North Carolina

[Crafty_Dog]

Judges Uphold North Carolina’s GOP-Drawn Voting-District Maps
State court panel criticizes partisan gerrymandering but says intervening to stop it would usurp legislature’s role

Superior Court Judges Nathaniel Poovey, Graham Shirley and Dawn Layton listened to testimony during a gerrymandering trial over North Carolina’s new political maps.
PHOTO: TRAVIS LONG/THE NEWS & OBSERVER/ASSOCIATED PRESS
By Alexa Corse
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 and Brent Kendall
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Jan. 11, 2022 6:27 pm ET
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A North Carolina court on Tuesday upheld the state’s new Republican-drawn voting maps, rejecting claims that they were illegally gerrymandered for partisan advantage.

A three-judge panel in Wake County Superior Court said while excessive partisanship in redistricting was incompatible with democratic principles and had subjected the state to many years of ridicule, the court had no basis for constraining the legislature.

“Redistricting is a political process that has serious political consequences,” the panel wrote. “It is one of the purest political questions which the legislature alone is allowed to answer. Were we as a court to insert ourselves in the manner requested, we would be usurping the political power and prerogatives of an equal branch of government.”

The court also said plaintiffs challenging the voting maps hadn’t proven their claims that the districts were discriminatory on the basis of race.

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The ruling came in response to lawsuits from advocacy groups and voters who sued state lawmakers and other officials, alleging that the Republican-controlled state legislature adopted new congressional and state voting districts in November that unlawfully entrenched a partisan advantage for the GOP.

Republican state lawmakers have said they conducted the most transparent map-drawing process in the state’s history and didn’t use partisan or racial data when drawing the new maps. They said their maps kept communities with common interests together and Democratic lawmakers had had the opportunity to comment on the plans.

The challengers, which include advocacy groups Common Cause and the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, immediately said they would appeal.

New North Carolina congressional districts

Urban areas

Raleigh

11

2

6

5

7

10

12

14

13

1

8

9

4

Charlotte

3

Source: North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina Supreme Court already has delayed the state’s March primary until May to allow time to resolve the legal battle. That court, where Democrats hold a 4-3 seat advantage, has indicated that it would consider any appeal on an expedited basis.


The litigation is at the forefront of a new chapter of legal battles emerging in light of the nationwide redrawing of voting maps for the next decade after the 2020 census. The cases also come during a new legal era in which plaintiffs alleging partisan gerrymandering must bring their cases in state courts, under state law. A divided U.S. Supreme Court in 2019 ruled that federal judges have no authority to referee such claims under the federal Constitution.

The North Carolina challengers argued that state GOP map makers violated several state constitutional provisions, including one that guarantees free elections.

Similar arguments were successful in 2019, when North Carolina judges blocked the use of an earlier set of Republican-drawn maps on the grounds that they were likely an unlawful partisan gerrymander.

North Carolina is considered a battleground state, and former President Donald Trump won the state in 2020 with 49.9% to President Biden’s 48.6%. If the midterm elections are tight, the state’s congressional map could play a role in who controls the U.S. House.

The state currently has eight Republican and five Democratic members of Congress. Based on the 2020 census results, North Carolina is gaining one House seat as a result of population growth.

The nonpartisan Princeton Gerrymandering Project rated North Carolina’s 2021 maps an “F” for partisan fairness, saying the maps gave Republicans a significant advantage.

The 2021 congressional map is likely to result in 10 safe Republican seats out of 14 total seats, according to the plaintiffs. Republicans also are likely to keep their majorities in the state legislature under the 2021 map, the plaintiffs said.

Advocacy groups and voters filed multiple lawsuits challenging the new maps, alleging they were manipulated according to partisan or racial lines. The cases were consolidated before a three-judge panel. The same three judges previously declined to block the use of the maps, but the state’s Supreme Court intervened and ordered a quick trial.


North Carolina has a history of legal battles over allegations of gerrymandering, and redrew its voting maps in the face of litigation multiple times over the past decade.

