"Some people can walk into a dimly-lit, high-end lounge and buy their weed from someone wearing gloves to open a glass case, and some people have to sit in prison. Cannabis reform and decriminalization are imperative, but prioritizing gentrified, high-end dispensaries is a step in the wrong direction."
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According to unofficial results, Republicans flipped two seats in the N.C. House and two in the N.C. Senate, meaning they would fall one seat short of a supermajority in the state House. This means that Republican lawmakers in the General Assembly will not be able to override a veto from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. Republicans needed 72 to gain this veto-proof power but only appeared to win 71 out of 120, falling short of the three-fifths margin for a supermajority. In the state senate, Republicans appeared to win 30 seats out of 50.
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Over 75 of North Carolina’s counties are rural, with 2.2 million rural voters making up the second-highest segment of the state’s electorate after suburban voters as of 2020.
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N.C. Rep. Graig Meyer (D-Caswell, Orange) and Republican Landon Woods are running for the North Carolina Senate District 23 seat, which includes Person, Caswell and Orange counties. The seat is being vacated by N.C. Sen. Valerie Foushee (D-Chatham, Orange), who is running for U.S. Congress. Meyer said he avidly supports helping people deal with student debt, as well as reducing carbon emissions, reproductive freedom and expanding voting access. Woods said individuals should take steps forward in the climate fight, rather than large companies. His platform also mentions prison reform.
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"This is the problem. Democrats' don't do. They’ve taken up this somewhat “preventative” rhetoric. They emphasize all of the things they will prevent Republicans from doing (further restricting abortion access is an especially prominent example in this current election cycle). Telling voters all of the things you won’t let happen isn’t good campaigning. It's impassive and a scare tactic."
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"The Editorial Board, composed of eighteen graduate and undergraduate students, has made its endorsements for the upcoming midterm elections."
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"Clarence Thomas went rogue in his concurrence and called for a rollback of several fundamental rights, despite the majority’s claim that no other precedents were at risk because of the Dobbs decision. His concurrence has a lot to do with substantive due process as it relates to the due process clause of the 14th Amendment."
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North Carolinians' access to abortion could be further restricted if anti-abortion legislators are elected to the state's General Assembly in the upcoming midterm elections. Republican legislators need three seats in the state House of Representatives and two seats in the state Senate to gain a supermajority in each chamber.
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Although the North Carolina U.S. Senate race may be drawing the most attention, the 2022 midterm elections will also determine control of the North Carolina General Assembly and, potentially, the future of abortion access in North Carolina.
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Crisis Pregnancy Centers provide emotional support programs to individuals struggling with the decision to either continue or terminate a pregnancy. They also provide free distribution of supplies like diapers, baby formula, strollers, clothes and breast pumps. They do not, however, provide abortions.
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The number of out-of-state patients seeking abortion care in North Carolina has more than tripled after southern states continue to restrict abortion access. N.C. organizations are making an effort to educate and open abortion access to all despite location or cost.
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This month, the Anti-Defamation League issued a report analyzing membership data on the Oath Keepers, a far-right group that was involved with the United States Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The report found that 1,180 North Carolinians have been members — three of them being elected officials. The Oath Keepers are one of the largest far-right anti-government groups in the United States, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
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Both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly reconvened on Sept. 20 for a three-day procedural session, in which they'll discuss unfinished business, general orders and vetoed bills from the governor. The session begins amid a backdrop of the upcoming midterm election on Nov. 8 and debates over Medicaid and student loan forgiveness.
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Recent events in Chapel Hill, including a forceful student arrest on Franklin Street, have left some residents wondering about Alcohol Law Enforcement's purpose, power and presence – especially in a college town. ALE enforces the state’s alcoholic beverage control, lottery and tobacco laws. Its mission, according to its website, is to “reduce crime and enhance public safety."
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The NCSBE voted unanimously on Aug. 16 to approve restrictions on the conduct of precinct officials and poll observers at voting locations. This vote was bipartisan, with three Democrats and two Republicans on the board supporting the limitations. However, these restrictions were later rejected by the North Carolina Rules Review Commission.
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A racially gerrymandered legislature cannot propose amendments to the North Carolina Constitution, according to an Aug. 19 ruling from the N.C. Supreme Court. The case, NAACP v. Moore, was decided by a 4-3 vote along party lines. The decision stems from a U.S. District Court decision in 2016, which said that North Carolina’s state district maps were illegally racially gerrymandered.
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N.C. Rep. Graig Meyer, D-Orange, Caswell, said the surplus came from a couple different sources including federal assistance during the pandemic and sales tax from online purchasing. The sales tax has only been in effect since 2018 and revenue from the tax increased during the COVID-19 pandemic as more people shopped at home, he said.
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Mike Danforth is one of many North Carolinians who have lost their lives because they lack insurance. A 2019 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research estimated that 350 people die in North Carolina annually because they cannot access health care. “It was, to me, akin to murder,” Danforth's morther Leslie Boyd said.
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"Our male friends arrive and hop into the conversation. When we explain what we’re discussing, one nods, saying he heard about the news a couple days ago. Which is impossible, of course, because it just happened that day."
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Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to ban assault weapons, such as AR-15s and other semi-automatic firearms. However, the legislation is widely expected to get struck down in the U.S. Senate.
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