Author Topic: North Carolina  (Read 35355 times)

Crafty_Dog

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DougMacG

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Re: North Carolina GOP censures Sen. Burr
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2021, 10:16:53 AM »
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/north-carolina-republican-censure-burr-over-trump-impeachment

That seems right to me.  He made the wrong vote.  Good to see that the party cares.  Too bad to be divided, but that was the Democrat plan for the impeachment and it succeeded.

Crafty_Dog

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Crafty_Dog

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GRNC Legal Action
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2021, 11:00:12 AM »

Crafty_Dog

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Crafty_Dog

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ccp

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Re: North Carolina
« Reply #7 on: April 07, 2021, 08:18:29 AM »
Not really clear about charges against Gaetz
except had sex with wiling sugar daddy seeking 17 yo

which to me while caddy
I don't quite see as crime

so if she was months older it is ok?

I like Gaetz's politics but I was tired of hearing him ramble @ 200 miles per hr on the Fox shows

He did not really say much we didn't already know.............


Crafty_Dog

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North Carolina Militia Law
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2021, 05:47:14 AM »
file:///C:/Users/craft/Downloads/chapter_127a.pdf

G M

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DougMacG

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Crafty_Dog

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Re: North Carolina
« Reply #11 on: April 16, 2021, 07:21:46 AM »
How on earth could they have gotten into the country?

Crafty_Dog

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Re: North Carolina
« Reply #12 on: April 16, 2021, 08:55:59 AM »
Got my Harley running yesterday for the first time since arriving in NC!


Crafty_Dog

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Re: North Carolina
« Reply #14 on: April 20, 2021, 06:57:08 PM »
House Committee Passes Purchase Permit Repeal

Thanks to Reps. Jay Adams, Hugh Blackwell, Keith Kidwell, and George Cleveland, today the NC House Judiciary 4 Committee passed H398, a full repeal of North Carolina’s Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permit (PPP) law – a law which not only allows some urban sheriffs to obstruct people from buying handguns for self-protection, but to this day also disproportionally denies minorities the ability to buy handguns for self-defense.

Not only are Republicans on board with repealing the racist law, but now the NC Sheriffs’ Association has joined them in supporting repeal. And who does that leave still supporting racist gun control? Democrats.

Said GRNC president Paul Valone: “We are encouraged to see that the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association now agrees to bring gun purchases in North Carolina into the 21st Century by eliminating our Jim Crow-era permit system and requiring background checks at the point of sale. Given that a recent UNC School of Law paper found that in Wake County, black applicants are being denied permits three times more often than whites, it is clear that racism in issuing permits continues to this day. Consequently, we are calling upon Democrat legislators to join in repealing this racist law.”

Presuming the PPP repeal passes the General Assembly, anti-gun Democrat Governor Roy Cooper will certainly veto it. Because Republicans don’t have the 6/10 majority in either chamber that is required to over-ride Cooper’s veto, at least some Democrats will have to vote to over-ride.

Will Democrats do the right thing, or will they be the only ones left clinging to racist gun control? Please note that this message goes to Republicans. Very soon, we will issue another alert with a message for Democrats.

Crafty_Dog

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Re: North Carolina
« Reply #15 on: April 21, 2021, 10:26:04 AM »
Because of your kind $2 donation to the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association (NCSA) through your county firearm permit application, NCSA provides you with up-to-date information on gun laws and firearms purchasing laws that affect you as a North Carolina citizen.

House Bill 559


On April 15, 2021, House Bill 559, Repeal Pistol Purchase Permit Requirement, was introduced at the North Carolina General Assembly. If enacted into law, House Bill 559 would allow for the purchase of a pistol in the State of North Carolina without a Pistol Purchase Permit.

If enacted into law, House Bill 559 would also eliminate the requirement of a Pistol Purchase Permit for pistols sold, given away, transferred, purchased, or received after the date the bill becomes law.

The North Carolina Sheriffs' Association is closely monitoring this important legislation as well as all bills affecting criminal justice and law enforcement in North Carolina. The goal of the NCSA is to support all legislation that protects our North Carolina communities and promotes safety. We will continue to update you on House Bill 559 along with any other legislation that affects gun laws on the State and federal levels and within the court system.

Crafty_Dog

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Gov Cooper to lift restrictions on June 1
« Reply #16 on: April 21, 2021, 02:00:35 PM »
Good news! Governor Cooper announced today that by June 1st he will lift many of the mandatory social distancing, capacity, and mass gathering restrictions that he initiated over a year ago, citing increased vaccination rates and COVID infection rate stabilization. The Governor said he plans to issue an executive order next week providing details. Read the press release below:

Governor Cooper Outlines Timeline for Lifting State’s COVID-19 Restrictions. As vaccinations continue and trends stabilize, NC will lift mandatory social distancing, capacity, and mass gathering restrictions by June 1.

Raleigh - Apr 21, 2021

Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. laid out a timeline for lifting current pandemic restrictions today. With stable trends and continued vaccination success, the state expects to lift mandatory social distancing, capacity, and mass gathering restrictions by June 1. The Governor plans to issue an executive order next week outlining safety restrictions for the month of May.

“Each shot in an arm is a step closer to putting this pandemic in the rearview mirror,” said Governor Cooper. “North Carolinians have shown up for each other throughout this entire pandemic and we need to keep up that commitment by getting our vaccines.”

North Carolina continues to focus on distributing vaccines quickly and equitably. This fast and fair approach to getting shots in arms is the best way to beat this pandemic, protect one another, boost the economy and make it possible for restrictions to be lifted.

To date, the state has administered over 6.5 million vaccines. 46.9 percent of adults are at least partially vaccinated, and 35.1 percent are fully vaccinated. More than 76 percent of people 65 and older have had at least one shot.

With vaccine now widely available across the state – often with no wait for an appointment, all North Carolinians 16 and older can plan to take their shot. The state anticipates lifting the mask mandate and easing other public health recommendations, once two thirds of adult North Carolinians have received at least one vaccine dose and if trends remain stable.
“We are at an exciting moment. We now have enough vaccine for everyone,” said Secretary Cohen. “If you are 16 and older, it is your turn to join the more than 3.6 million North Carolinians who have already taken their first shot. It’s up to you to get us to the two thirds goal as quickly as possible so we can live with this virus and begin to put this pandemic behind us.”

Gov. Cooper and Sec. Cohen urged North Carolinians continue to get vaccinated and exercise good judgment even when restrictions are lifted. Businesses should continue to follow voluntary health recommendations and North Carolinians should continue to take safety measures in order to boost the economy, keep children in schools and protect each other.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released statistics indicating that North Carolina is among the states with the fewest deaths and fewest job losses per capita.

State health officials are continuing to monitor the presence of COVID-19 and its more contagious variants in North Carolina, which is why it is important to continue to follow the state’s mask mandate and continue to practice safety precautions, including the Three Ws—wear a mask, wait 6 feet apart, and wash hands often.

###

Crafty_Dog

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Re: North Carolina
« Reply #17 on: April 25, 2021, 07:04:19 AM »
Yesterday, we asked you to contact Republicans. Today, we focus on Democrats. Because anti-gun Governor Roy Cooper will almost certainly veto the bill, we need Democrat votes to over-ride the veto. The good news is that if Democrats are honest about wanting to stop racism, the fact that the purchase permit law is not only racist in history, but in its current application should motivate them to repeal it.

Background
Thanks to Reps. Jay Adams, Hugh Blackwell, Keith Kidwell, and George Cleveland, on Tuesday the NC House Judiciary 4 Committee passed H398, a full repeal of North Carolina’s Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permit (PPP) law – a law which not only allows some urban sheriffs to obstruct people from buying handguns for self-protection, but to this day also disproportionally denies minorities the ability to buy handguns for self-defense.

Not only are Republicans on board with repealing the racist law, but now the NC Sheriffs’ Association has joined them in supporting repeal. And who does that leave still supporting racist gun control? Democrats.

What’s next?
Presuming the PPP repeal passes the General Assembly, anti-gun Democrat Governor Roy Cooper will certainly veto it. Because Republicans don’t have the 6/10 majority in either chamber that is required to over-ride Cooper’s veto, at least some Democrats will have to vote to over-ride.