While the process for drawing districts varies across states, most analysts say Republicans have the advantage nationally. Republicans control the redistricting process in states that contain 187 congressional districts, compared with 75 seats for Democrats. That has raised alarms among Democrats about the party’s prospects in coming elections.

Write to Alexa Corse at alexa.corse@wsj.com and Brent Kendall at brent.kendall@wsj.com

[Crafty_Dog]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/nc-s-thom-tillis-threatens-to-resign-from-senate-if-republicans-ever-change-the-filibuster/ar-AASX6u6?ocid=msedgntp

[Crafty_Dog]

second

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.
On Monday, November 29, 2021 the General Assembly adjourned a very long session which began in January 2021, making it one of the longest sessions on the books. Both the House and Senate announced an intention not to return to Raleigh to conduct any voting sessions until January unless there was a need to address a pressing issue such as redistricting or a potential veto override. January has arrived and they have held true to their word, having not yet called a voting session of either chamber. A voting session may occur this week, but is not expected to involve any firearms laws.

This long session saw over a dozen firearms related bills reaching the crossover deadline making the bills eligible for consideration anytime in this two-year session. At this point, only one of those bills which is explained below has been signed into law.   

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 did not require the signature of the Governor to become law. This local bill became law when approved by the General Assembly and had an effective date of October 1, 2021 and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.
 
SENATE BILL 105, 2021 Appropriations Act. While not in a stand-alone bill, the General Assembly included a provision related to concealed handgun permits in the over 600-page budget bill. Senate Bill 105 appropriates to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation $250,000 in recurring funds each year for the 2021-2022 fiscal year and the 2022-2023 fiscal year to provide funding for the implementation of electronic concealed handgun permits.
 
The North Carolina Sheriffs' Association will continue to monitor the firearm related bills which made the crossover deadline and are still eligible for consideration when the General Assembly reconvenes for the short session later in 2022. 

[Crafty_Dog]

HT to MY:

This thing could blow up BIG!

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/winston-salem-fertilizer-plant-fire-ammonium-nitrate-explosion-potential-north-carolina/#app

==================================================================
ET

Thousands Evacuated as Fears Grow Blazing Fertilizer Plant May Explode
By Tribune News Service February 3, 2022 Updated: February 3, 2022biggersmaller Print
By Mark Price
From The Charlotte Observer

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—The city of Winston-Salem is working to evacuate 6,500 people as fears grow a smoldering fertilizer plant might explode near thousands of homes.

Fire trucks patrolled the mandatory evacuation area early Tuesday, blowing their horns and loudspeakers blasting a warning for people to evacuate as quickly as possible.

The mass exodus is due to a potentially explosive fire at the Weaver Fertilizer Co. in north Winston-Salem.

Just under 2,500 homes are within a mile of the plant, which stores tons of explosive materials as part of its products, the city said in a tweet.

Residents being are told to plan on being out of their homes for at least 48 hours, and roadblocks have been established around the area. A “reverse 911 call” went out at 6 a.m. Tuesday, to reach those who hadn’t yet left their homes.

The Education Building at the community’s fairgrounds has been opened as an emergency shelter, officials said.

“Don’t wait for something to happen. Something has happened. Now is the time to get out,” Winston-Salem Fire Chief Trey Mayo wrote in a tweet just after midnight.

City officials are also warning people in the city as a whole to “avoid strenuous activities outdoors” due to the toxic air. People with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory illnesses were advised to stay indoors.

The smoke plume—which smells like “spent fireworks”—was expected to drift southwest Tuesday, to downtown Winston-Salem and Wake Forest University.

“Air quality will be poor,” officials said in a Facebook post.

Epoch Times Photo
The Winston Weaver Co. fertilizer plant in Winston-Salem, N.C., continues to burn on Feb. 2, 2022. (Walt Unks/The Winston-Salem Journal via AP)
Weaver Fertilizer released a recorded statement Tuesday, reporting “there have been no injuries or loss of life to any employees, first responders or citizens.” Plant officials also pledged “to participate fully in the investigation into the cause of the fire.”

