anita Earls and Michael Morgan, both spoke up with objections to the court’s decision to rehear recently decided cases, highlighting the unprecedented nature of such a move.

Voting Rights 

• On Thursday the NC Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that would determine when people convicted of a felony are allowed to vote again. Before last year’s elections, a lower court ruled that formerly incarcerated people serving probation or parole (or still paying off court fees) for a felony conviction could vote, but the new Republican majority on the NC Supreme Court is likely to restrict voting rights of people with felony convictions.

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Selected News and Opinion Stories of Note

The Assembly NC: The Vote Wrangler (Profile of NC Democratic House Leader Robert Reives)

PBS North Carolina: Celebrating Black History Month

Carolina Public Press: Providers Say Legislature’s Proposed ‘Transgender’ Bills Will Hurt LGBTQ Youth, Disrupt Care

EdNC: Schools Provide a Safe Haven for Many Students. Would the Parents’ Bill of Rights Change That?

Chapelboro.com: North Carolina Senate Oks Limits on LGBTQ School Instruction

Chatham News + Record: Water Quality Activists React to Town’s Vote to Seek Litigation Against PFAS Manufacturers

Chatham News + Record: Here’s What You Need to Know About Pittsboro’s PFAS Lawsuit

Chatham News + Record: Addressing the Racial Wealth Gap – WEBB Squared: Equity Needed in Entrepreneurship

Chatham News + Record: Chatham Education Advocates Push Back Against ‘Parents Bill of Rights’

Chatham News + Record: Growth in Pittsboro Prompts Voting Precinct Splits

Carolina Public Press: Carolina Public Press Publishes NC Connection Findings

Carolina Public Press: CPP Research Shows Age, Ethnic, Geographic Patterns to News Access in Rural NC

Carolina Public Press: Remember the State’s Carbon Plan? Here’s How Duke Energy Plans to Address It

Chapelboro.com: Bill Raising Riot Penalties in North Carolina Clears House