Will Democrats do the right thing, or will they be the only ones left clinging to racist gun control?

==================

EMAIL THE FOLLOWING NC HOUSE DEMOCRATS:
Brian.Farkas@ncleg.gov; Ricky.Hurtado@ncleg.gov; Abe.Jones@ncleg.gov; Ashton.Clemmons@ncleg.gov; Linda.Cooper-Suggs@ncleg.gov; Terence.Everitt@ncleg.gov; Julie.vonHaefen@ncleg.gov; Joe.John@ncleg.gov; Rachel.Hunt@ncleg.gov; Brandon.Lofton@ncleg.gov; Wesley.Harris@ncleg.gov;
THANK THESE COURAGEOUS BILL SPONSORS:  These guys have been hearing nastiness from gun ban advocates. Let’s give them some attaboys.

Jay.Adams@ncleg.gov; Keith.Kidwell@ncleg.gov; George.Cleveland@ncleg.gov; Bobby.Hanig@ncleg.gov; Edward.Goodwin@ncleg.gov; Jeffrey.McNeely@ncleg.gov; Larry.Pittman@ncleg.gov

THANK YOUR SHERIFF: The NC Sheriffs’ Association now supports repeal of the purchase permit law. Please thank your sheriff (unless you live in Wake County) for supporting the repeal. You can find contact info for your sheriff at: https://ncsheriffs.org/sheriffs
« Last Edit: April 25, 2021, 07:06:06 AM by Crafty_Dog »



DougMacG

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North Carolina Lt Gov Mark Robinson
« Reply #20 on: April 29, 2021, 07:09:42 AM »
Get to know this guy.

North Carolina Lt Gov Mark Robinson interviewed by Hugh Hewitt this am,  Podcast:

https://omny.fm/shows/hugh-hewitt-podcast/30-mark-robinson-lt-governor-of-north-carolina

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Robinson_(American_politician)

The Greensboro City Council speech April 3rd 2018 on gun rights that went viral and launched his career:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIwf3d7hP9g

I don't see a teleprompter.   )


Crafty_Dog

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Re: North Carolina
« Reply #21 on: April 29, 2021, 07:20:37 AM »
Yes, I remember that Greensboro speech!

I will keep an eye out for him-- I'm guessing he has some sort of official governmental website-- if I can find it I will sign up for his mailing list


Crafty_Dog

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Re: North Carolina
« Reply #22 on: April 29, 2021, 07:35:35 AM »

Crafty_Dog

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Re: North Carolina
« Reply #23 on: May 07, 2021, 03:38:19 PM »
The NC House had a tremendously productive week as we approach crossover on May 13th, passing dozens of bills, all of which have been sent to the NC Senate, awaiting further actions. The Governor signed one bill into law and has a few sitting on his desk, pending signature.

Of the items passed by the NC House over the past two weeks' sessions, bills driving these two weeks included:

HJR 233: Application for a Convention of the States
Applies to the U.S. Congress for a Convention of the States in order to propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution to impose fiscal restraints, to limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and to limit terms of office.
Passed with a 60-57 vote in the NC House and sent to the NC Senate, awaiting action.

HJR 286: Urge Congress/Propose "Keep Nine" Amendment
Urges the U.S. Congress to maintain nine justices on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Passed with a 68-44 vote in the NC House and sent to the NC Senate, awaiting action.

HB 398: Pistol Purchase Permit Repeal
Repeals the requirement to obtain a pistol purchase permit from the sheriff prior to the purchase or transfer of a pistol.
Passed with a 69-48 vote in the NC House and sent to the NC Senate, awaiting action.

HB 453: Human Life Nondiscrimination Act/No Eugenics
Prohibits individuals from performing an abortion unless a physician has confirmed the abortion is not being sought because of the actual or presumed race or sex of the unborn child or the presence or presumed presence of Down Syndrome.
Passed with a 67-42 vote in the NC House and sent to the NC Senate, awaiting action.

HB 755: Academic Transparency
Requires public school units to display information about instructional materials used in the prior school year by June 30 annually.
Passed with a 66-50 vote in the NC House and sent to the NC Senate, awaiting action.

HJR 330: Federal Authority Regarding Elections
Expresses the General Assembly's opposition to any federal action infringing upon the State's Constitutional authority to manage, control, and administer elections.
Passed with a 67-50 vote in the NC House and sent to the NC Senate, awaiting action.

HB 486: Replace EOC with National Assessment
Requires a nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness to replace the high school end-of-course tests (EOCs).
Eliminates the required ACT WorkKeys for career and technical education students.
Requires all changes related to testing be implemented during the 2023-2024 school year.
Passed with a 77-39 vote in the NC House and sent to the NC Senate, awaiting action.

HB 605: Voters Right to Know Act
Requires the State Board of Elections to develop and display voter education information on the placard at the entrance to each voting place during hours the site is open for voting.
Further requires NCSBE to provide the public with information on election laws via a webpage with a list of frequently asked questions and answers on voting and a toll-free telephone number for voters to call with questions.
Passed with a 119-0 vote in the NC House and sent to the NC Senate, awaiting action.

SB 115: Kickoff College Sports Act
Authorizes public and private university stadiums to operate at 100% capacity in Cumberland, Durham, Forsyth, Guilford, Harnett, Jackson, Mecklenburg, Orange, Pasquotank, Pitt, Robeson, Wake, and Watauga Counties.
Passed with a 77-42 vote in the NC House and sent to the NC Senate, awaiting concurrence.
Note: This is a local act and therefore is NOT subject to gubernatorial veto.

Signed into law by the Governor over the past two weeks:

HB 582: Confirm Governor's Special Sup Ct Judges
HB 156: Unclaimed Prop. Div. Amend./DMV Tech Chngs-AB
HB 279: COVID-19 Related Tax Chngs/UI Tech Correct
SB 212: Bennett College Accredit./Private Need-Based

Pending the Governor's signature:

HB 142: UNC Building Reserves/Certain Projects
HB 217: Utilities Comm'n Tech. and Add'l Changes
SB 390: UNC Law Enforcement Recruitment


ccp

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Carolina Reaper is not the very hottest pepper on Earth
« Reply #25 on: June 03, 2021, 03:11:33 PM »
but close

PEPPER X

is even more dangerous!

also developed by Ed Currie (yes that is his name ) who  also developed the Carolina Pepper:

https://storage.googleapis.com/titlemax-media/93b9cf67-peppers-ranked-by-scoville-heat-units-3_85per.png

This guy is an assassin!

ccp

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start at the 3 minute mark
« Reply #26 on: June 03, 2021, 04:34:00 PM »
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2Poab7MJQI

next time progressives down conservatives at family get to togethers
consider they try a bit of sauce
 :wink:


Crafty_Dog

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Crafty_Dog

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Re: North Carolina
« Reply #29 on: July 10, 2021, 10:35:30 AM »
This Week in North Carolina History: Cornerstone Laid at State Capitol, 1833

On July 4, 1833, builders laid the cornerstone of the State Capitol on Union Square. The ceremony officially kicked off construction that would last for seven years and cost $532,000, a massive sum for the era.

The Capitol that stands today was not the first in Raleigh. The original Capitol building, completed in 1794, burned in 1831.Several architects contributed to the neoclassical design of the current building, including Ithiel Town, Alexander Jackson Davis, William Nichols Jr., and William Strickland. Scottish-born David Paton ultimately supervised much of the construction, though he was dismissed before the project was completed. The exterior walls are built of granite quarried in southeastern Raleigh and hauled to the site on the horse-drawn Experimental Railroad, the state’s first railway.

The Capitol housed all of North Carolina’s state government until 1888, when the Supreme Court Building, now the Labor Building, was completed across Edenton Street. The General Assembly left the Capitol and moved into the State Legislative Building in 1963.

The building became a National Historic Landmark in 1973. The Capitol is now one of 27 state historic sites and is open to the public for tours.

Photo: The Capitol circa 1861. Image from the State Archives.