The plant is known to include large quantities of volatile ammonium nitrate in its products, which prompted fire crews to pull back after 90 minutes, officials said on Facebook. One unmanned ladder truck has been hooked to a fire hydrant at the site, and it continues to spray water on a rail car that could potentially explode.

Emergency responders will not likely return to the plant site until late Wednesday, officials said at a news conference.

Investigators don’t know what caused the fire, but residents of the area reported hearing two “tremendous” booms.

Firefighters were called to the site about 6:45 p.m. Monday after someone reported a fire at the loading dock. They arrived to find “heavy fire and involvement in the building,” Mayo said in a video posted to Facebook.

“Subsequently the entire building has become consumed by fire and has collapsed in,” he said.

“The risk that is posed by this facility is, it stores ammonium nitrate … There is somewhere between 300 and 600 tons of ammonium nitrate in this facility. … At about 450 degrees, ammonium nitrate becomes pretty unstable. … It can explode.” (Fire officials later clarified those totals to report 500 tons of ammonium nitrate was inside the building and 100 tons was in a rail car outside the building.)

Such an explosion happened in 2013, he said, when chemicals at a Texas fertilizer plant ignited, killing 15 and destroying 120 homes, according to a report in the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

“That explosion involved 240 tons of ammonium nitrate,” Mayo said.

Winston-Salem Communications Director Ed McNeal warned the potential for an explosion “is not hyperbole.”

A drone flying over the flaming building has already confirmed “small explosions” have happened at the site, he said.

Wake Forest University announced it was canceling classes Tuesday and is opening up three campus sites to shelter students who are evacuated from their housing due to the fire.

“The evacuation area does not include on-campus housing, with the exception of Deacon Place, which is within the one-mile evacuation radius,” the university said.

The one-mile evacuation area is considered a “worst case scenario” of what would be impacted should an explosion occur, officials said.

©2022 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

[Crafty_Dog]