Crafty_Dog

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ccp

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Re: North Carolina
« Reply #31 on: July 15, 2021, 02:22:57 PM »
NC "river monster"

Crafty_Dog

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Crafty_Dog

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Re: North Carolina
« Reply #34 on: August 30, 2021, 06:23:56 PM »

‘Gov. Jim Crow’ vetoes purchase permit repeal


Despite Jim Crow origins of NC purchase permit law,

Gov. Roy Cooper vetoes repeal


[Raleigh] Governor Roy Cooper today vetoed House Bill 398 to repeal North Carolina’s Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permit system.



Filed in March in response to requests from Grass Roots North Carolina, HB 398 would repeal the 1919 purchase permit law which was used to deny guns to blacks in the early 20th Century1, 2, 3 and has recently been abused by some urban sheriffs to obstruct issuance of purchase permits to qualified applicants.



Cooper’s veto comes despite widespread debate over the racist origins of the law which, according to an article in UNC’s North Carolina Law Review, is being used to discriminate against black permit applicants even to this day.2



Cooper also ignored the North Carolina Sheriff’s Association, which testified in support of repeal, stating that improved reporting of mental health information by clerks of court for gun purchase background checks has rendered the permit system “duplicative.”4



“Governor Jim Crow”?



The veto is leading to an increasing number of observers to note that cries of racism by the governor’s party ring false, earning Cooper the sobriquet, in many quarters, of “Governor Jim Crow.”



Said GRNC president Paul Valone:



“By vetoing House Bill 398 to repeal our Jim Crow-era pistol purchase system, Governor Roy Cooper has made it clear he places political posturing above actually taking action to eradicate racism. He has also shown that he doesn’t care about the thousands of North Carolinians who, amid civil unrest and “defund police” measures, have decided to buy guns to defend their families but are being obstructed by urban sheriffs who violate the law by delaying permits.



“Most ironic is Cooper’s claim that he vetoed the bill due to increasing ‘gun violence’ when, in truth, violent crime had been declining for decades until his own party caused urban homicide rates to skyrocket. Grass Roots North Carolina will be doing its dead level best to over-ride Cooper’s veto while showing the people of North Carolina exactly who their governor really is.”



Background



When Wake County Sheriff Gerald Baker stopped issuing purchase permits, claiming COVID as rationale, GRNC filed two lawsuits, ultimately resulting in a settlement requiring Baker to issue permits as required by state law which requires permits be issued to qualified applicants within 14 days.



But Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden is also delaying permits for as long as six months, provoking yet another GRNC lawsuit filed in early August. Similar problems are also being reported in Guilford and Buncombe counties.



Under North Carolina law, no citizen can legally purchase a handgun without either a purchase permit or a concealed handgun permit, issuance of which is also being obstructed by the sheriffs in question, effectively denying self-protection to thousands of new gun buyers reacting to national riots and defunding of police departments.



Racist purchase permit history



North Carolina’s purchase permit law was passed in 1919, after Missouri passed a similar law in response to 1917 East St. Louis race riots. Detailing the racist history of gun control, scholars David B. Kopel and Clayton Cramer have written on the racist roots of the North Carolina permit law, with Cramer theorizing that its vague “good moral character” requirement was, like other Jim Crow laws, actually doublespeak for race of the applicant.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Founded in 1994, Grass Roots North Carolina is an all-volunteer 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to preserving individual liberties guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights with emphasis on the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.





References:

Kopel, David B., The Samurai, The Mountie, and The Cowboy: Should America Adopt the Gun Controls of Other Democracies? 1992, Cato Institute, Prometheus Books. Pages 337-339 contain excellent documentation of the racist application of gun laws in North Carolina, up to and including the 1960s civil rights movement when Governor Terry Sanford refused to command state police to protect a civil rights march from attacks by the Ku Klux Klan until John Salter, a professor at Tougaloo College and NAACP organizer, warned Sanford that absent police, marchers would be armed for self-defense.
Cramer, Clayton E., “The Racist Roots of Gun Control,” Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy, Winter, 1995 available at: https://constitution.org/1-Constitution/cmt/cramer/racist_roots.htm
Cramer, Clayton E., “North Carolina's Permit to Purchase Law: The Rumble Seat of Gun Control Laws?” April 4, 2016, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2759091 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2759091
Nicholas Gallo, “Misfire: How the North Carolina Pistol Purchase Permit System Misses the Mark of Constitutional Muster and Effectiveness,” 99 N.C. L. Rev. 529, 2021, Available at: https://scholarship.law.unc.edu/nclr/vol99/iss2/7
 

Crafty_Dog

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Anti CRT bill goes to Gov.
« Reply #35 on: September 02, 2021, 01:48:20 AM »
Bill to curb racial teaching goes to North Carolina governor

BY BRYAN ANDERSON ASSOCIATED PRESS/REPORT FOR AMERICA RALEIGH, N.C. | North Carolina Republicans sent a bill Wednesday to the state’s Democratic governor that would limit how teachers can discuss certain racial concepts in the classroom.

The measure aims to prohibit teachers from compelling their students to personally adopt any of 13 beliefs, but does little to nothing to prevent any of the more than 500 alleged cases of “indoctrination” that were included in a task force report that GOP Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson released last month.

Even so, Republican leaders insist the bill will hold teachers accountable by shedding light on questionable classroom activities.

“This bill does not change what history can or cannot be taught. No spin or innuendo changes that. … It simply prevents schools from endorsing discriminatory concepts,” state Rep. John Torbett, Gaston County Republican, said during a floor debate.

Mr. Torbett’s chamber gave the measure final legislative approval by signing off on changes the Senate made that increase the number of prohibited ideas, clarify that teachers can still discuss those concepts so long as they do not promote them and would require public school units to inform the Department of Public Instruction and post information on its website upon request a month before providing instruction on the 13 prohibited concepts.

The latest version of the plan passed the Republican-controlled House by a 61-41 vote.

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper previously has criticized the measure, accusing Republicans of “injecting calculated, conspiracy-laden politics into public education.”

Mr. Cooper is likely to veto the bill, and Republicans would almost assuredly lack the Democratic votes they’d need to override the governor’s decision. Critics view the bill as part of a calculated political strategy Republicans are employing in more than two dozen states to boost voter enthusiasm heading into the 2022 and 2024 elections. Democrats, education groups and racial justice organizations also see the GOP effort as a solution to a problem that does not exist in the state. The months-long GOP effort to unearth cases of improper teachings appears to have yielded no clear examples of circumstances that House Bill 324 would prevent, as Republicans were unable at a committee hearing and news conference last week to point to a single case that would have violated the proposed law.

“Who is doing this? Where are you getting this info? It’s a boogeyman,” said state Rep. Abe Jones, Wake Democrat. “I’d like to see a film or picture of someone standing before a group of students in North Carolina in classrooms and teaching what’s in those 13 parts.”

Still, Mr. Robinson’s task force report did highlight instances of educators accused of giving preferential treatment to pupils who agree with their racial views and teachers offering questionable class assignments, including a book called “George” about a transgender child coming to terms with gender identity and a handout that mentions former President Donald Trump in a sentence describing the term “xenophobia.”

Some Republicans associate indoctrination with the promotion of any of 13 views the bill outlines, while other party leaders like the state’s lieutenant governor have a more expansive view of the term and believe the report unquestionably proves systemic failures within the state’s public education system.

ccp

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2 partisan democrat judges strike down voter id law - it's get this: "RACIST"
« Reply #36 on: September 18, 2021, 12:54:25 PM »
". Defendants, including North Carolina House Speaker Timothy Moore, failed to show that racial discrimination was not a substantial or motivating factor behind enactment of the law, Superior Court Judges Michael O’Foghludha and Vince Rozier Jr., both Democrats, wrote in a 102-page ruling permanently blocking the measure."

WAIT A SECOND.  ISN'T THIS DEMOCRAT ASS BACKWARDS?
Why do defendants have to "prove" this was not racially motived?
Can plaintiffs prove it was ?
Again black people are not able to get voter IDs because they cannot get off their asses and get one?  Is that what the thesis is here?

https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_breakingnews/north-carolina-judges-strike-down-voter-id-law-claiming-its-racist_4003810.html?utm_source=News&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=breaking-2021-09-18-1&mktids=3bf6720f9d820bdf89b3e9f7f2ad5864&est=OolTYQQ%2F8%2BO8o7LuiUvCp9Ari%2FbuCCuYPie2IHq9VnDWMWrHcPekZME%2BV88%3D
Modify message
Report to moderator    24.186.88.236
« Last Edit: September 18, 2021, 05:24:06 PM by ccp »

Crafty_Dog

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Re: North Carolina
« Reply #37 on: September 18, 2021, 04:15:03 PM »
Fk.