NC political maps unconstitutionally gerrymandered, Supreme Court rules BY WILL DORAN UPDATED FEBRUARY 04, 2022 7:39 PM Play VideoDuration 0:53 Monster: Math, maps and power in North Carolina It’s redistricting time in North Carolina. In a limited-run podcast from Under the Dome, we explore how maps are drawn, their political impact on the state and the ongoing fight against gerrymandering. BY STEPHANIE BUNAO RALEIGH North Carolina’s new political district maps are unconstitutional, the N.C. Supreme Court ruled Friday. The maps, drawn by Republican lawmakers late last year, would have given GOP candidates a sizable advantage in elections throughout the next decade. Republican leaders argued in favor of the maps in court, saying redistricting is an inherently political process and that courts shouldn’t get involved by banning partisan gerrymandering. The Supreme Court, which has a Democratic majority, disagreed. TOP VIDEOS WATCH MORE × Julius L. Chambers' son and grandson talk about his legacy. The ruling divided the court along party lines. All three Republican justices dissented and said they would have allowed the maps to stand. But all four Democratic justices joined in the majority opinion, which struck down the maps for both the N.C. General Assembly and North Carolina’s 14 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The justices ruled that the maps were skewed so far to the right that they violated the state constitution — specifically that they “are unconstitutional beyond a reasonable doubt under the free elections clause, the equal protection clause, the free speech clause and the freedom of assembly clause of North Carolina’s constitution.” $2 for 2 months Subscribe for unlimited access to our website, app, eEdition and more CLAIM OFFER Their ruling orders new political districts to be redrawn. That’s expected to happen quickly, before this year’s elections. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat who had filed a legal brief in the case arguing that the maps were unconstitutional, was the first to announce the news Friday. “Under our constitution, political power must be ‘vested in and derived from the people’ (and) our government must be ‘founded upon their will only,’” Stein wrote in a series of tweets on his personal account. “Our elected leaders flout that principle when they seek to perpetuate their power irrespective of the will of the voters.” Chief Justice Paul Newby, a Republican, wrote in his dissent that he didn’t believe the courts have the authority to override the legislature on redistricting. He wrote that the majority’s ruling “violates separation of powers by effectively placing responsibility for redistricting with the judicial branch, not the legislative branch as expressly provided in our constitution.” A top GOP redistricting official, Sen. Ralph Hise of Mitchell County, wrote in a statement that he thought the decision was based in politics, not law. North Carolina’s Supreme Court elections have already been among the most intense and expensive in the nation, with outside political groups on both sides of the aisle spending millions to elect their favored candidates, and Hise predicted that will continue. Afternoon Observer Everything you need to know about the day's news in Charlotte, direct to your inbox Monday-Friday. SIGN UP This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. “This perverse precedent, once set, will be nearly impossible to unwind, as monied interests line up to buy their own justices to set law favorable to them,” Hise said. “I’m certain Democrats will come to regret it.” WHAT NEXT? The court’s full ruling is still yet to come, but the short version released Friday did give some important scheduling instructions, specifically on how the maps must now be redrawn. The legislature will have a second chance to draw them, the justices ruled. And the job of reviewing those maps to see if they pass muster unlike the current maps will be up to the trial court that initially heard the case. That adds an extra layer of intrigue since that trial court panel has a Republican majority, which had originally ruled in favor of the legislature in this case, a ruling now overturned by the Supreme Court. In addition to the legislature, all other parties involved in the lawsuit will also be allowed to submit their own proposed replacement maps to the trial court for review. Everything must filed within two weeks, by Feb. 18, and then the court will have until Feb. 23 to make a decision. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said in a tweet Friday that the redrawing process will be important to watch over the coming days. “A healthy democracy requires free elections and the NC Supreme Court is right to order a redraw of unconstitutionally gerrymandered districts,” Cooper tweeted. “More work remains and any legislative redraw must reflect the full intent of this decision.” The Feb. 23 deadline is right up against the current date for the start of candidate filing for the 2022 primaries, currently scheduled to begin Feb. 24. That could complicate things, especially if either side appeals whatever decision the trial court ultimately makes on the new maps. In an interview with McClatchy on Friday before the ruling came out, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the court should move back the election, if necessary, to ensure new maps could be in place in time. Holder now leads a group, the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, which was behind this lawsuit as well as a similarly successful one in 2019. “The one thing that’s most important is to get it right, and to have the elections take place, the line drawing done, have that done, done correctly, and then have the elections take place under those correctly drawn districts,” Holder said. The court has already moved the primary once, from March until its current date of May 17. Republican lawmakers recently passed a bill that would have pushed it back another three weeks, to June 7, to give more time for the redraw. Cooper vetoed that bill, however, saying the decision should be up to the court, not the legislature. REACTIONS AROUND THE STATE If the maps had stood, The News & Observer previously reported, around one-fourth of the Black lawmakers in the state legislature would have been at risk of losing their seats in this year’s elections. The Southern Coalition for Social Justice — a Durham group whose Executive Director Allison Riggs was a main attorney for the challengers fighting the maps — celebrated the ruling in a written statement to The News & Observer. “Today’s ruling is an unequivocal win for North Carolina’s Black voters who were most harmed by this extreme partisan gerrymander,” Riggs said. “At every level, North Carolina’s GOP leadership diluted representation of communities of color to entrench their own political power in ways that were both obvious and egregious.” The GOP legislative leaders who drew the maps did not immediately release a statement of their own on the ruling. But one Republican congressman, Charlotte Rep. Dan Bishop — whose district would have been made safer under the new maps if they hadn’t been ruled unconstitutional — criticized the ruling and urged his followers to vote in this November’s Supreme Court elections, when Republicans will have a chance to flip control of the court. “What a shock,” Bishop tweeted. “4-3 decision. Only Democrat judges struck down maps drawn by a Republican legislature. For 140 years of unbroken Democrat rule, they failed to see a problem. Elections for the Supreme Court majority are around the corner.” Francesca Chambers of the McClatchy Washington Bureau contributed reporting.