Crafty_Dog

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Re: North Carolina
« Reply #40 on: September 23, 2021, 01:52:34 PM »
Because of your kind $2 donation to the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association (NCSA) through your county firearm permit application, NCSA provides you with up-to-date information on gun laws and firearms purchasing laws that affect you as a North Carolina citizen.
As a general rule, for a bill to be successful during any legislative session it must meet the “crossover” deadline. Making crossover means a bill receives a majority vote in one chamber and is sent to the other chamber for consideration by a certain date set by the General Assembly. This year the crossover deadline was May 13.

There are a few notable exceptions to the crossover requirement which would allow a bill to stay alive after crossover. For example, if a bill contains any funding component or is related to elections, it does not have to make crossover and can be voted on at any time during the session. Additionally, a bill which makes crossover can be amended to add the language of a bill that did not make crossover before it is called for a final vote.

The following House and Senate bills were considered by the General Assembly this session and most of them made crossover. Only two of the bills as noted below have been vetoed by the Governor Roy Cooper this session and only one did not make crossover. Any bill that made crossover may be considered at any point during the two-year session extending into 2022.       

HOUSE BILL 47, Elected Officials Concealed Carry, would authorize all elected officials (including those appointed to an elective office) with concealed handgun permits to carry a concealed handgun while performing their official duties in areas where these individuals are currently prohibited by statute from doing so (such as State buildings and local confinement facilities). If enacted into law, a county commissioner could, for example, lawfully carry a concealed handgun into a courthouse or courtroom to evaluate the condition of the county building while it is in operation, or to do anything else that could be characterized as falling within the county commissioner’s official duties.

HOUSE BILL 48/SENATE BILL 134, Concealed Carry/Emergency Medical Personnel, would allow emergency medical services personnel to carry a concealed handgun while on duty only if they are deployed to provide tactical medical assistance to a law enforcement Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team during an emergency situation.

The bill would require the emergency medical personnel to first obtain specialized training before carrying a concealed handgun in this scenario, which would include training on firearms safety, use of firearms systems and use of deadly force.

HOUSE BILL 49, Concealed Carry Permit Lapse/Revise Law, would require a sheriff to waive the requirement to take a firearms safety and training course upon the renewal of a concealed handgun permit if the person applies to renew the permit no more than 60 days after the permit expires. Currently, a sheriff has the discretion to waive the firearms safety and training course if the person applies for a renewal within 60 days of the expiration date of the concealed handgun permit.

In addition, if the permittee applies to renew a concealed handgun permit between 61 days and 180 days after expiration, the bill would also require the sheriff to waive the requirement of taking another full firearms safety and training course if the permittee completes a “refresher” course on the laws and provides proof of completion to the sheriff. The bill does not define what is meant by a “refresher” course.

Finally, the bill does not create a grace period for an expired concealed handgun permit. Therefore, a person would still be prohibited from carrying a concealed handgun once the permit has expired, and until such time as the sheriff renews the permit.

HOUSE BILL 134, 2nd Amendment Protection Act, would allow anyone with a concealed handgun permit to carry a concealed handgun on the premises of a place of religious worship when the place of worship is also located on the grounds of a nonpublic school only when the premises is NOT being used for school or school activities.   

The bill would clarify that property owned by a local board of education or a county commission would not be considered a place of religious worship. In addition, the bill would not authorize the carrying of a concealed handgun on the property of an institution of higher education (such as a public college, university or community college) or a nonpublic postsecondary educational institution (such as a private college or university).

In addition, the bill would also clearly define school operating hours as any time when the following occur: (1) the premises are being used for curricular or extracurricular activities; (2) the premises are being used for educational, instructional, or school-sponsored activities; or (3) the premises are being used for programs for minors by entities not affiliated with the religious institution.

Finally, the bill would allow emergency medical personnel that receive specialized training to carry a concealed handgun while on duty only if they are deployed to provide tactical medical assistance for law enforcement during a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) operation.

HOUSE BILL 145, Property Protection Act/DVPO, would authorize a qualified licensed firearms dealer to take custody of surrendered firearms and ammunition from the sheriff if the defendant is the owner of the items and the items have been in the custody of the sheriff for at least 15 days. A qualified licensed firearms dealer would mean an FFL who operates a business in a commercial building located in the State that is open to the public, who regularly engages in the purchase and sale of firearms with members of the public.

The bill specifies that in the event the surrendered firearms and ammunition are sold by the sheriff or the qualified licensed firearms dealer, the defendant is entitled to the sale proceeds, less any costs associated with the sale and any storage fees owed to the sheriff or qualified licensed firearms dealer.

HOUSE BILL 194, Federal Court Official/Concealed Carry, would add to the categories of individuals currently allowed to carry concealed weapons under G.S. § 14-269(b) (such as law enforcement officers, district attorneys and district and superior court judges) the following individuals: federal judges, including federal magistrate judges, and United States attorneys or United States assistant attorneys.

The bill would authorize these individuals to carry a concealed handgun in areas such as State courthouses so long as the individual has a valid concealed handgun permit and the individual secures the weapon in a locked compartment when the weapon is not on the person of the federal judge or United States attorney.

HOUSE BILL 200, Lifetime Concealed Handgun Permit, did not make crossover. However, significant discussions about the bill’s provisions have taken place between bill sponsors and other members. Therefore, there is a possibility that an amended version of this bill may still appear later in another bill prior to adjournment.

This bill would provide for two types of concealed handgun permits: (1) a fixed duration permit, valid for five years from the date of issuance, which is subject to the same requirements under current permitting laws; and (2) a lifetime permit, which would be valid until revoked or surrendered.

A lifetime permit would be required to bear a clear indication of its lifetime status on the face of the permit. Additionally, sheriffs would be required to maintain a list of permit holders that includes identifying information that indicates whether the permit is a fixed duration or lifetime permit. Sheriffs would be required to make this list available upon request to all State and local law enforcement agencies.

HOUSE BILL 234, Assault LEO/Require Destruction of Firearm, would authorize a judge, upon the filing of a motion by a district attorney for disposal of a firearm that is no longer needed as evidence in a criminal trial, to order the firearm destroyed if the firearm was used in committing an assault against a law enforcement officer or any other offense that resulted in serious bodily injury or death to the victim.

Currently, upon the filing of such a motion by the district attorney, the court must order the firearm destroyed if the firearm does not contain a unique identification number or if the firearm is unsafe.

Finally, the bill is entitled “Assault LEO/Require Destruction of Firearm.” However, if enacted into law as written, the bill would still authorize a judge to return the firearm to a rightful owner (i.e. “innocent” owner) if the person establishes they are the rightful owner of the firearm and that the person was unlawfully deprived of the firearm or had no knowledge or reasonable belief of the defendant's intention to use the firearm unlawfully.

HOUSE BILL 386, Sunny Point Rail ROW Firearm Discharge Ban, makes it unlawful to discharge a firearm, or to attempt to discharge a firearm, from, on, across, or over the right-of-way of the United States Department of Defense Strategic Rail Corridor Network connecting the Leland rail interchange yard with the Military Ocean Terminal at Sunny Point, North Carolina.

A violation of this provision is a Class 3 misdemeanor and is enforceable by law enforcement officers of the Wildlife Resources Commission, by sheriffs and deputy sheriffs, by sworn civilian police officers for the Military Ocean Terminal at Sunny Point, and by other peace officers with general subject matter jurisdiction.

This bill only applies to Brunswick County. Since the bill applies to fewer than 15 counties, it is considered a local bill and therefore does not require the signature of the Governor to become law. This local bill became law when approved by the General Assembly and has an effective date of October 1, 2021 and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.

HOUSE BILL 398, Pistol Purchase Permit Repeal, would eliminate the requirement of obtaining a pistol purchase permit to sell, give away, transfer, purchase, or receive a pistol in this State. Currently, a pistol purchase permit issued by the sheriff is required to sell, give away, transfer, purchase, or receive a pistol in North Carolina.

This bill passed the House and Senate but was vetoed by Governor Roy Cooper.

HOUSE BILL 483, Pistol Permit/Mental Health Record to Sheriff, would eliminate the current requirement that the applicant for a pistol purchase permit provide the sheriff with a signed and notarized release for mental health orders. The bill would also clarify that, upon request by the sheriff in writing, any holder of a mental health order (such as clerks of court or medical facilities) must provide such court orders directly to the sheriff.

The bill would also require the pistol purchase permit application to contain a written warning to the applicant that is substantially as follows: “By filing this permit application, I understand that I am giving the sheriff the authority to obtain all criminal and mental health court orders required by State and federal law to determine permit eligibility."

Lastly, the bill would create the new criminal offense of “Misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.” It would be a Class A1 misdemeanor to use or attempt to use physical force, or to threaten the use of a deadly weapon, against a person when the perpetrator of the crime is one of the following: (1) a current or former spouse, parent, or guardian of the victim; (2) a person with whom the victim shares a child in common; (3) a person who is cohabitating with or has cohabitated with the victim as a spouse, parent, or guardian; or (4) a person similarly situated to a spouse, parent, or guardian of the victim.

SENATE BILL 43, Protect Religious Meeting Places, would allow anyone with a concealed handgun permit to carry a concealed handgun on the premises of a place of religious worship when the place of worship is also located on school grounds. The bill specifies that the carrying of a concealed handgun on the premises of school grounds would only be allowed when the premises is NOT being used for curricular, extracurricular or any school-sponsored activities (such as on weekends or during holidays) if the person carrying the concealed handgun possesses a valid North Carolina concealed handgun permit.

The bill clarifies that a school may prohibit the carrying of a concealed handgun on the premises of school grounds, even when school is not in session, by posting a conspicuous notice that states the carrying of a concealed handgun is prohibited.

This bill passed the House and Senate but was vetoed by Governor Roy Cooper.

SENATE BILL 233, Modify Fox/Coyote Taking for Certain Counties, would add Guilford, Harnett, Onslow, and Randolph counties to the list of those counties where there is an open season for the taking of foxes with weapons and for the taking of foxes and coyotes by trapping during the trapping season set by the Wildlife Resources Commission.   

The bill would remove Cumberland County from the list of other counties where the above hunting provisions currently apply to the taking and trapping of foxes and coyotes. 

If you would like to continue to support the efforts of the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association, please click here to make an additional $2 donation.

Crafty_Dog

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WSJ: Scorched Earth Judging in North Carolina
« Reply #41 on: October 04, 2021, 05:14:59 AM »

OPINION  REVIEW & OUTLOOK
Scorched-Earth Judging in North Carolina
A liberal state Supreme Court gambit threatens political legitimacy.
By The Editorial Board
Oct. 3, 2021 5:11 pm ET


Donald Trump tried to overturn at least three state elections in 2020. But liberal groups in North Carolina are trying to overturn or sidestep four separate elections in that state from 2018 and 2020. Unlike the U.S. Supreme Court in 2020, a filing last week suggests North Carolina’s Supreme Court is willing to entertain the political revanchists’ claims.


The scorched-earth politics at work are elaborate, so bear with us. The two elections immediately under fire are a 2018 state referendum capping North Carolina’s income tax at 7% and another referendum requiring photo identification for in-person voting in the state.

North Carolina’s constitutional amendment process requires a three-fifths majority of the Legislature to put a measure on the ballot, and then for the public to ratify it in a referendum. The Republican Legislature placed the tax and voting amendments on the ballot in 2018, and voters approved them by about 15 and 11 percentage points, respectively.

Liberal groups want to throw out those decisive outcomes, and their sweeping claim extends beyond the 2018 election. It’s that the entire Legislature of America’s ninth largest state was essentially illegitimate for the better part of a decade due to gerrymandering. Federal litigation forced North Carolina to redraw its 2011 legislative maps in 2017.

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Therefore, the plaintiffs argue in NC NAACP v. Moore, the Republican Legislature should not have been able to put the measures on the ballot, rendering both of the voters’ verdicts void. A North Carolina lower-court judge agreed. But he was reversed by a state appellate court, which balked at the notion of retroactively stripping an elected Legislature of its powers and nullifying referenda, no matter the outcome of litigation over district boundaries.

The shenanigans don’t end there. The case is now before the seven-member North Carolina Supreme Court, which is closely divided along partisan lines. The three Republicans include Tamara Barringer and Phil Berger, who were elected in 2020. That’s where the next layer of electoral subversion comes in.


The plaintiffs this July filed a motion for the two justices elected in 2020 to be removed from the case. The pretext is that Justice Barringer served in the North Carolina state Legislature when the constitutional amendments were passed, and Justice Berger’s father is a GOP legislative leader and therefore named as a defendant as a stand-in for the state.

Yet the public and the press were well aware of this high-profile case and the justices’ backgrounds when they were elected in 2020. Past service as a legislator is not normally disqualifying from hearing cases related to legislation passed during that service, and removing a judge at a “court of last resort” requires a higher burden since that judge can’t be replaced.

One of the liberal justices, Anita Earls, litigated extensively against North Carolina’s 2011 maps before she was elected to the Supreme Court in 2018. Yet Justice Earls’ removal is not sought because a liberal majority to overturn the two constitutional amendments would depend on her vote.

Recusals at the U.S. Supreme Court are at the discretion of the Justice alone, and it might be expected that Justices Barringer and Berger would see through this political gambit. But last week the court’s liberal justices suggested that they might be considering an unprecedented effort to evict their conservative colleagues involuntarily—a stunning and destabilizing prospect.

The court delayed argument in the case and last Tuesday sent out an unusual order asking the parties a number of questions, including, “Does this Court have the authority to require the involuntary recusal of a justice who does not believe that self-recusal is appropriate?”

That suggests that Justices Barringer and Berger believe, rightly, that they do not need to recuse from the case, but at least some (perhaps a majority) of the other justices have been moved by the liberal pressure campaign to consider a vote to oust them.

***
It’s worth reviewing the radicalism of what may be transpiring. Democrats in North Carolina lost policy votes in 2018 around taxation and voting, and elections for the state’s highest court in 2020.


Now liberal interests are seeking to reverse their 2018 election defeats using the courts. It would be one thing to challenge policy through the normal judicial process. But because Democrats lost seats on the state Supreme Court in the 2020 elections, they want to effectively undo the impact of those elections on this case with a selective removal of justices.

What’s remarkable is that the advocates claim that their tactics in serially subverting the judgments of voters are somehow a defense of democracy. If successful, this institutional mischief will reverberate far beyond North Carolina.



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Re: North Carolina
« Reply #43 on: October 19, 2021, 05:48:18 AM »
From Judge Loretta Biggs in the above link:

"U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs said the university could continue to consider an applicant’s race during the admissions process, writing that “because race is so interwoven in every aspect of the lived experience of minority students, to ignore it, reduce its importance and measure it only by statistical models misses important context.” Biggs added that UNC “continues to have much work to do” to improve diversity in its student body."

Cannot get any more obvious she is a political activist than this.
So fight racism with MORE racism.   :roll:




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WT: Dems mad about Rep redistricting
« Reply #44 on: October 25, 2021, 05:46:30 AM »
NORTH CAROLINA

Republican-drawn redistricting maps spark ire among Democrats

BY BRYAN ANDERSON AND NICHOLAS RICCARDI ASSOCIATED PRESS RALEIGH, N.C. | A decade ago, North Carolina Republicans redrew their legislative districts to help their party in a way that a federal court ruled illegally hurt Black voters. A state court later struck down Republican- drawn maps as based on pure partisanship.

So, as the GOP-controlled legislature embarks this year on its latest round of redistricting, it has pledged not to use race or partisan data to draw the political lines. Still, the maps Republicans are proposing would tilt heavily toward their party. Several publicly released congressional maps dilute Democratic votes by splitting the state’s biggest city, Charlotte — also its largest Black population center — into three or four House districts and giving the GOP at least a 10-4 advantage in a state that then-President Donald Trump narrowly won last year.

As the once-a-decade redistricting process kicks into high gear, North Carolina is one of at least three states where Republicans say they are drawing maps without looking at racial and party data. But those maps still strongly favor the GOP.

Democrats and liberal groups are incredulous, noting that veteran lawmakers don’t need a spreadsheet to know where voters of various races and different parties live in their state. Plus, under certain scenarios, the Voting Rights Act requires the drawing of districts where the majority of voters are people of color.

“This is the first redistricting round I’ve ever heard of this,” said Thomas Saenz, president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which is suing Texas Republicans over maps that the GOP said it drew without looking at racial data. “I suspect they’re trying to set up a defense for litigation. Because they know the race data — they know where the Black community lives. They know where the Latino community lives.”

The drawing of legislative lines is often a partisan fight because whichever party controls the process can craft districts to maximize its voters’ clout — often by concentrating opposing voters so they will be a majority in fewer districts.

In 2019, the Supreme Court ruled that federal courts cannot overturn unfair maps on the basis of partisanship. But state courts still can void maps for being too partisan and race remains a legal tripwire in redistricting.

If mapmakers explicitly try to weaken voters’ power based on race, they may violate the. Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law. But the Voting Rights Act requires them to consider race if the state has “racially polarized” voting, in which White people consistently vote against candidates backed by people of color. The mapmakers must then create a district in which a community of color comprises a plurality or majority of voters so they can elect their preferred candidates.

Republicans complain they cannot win no matter what they do.

“It’s truly a conundrum and has been for the last decade for the GOP, because when we look at race, we were told we shouldn’t have, and those maps were struck down,” said North Carolina state Sen. Paul Newton, who co-chairs that state’s redistricting committee. “Now that we’re not looking at race, the Democrat Party is telling us, ‘Oh, you should be looking at race.’” North Carolina’s redistricting legal fight is part of why the new race-blind approach caught on.

The Republican-controlled legislature has complete control of redistricting; its maps cannot be vetoed by its Democratic governor. A federal court in 2016 found North Carolina Republicans improperly crammed Black voters into two congressional districts to dilute their votes elsewhere and ordered the map redrawn. That updated map was the basis of the 2019 Supreme Court case.

In August, the legislature formally adopted a rule that it wouldn’t consider race or partisanship in its latest line-drawing that would begin after the Census Bureau released data on population changes over the past decade.

Lawmakers noted that, during the epic litigation of the prior decade, a federal court had found the state didn’t have racially polarized voting and didn’t require special attention to racial data.

Other GOP-controlled states have followed North Carolina’s example. For the past five decades, Texas has been found to have violated federal law or the Constitution in redistricting, including by shortchanging Black and Hispanic voters. This time, Republicans who control the state Legislature said they wouldn’t consider racial data and their lawyers said that was OK.

“I’ve stated it, and I’ll state it again — we drew these maps race blind,” state Sen. Joan Huffman, a Republican who drew that state’s maps, said in one Senate hearing.

Although almost all of Texas’ population growth has come from Hispanic people, Black people and Asian people, the maps do not create any new majority-minority districts. That latter omission is at the heart of suits by Hispanic civil rights groups last week as Texas approved its maps.

“The only time that communities of color can get justice is going to the courthouse,” said Democratic state Rep. Rafael Anchia, chair of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus

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Re: North Carolina
« Reply #46 on: November 22, 2021, 02:02:50 PM »
A Tax Cut for the Tarheel State
Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper heeds the message from Virginia.
By The Editorial Board
Nov. 21, 2021 4:33 pm ET



Democrats in Washington are ignoring the party’s November election defeats, but the impact has been more salutary in the states. The latest example is North Carolina, where last week Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper signed a significant tax cut for individuals and business.

The tax cut is part of a two-year state budget that trades Republican priorities for pay increases for public workers. The GOP controls the Legislature and is aiming for a supermajority next year. Mr. Cooper went along with a bipartisan deal rather than veto and give the GOP the tax issue.


The deal phases out the state’s 2.5% corporate income tax between 2025 and 2031. When fully repealed, that will amount to at least $900 million in annual tax savings. The deal also cuts the state’s flat 5.25% personal income tax rate in stages to 3.99% by July 1, 2027. The deal raises the standard deduction to $25,500 for joint filers and $12,750 for single payers, among other tax tweaks. North Carolina ranks tenth on the Tax Foundation’s 2021 state business tax climate index, and these reforms will make it even more competitive.


States are flush with revenue from strong nominal GDP growth and the deluge of federal largesse. North Carolina has an unreserved cash balance of $8.55 billion, and legislators are wisely returning some of it to taxpayers. Most states are making the mistake of building in new structural spending burdens that will be difficult to shrink in the next recession.


Mr. Cooper had wanted to sign up the Tarheel State for ObamaCare’s Medicaid expansion, which has been a disaster for many state budgets as the rolls have expanded far beyond expectations. In the end he settled on a compromise that extends Medicaid coverage for new mothers for up to 12 months from two. The budget includes no other Medicaid expansion. Republicans gave Mr. Cooper the political cover of a legislative committee that will study healthcare access and present recommendations next year, but with no promises.

Mr. Cooper did win pay hikes for his supporters in public unions. Teachers and state employees will get an average pay raise of at least 5%, retroactive, from July 1 this year to July 1, 2023. All teachers will get bonuses of $2,300, while some will get more. Other public workers will get a bonus of up to $1,500. The bill also provides for a $15 minimum wage for non-certified public-school staffers like custodians and cafeteria workers.

In return, Republicans won an increase in eligibility and funding for Opportunity Scholarship Program grants that will give parents more educational options for their children. The deal increases the maximum scholarship to $5,200 from $4,200, and families that earn 175% above the income threshold to qualify for a free school lunch will be eligible. It had been 150%.

The North Carolina budget is an example of bipartisan compromise that would be possible in Washington if President Biden tried to govern as he campaigned instead of bowing to the left at every turn. But the GOP victories in Virginia and beyond are already paying dividends around the country.


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Re: North Carolina
« Reply #48 on: December 07, 2021, 05:03:35 AM »
second post

Toyota to build $1.3 billion EV battery plant in North Carolina
WT
BY GARY D. R OBERTSON AND TOM KRISHER ASSOCIATED PRESS RALEIGH, N.C. | Toyota is preparing to build a $1.3 billion electric vehicle battery plant near Greensboro, North Carolina, that will employ at least 1,750 people, government officials said Monday.

Toyota was identified during a morning meeting of the state Economic Investment Committee, which voted to award at least $79 million in incentives to the company if the project is completed.

State officials have scheduled a Monday afternoon news conference to announce a major economic development project at an 1,800-acre plot called the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite, about 20 miles southeast of Greensboro.

The site is along a four-lane highway with water, sewer and railroad infrastructure already available.

Randolph County elected leaders voted unanimously Monday morning to offer a local incentives package to the expected company that they didn’t immediately identify except as “Project Darwin.”

In October, Toyota announced that it plan to build a new U.S. factory to make batteries for hybrid and fully electric vehicles. The location was to be announced later in the year. The automaker said the plant would start making batteries in 2025, gradually expanding through 2031.

The plant is part of $3.4 billion that Toyota plans to spend in the U.S. on automotive batteries during the next decade. It didn’t detail where the remaining $2.1 billion would be spent, but part of that likely will go for another battery factory.

Toyota will form a new company to run the new plant with Toyota Tsusho, a subsidiary that now makes an array of parts for the automaker. The company also will help Toyota expand its U.S. supply chain, as well as increase its knowledge of lithium-ion auto batteries, Toyota said.

The site near Greensboro is relatively close to many of Toyota’s existing U.S. auto assembly plants in Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Texas. The company has yet to announce where it will build fully electric vehicles for sale in the U.S.

A state Commerce Department official said Toyota Motor Corp. considered sites nine states including North Carolina.

The Randolph County package would result in an estimated $65 million in property tax rebates and the transfer of megasite land to the company should it invest $1 billion and create at least 1,750 jobs with average salaries of more than $62,000, according to a Randolph economic development official. The return to the company would grow if it a second phase of the project occurs — a $3 billion investment and more than 3,800 jobs in total.

An economic panel that must approve a separate, state packages of cash awards to companies seeking to build in North Carolina was to meet later Monday morning.

The North Carolina legislature already has promised to spend $135 million on road work and wetland improvements and would reimburse $185 million the company spends on similar upgrades should the second phase occur.

Toyota plans to sell 2 million zero-emission hydrogen and battery electric vehicles worldwide per year by 2030. In the U.S., the company plans to sell 1.5 million to 1.8 million vehicles by 2030 that are at least partially electrified.

Currently in the U.S., Toyota offers hydrogen vehicles, hybrids and plug-in hybrid powertrains, but no vehicles powered solely by batteries. That has drawn criticism from environmental groups that accuse the company of dragging its feet on the technology. Toyota says it will have 15 battery electric vehicles for sale globally by 2025.

Toyota says vehicles that operate at least partially on electricity now account for about a quarter of its U.S. sales, and it plans for that to rise to nearly 70% by 2030.

The announcement comes as automakers race to build North American battery factories to supply what is expected to be exponentially increasing demand for electric vehicles as the world transitions away from internal combustion engines.

Crafty_Dog

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2021 North Carolina legislature
« Reply #49 on: December 30, 2021, 05:45:01 PM »
Dear Friends,

As 2021 comes to a close, I want to share with you a list of what we accomplished this year in the NC House and the key conservative wins that we secured for the citizens of North Carolina. It is an honor to serve as your voice in Raleigh and I look forward to getting back to work in 2022 on your behalf.

Have a safe and happy New Year!

Jamie Boles

NC House Republicans 2021 Legislative Accomplishments

This legislative session, North Carolina House Republicans secured key wins for hardworking citizens and families across the state. From supporting military families and improving education to reducing taxes and expanding health care access, it has been another successful year under Republican leadership.

Military and Veterans
Budget
Eliminate state income tax on military pensions (Budget)
$1 million to support and maintain military presence across the state (Budget)
$2 million to increase scholarships for children of disabled veterans (Budget)
$2 million for No Veteran Left Behind project to help veterans with mental health support (Budget)
Expand veteran employment preference for state jobs to include National Guardsmen (Budget)
$400K for suicide prevention services to veterans and active-duty military (Budget)
Policy
Improve access to public schools for military families (HB 53)
Designate April 24th as Wounded Heroes Day in North Carolina (HB 138)
Assist military families in qualifying for in-state tuition (HB 53)
Improve veterans’ access to in-state tuition at UNC System schools (HB 602)
Waive DMV fees and extend deadlines for deployed troops (HB 297)
Establish PTSD as a factor when sentencing a veteran (HB 584)
Require POW/MIA flags to be flown at state buildings and schools (HB 746)
Authorize No Veterans Left Behind to help veterans with mental health support (HB 370)

Election Integrity
Prohibit secret settlements used to undermine state election law (HB 606, SB 360)
Set Election Day as firm deadline to accept absentee ballots (SB 326)
Prohibit elections officials from accepting private donations (Zuck Bucks) (SB 725)
Equip voters with more information on election laws (HB 605)
Remove non-citizens from North Carolina’s voter rolls (HB 259)
Require a post-election audit and all voting equipment be made in America (HB 259)

Second Amendment
Repeal Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permit requirement (HB 398)
Protect concealed carry holders right to carry in places of worship (HB 134, SB 43)
Allow paramedics with SWAT teams to carry guns (HB 48)
Increase awareness about the need for safe storage of firearms (HB 427)
Allow federal prosecutors and judges to carry weapons in court (HB 194)
Enhance firearm property protections (HB 145)
Allow waiver for certain training courses (HB 49)

Education
Budget
Additional $1.5 billion (10% increase) above base budget for K-12 education (Budget)
$800 million from lottery fund for school capital projects (Budget)
$200 million to the Public School Capital Fund (Budget)
$80 million into a newly created school repair and renovations fund (Budget)
Add Fayetteville State University to N.C. Promise program (Budget)
Expand funding and eligibility for Opportunity Scholarship Program (Budget)
End the requirement that teachers pay $50 for a substitute teacher to cover their classes (Budget)
Improve broadband access for 25 rural community colleges (Budget)
Provide funding for School Safety Grants (Budget)
Include additional funds for school internet connectivity (Budget)
$70 million to support funding for enrollment growth at UNC System campuses (Budget)
$2.2 billion for repairs, renovations and construction of UNC System school facilities (Budget)
$1.0 billion for UNC System capital projects and $400 million for Community Colleges (Budget)
Policy
Prohibit “Critical Race Theory” in schools (HB 324)
Help support and expand charter schools (HB 729)
Reopen public schools and resume in-person learning (SB 37)
Establish summer school option to help kids catch up from school closures (HB 82)
Reopen schools for in-person instruction (SB 220)
Enhance reading plans and literacy intervention tools (SB 387)
Require monthly review of school mask mandates (SB 654)
Allow qualified college instructors to also teach in grades K-12 (SB 582)
Authorize new school-funded projects at UNC System institutions (SB 367)
Expand school choice for low-income families (HB 32)
Improve school conduct policies (HB 247)
End the Governor’s statewide school mask mandate (SB 173)
Reduce over-testing in high schools (HB 486)
Allow school calendar flexibility (HB 376)
Remove barriers to expand successful charter schools (HB 616)
Make it easier for retired educators to return to teaching (HB 428)
Require schools to post instructional materials online for parents (HB 755)
Enhance school safety by establishing threat assessment teams (HB 657)
End $50 fee teachers’ pay for a substitute (HB 362)

Health Care
Budget
Fund a new Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University (Budget)
Extend postpartum Medicaid services for new mothers to a full year (Budget)
Allow a parent to retain Medicaid eligibility while their child is temporarily in foster care (Budget)
Increase Direct Support Personnel wages to $15 per hour – workers who serve elderly, most medically fragile and the intellectual and developmentally disabled (Budget)
$150 million for lead and asbestos remediation in schools and childcare facilities (Budget)
Additional Innovations Waiver slots to serve intellectually and developmentally disabled (Budget)
$16 million to combat the opioid crisis (Budget)
$5 million for rural hospitals (Budget)
$4 million to recruit health care providers to rural areas (Budget)
Policy
Protect religious rights of hospital patients during pandemic (HB 447)
Make organ donor status “evergreen” on a driver’s license (SB 135)
Ease “certificate of need” laws to expand access to healthcare (SB 462)
Increase access to teledentistry (SB 146)
Ensure children are not exposed to lead in drinking water (HB 272)
Expand small business health insurance options (SB 228)
Increase transparency of medication costs (SB 257)
Support and encourage foster care parents (HB 769)
Improve care of pregnant inmates (HB 608)
Ensure visitation rights for nursing home residents (HB 351)
Remove barriers for occupational therapists (HB 224)
Combat waste and fraud with State Health Plan (SB 542)
Designate September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (HB 89)
Improve access to care through telehealth (HB 149)
Expand access to oral chemo treatment drugs (HB 524)
Encourage safe disposal of unused medication (HB 683)
Increase access to prescription drug cost information (HB 178)
Increase penalties for falsifying medical record (HB 195)
Require coverage of dental care resulting from cancer treatment (HB 646)
Require insurers to cover breast cancer diagnostic imaging (HB 703)
Increase access to professional mental health counseling services (HB 791)
Increase punishment for mental health facilities operating without a license (HB 734)
Provide timely updates to newborn screening program (HB 736)
Establish safe surgical technology standards (HB 468)
Prevent rape victims from being billed for medical exams (HB 626)
Provide patients with education on opioid overdose prevention (HB 93)
Designate August 31st as Overdose Awareness Day (HB 180)

Law Enforcement, Firefighters and First Responders
Budget
Campus police officers can take unlimited university courses per semester for free (Budget)
$7.5 million for a new assistance program for firefighters diagnosed with cancer (Budget)
Policy
Increase penalties for breaking into police vehicles (HB 761)
Improve policing and accountability in law enforcement (HB 536, SB 300)
Increase punishment for firing at unoccupied emergency vehicles (HB 36)
Allow free classes for UNC System campus police (SB 390)
Expand access to mental health resources for law enforcement (HB 436)
Allow first responders to receive workers compensation for PTSD (HB 492)
Make it a crime to threaten law enforcement/correctional officer (HB 418)
Increase penalties for attacks on correctional officers in prisons (HB 560)
Ban the use of firefighting foam with potentially toxic chemicals (HB 355)
Allow fire trucks to use flashing blue lights when stopped (HB 448)
Allow certain law enforcement officers to pay for early retirement (HB 417)
Require the destruction of a firearm used to assault an officer (HB 234)
Allow retired law enforcement to return to work without retirement penalty (HB 647)
Protect first responder’s health care (HB 694)
Allow line of duty death benefits for 911 operators (HB 741)
Allow emergency aid to injured police K-9s (HB 648)

Government Overreach and Pro-Life Protections
Budget
Limit governor’s emergency powers by requiring approval from the Council of State (Budget)
Prohibit collusive settlements by the Attorney General (Budget)
Policy
Rein in Governor’s unilateral emergency authority (HB 264)
Protect donor privacy of charitable nonprofits (SB 636)
Prevent abortion based on race, gender and Down syndrome (HB 453)
Establish term limits for members of Congress (HJR 172)
Protect private property rights from eminent domain abuse (HB 271)
Oppose federal overreach over state election laws (HJR 330)
Urge Congress to maintain nine U.S. Supreme Court Justices (HJR 286)
Prevent Governor from mandating COVID-19 vaccine (HB 572)
Urge evacuation of U.S. citizens and Afghan allies (HR 973)

Public Safety
Policy
Increase penalties for looting and rioting (HB 805)
Ensure hotels could remove short-term residents for misconduct (HB 352)
Crack down on catalytic converter thefts (SB 99)
Restrict dangerous vehicle modifications (HB 692)
Crack down on credit card skimming devices (HB 238)
Increase punishment for destroying personal property (HB 743)
Increase penalties from misdemeanor to felony for fentanyl possession (SB 321)
Enhance punishments for elected officials who use position for financial gain (SB 473)
Increase restrictions for sex offenders (HB 84)
Expand expunction eligibility (SB 301)
Require sheriff candidates to disclose past felony convictions (HB 312)
Strengthen animal fighting laws (HB 544)
Budget
$10 million for testing sexual assault evidence kits and eliminating rape kit backlog (Budget)
$25 million toward sexual assault services (Budget)
$30 million to combat human trafficking and provide support services for victims (Budget)
Authorizes additional assistant district attorneys, clerks, magistrates, and judges (Budget)
$140 million for local courthouse construction, renovations, and repairs (Budget)
$5.6 million to improve safety at prisons over the next two years (Budget)
$4 million to support state search and rescue programs over the next two years (Budget)

Savings and Taxes
Increase zero-tax bracket to $25,500 (Budget)
Bring “Rainy Day” savings fund to $4.25 billion – the largest in state history (Budget)
Cut the personal income tax rate from 5.25% to 3.99% (Budget)
Increase child tax deduction by $500 per child (Budget)
Allow businesses to deduct expenses paid by Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans (Budget)
Eliminate state income tax on military pensions (Budget)
Reduce and simplify the franchise tax on businesses (Budget)
Phase out the corporate tax (Budget)
Expand and extend Historic Preservation Tax Credit (Budget)
Extend Mill Rehabilitation Tax Credit (Budget)

Pay Raises and Salaries
5% pay raise for state employees and teachers (Budget)
$15 minimum wage for non-certified public-school personnel and community college staff (Budget)
Provide $2,800 bonuses to most teachers using federal funds (Budget)
Provide bonuses for all state employees using federal funds (Budget)
$1,500 bonuses for law enforcement, correctional officers and staff (Budget)
$100 million teacher salary supplement fund (1.7% increase) for on low-wealth counties (Budget)
5% state and teacher retiree cost-of-living adjustment bonus (Budget)
New salary-based schedule for corrections, probation, and parole officers (Budget)

Individuals with Disabilities
Support individuals with disabilities and Down syndrome (HB 756, 642)
Expand access to care for children with autism (HB 91)
Increase awareness for students with epilepsy (HB 222)
Establish an advisory council on PANS/PANDAS (HB 340)
Develop voluntary driver’s license designation for individuals with autism (HB 581)

Energy
Prevent local governments from banning natural gas (HB 220)
Ensure reliable and low-cost energy production in North Carolina (HB 951)

Disaster Relief and Flood Mitigation
$412 million for disaster recovery and flood mitigation efforts (Budget)
$124 million for Tropical Storm Fred relief (Budget)
$25 million for Golden L.E.A.F. to help local governments plan or pursue resilience projects (Budget)
$20 million to create a Flood Resiliency Blueprint to guide flood mitigation projects (Budget)
$38 million to support flood mitigation in vulnerable areas (Budget)
$40 million for grants to local governments for storm damage mitigation projects (Budget)

Transportation
Reduce unnecessary regulations on the sale salvage vehicles (HB 294)
Streamline and update DMV services (HB 650)
$346 million over base budget for highway maintenance and preservation activities (Budget)
Fund new inmate litter crew pilot project (Budget)
$12 million to municipalities for construction and maintenance of roads and bridges (Budget)
$3 million in federal funds for extended service at DMV Driver License offices (Budget)
$16 million to the Global TransPark for a fuel storage facility and terminal renovations (Budget)
Authorize DMV to utilize online renewal for permits, licenses, and registrations (Budget)

Families, Children, and Aging
Increase awareness of child abuse (SB 693)
Increase punishment for abuse or neglect of elderly (HB 699)
Protect students from child abuse and neglect (HB 205)
Require safety call for absent children (HB 604)
Strengthen infant safe surrender laws (HB 473)
Establish uniform rate-setting process for adult day care and health services (HB 731)

Hospitality and Restaurants
Waive ABC permit fees for bars until they can fully reopen (HB 4, 73)
Allow cities and counties to create their own “social districts” (HB 890)
Ease regulations on restaurant and hospitality businesses (HB 890)
Ease outdoor dining restrictions for bars and restaurants (HB 781)
Allow event promoters to use vacant buildings on a trial basis (HB 477)
Reopen bars and restaurants (HB 211)
Expand allowable growler size (HB 722)

COVID-19 Relief and Response
Allocate $1.7 billion in federal COVID-19 relief (HB 196)
Distribute $6.4 billion in federal ARP COVID-19 relief funding (SB 172)

Economy and Business
Budget
$500 million fund to provide grants to businesses impacted by COVID-19 (Budget)
Expand apprenticeship opportunities in high-demand fields at small businesses (Budget)
$338 million for major Economic Development Projects (Budget)
Policy
End “extra” federal unemployment benefits and institute stricter work-search requirements (SB 116)
Waive interest on taxes paid after April 15 (HB 279)
Reduce unnecessary government regulations (HB 366)
Provide individual and business COVID-19 tax relief (HB 334)
Allow the recovery of certain electronic transaction fees (HB 685)
Streamline regulations to help startups and emerging technologies (HB 624)
Update state business laws to ensure we remain competitive with other states (SB 507)
Protect taxpayers from pension-spiking costs (SB 668)
Help small businesses apply for federal innovative and technology grants (HB 965)
Keep North Carolina on Daylight Saving Time year-round (HB 307)

Rural Infrastructure, Farming and Outdoors
Policy
Support North Carolina farmers and agriculture producers (Farm Bill) (SB 605)
Provide additional tools to help struggling cities and towns (SB 314)
Improve hunting and fishing laws and support wildlife resources (HB 181)
Preserve historic and abandoned school buildings (HB 70)
Improve water and sewer infrastructure needs (HB 806)
Expand rural broadband internet access (HB 947)
Improve sewer overflow notifications (HB 885)
Budget
$6 billion to fund infrastructure projects across the state (Budget)
$1.7 billion for water, sewer, and stormwater improvements (Budget)
$1 billion to expand rural broadband internet access (Budget)
$129 million for food banks, and meat, swine, and dairy producers (Budget)
Provide Forest Service with additional emergency response equipment (Budget)
$8 million for Farmland Preservation (Budget)
Fund the operating requirements for the new Steve Troxler Agricultural Sciences Center (Budget)

Coastal
$283 million to support deepening and expanding the Wilmington Harbor (Budget)
Improve coastal dredging services (HB 735)
Resume passenger ferry service between Hatteras and Ocracoke (SB 241)
Remove abandoned and derelict vessels (HB 161)

Key:
Red = Vetoed by Governor
Italicized = Signed into law
Normal = Passed NC House