Read more at: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article257975758.html#storylink=cpy

[ccp]

the crats win in a party line vote :

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/02/04/north-carolina-supreme-court-strikes-down-gop-redistricting-maps/

it is re assuring to note there is no politics in NC justice system 

[Crafty_Dog]

https://www.oann.com/n-c-removes-430k-inactive-voters-from-rolls/

[ccp]

Insane:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/north-carolina-house-swarmed-interested-144131357.html

like this all over I think

[Crafty_Dog]

https://www.oann.com/n-c-removes-430k-inactive-voters-from-rolls/

[Crafty_Dog]

second

On This Day in History > February 27, 1776:
The Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge

"On February 27, 1776, the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge ends British rule in North Carolina. Governor Josiah Martin had been living in exile aboard a ship off the coast since July of 1775 after a popular uprising. In response to his lobbying, Scottish soldiers Brigadier General Donald McDonald and Lieutenant Colonel Donald MacLeod were sent to raise loyalist troops in the interior, many of whom were of Scottish decent, to help take back the colony.

In early 1776, Governor Martin learned that a fleet would arrive in mid-February and he hoped to have the Loyalists join them. McDonald and MacLeod met with Tory leaders at Cross Creek (present day Fayetteville) on February 5. They quickly raised 3,500 men, but they quickly dwindled when they learned there were no British soldiers to escort them to the coast through patriot friendly territory. By the time the force began its march, only 1,400 remained.

When the Provincial Congress learned of the meeting at Cross Creek, they sent Colonel James Moore to prevent them from reaching the coast. On February 20, McDonald began his march to the coast, intending to cross the Black River at Corbett's Ferry. Colonel Moore anticipated this and sent Richard Caswell (the future first governor of North Carolina) to block the ferry. Alexander Lillington was sent to block the crossing at Moore's Creek Bridge, a few miles to the north.

McDonald arrived at Corbett's Ferry only to find it blocked. He raced north to try to cross at Moore's Creek Bridge, but Caswell beat him, joining Lillie on the 26th. Lillie had already taken position on the east side of the creek, so Caswell went to the west side. During the night, however, he realized his position was weak, so he moved across the creek to join Lillie and built a semi-circular earthwork around the east side of the bridge during the night.

In the morning, the elderly McDonald was ill and gave command to Lt. Col. MacLeod. MacLeod saw the patriots on the opposite side of the creek, but severely underestimated their numbers. MacLeod ordered 80 swordsmen to charge across the bridge, which had been de-planked and greased by Caswell. The patriots, hiding behind their earthworks on the east side of the bridge, waited until the swordsmen were within only a few feet of them before firing. The swordsmen were wiped out almost immediately, including Lt. Col. MacLeod, who was shot nearly 20 times. The battle lasted only 3 minutes. 50 to 70 Loyalists were killed or injured. The remaining Loyalist forces quickly dissolved and fled.
Caswell re-planked the bridge and began pursuit. Over the next few days, nearly 850 Loyalists and loads of supplies were captured, including 1,500 muskets, 300 rifles and £15,000 in silver coins, all valued at nearly $1,000,000 in today's money.

The Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge effectively ended any hope of re-establishing British rule in North Carolina. The victory rallied southern patriots to join the militia and the Continental Army in mass. Loyalists became afraid of voicing their opinions. It has been called "The Lexington and Concord of the South." The British would not attempt to take North Carolina again until the southern campaign of 1780 and even then, the lingering memory of the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge would discourage Loyalists from joining General Charles Cornwallis as he attempted to take back the south."

Revolutionary-War-and-Beyond.com
_____________________________________________________________________

[Crafty_Dog]

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article250722774.html

https://www.ncpoisoncontrol.org/

https://www.ncpoisoncontrol.org/types-of-poisons

https://www.ncpoisoncontrol.org/types-of-poisons/venomous-creatures/ticks

[Crafty_Dog]

Gun Rights Supporters:

            Sadly, in American gun rights politics, phony gun groups and lying politicians have become the norm, and North Carolina is no exception. Please allow me to tell two cautionary tales that North Carolina gun rights supporters need to hear.

Phony gun groups…

            You may have gotten fundraising mail or email from an entity calling itself the “North Carolina Firearms Coalition” (NCFC) which purports to be headquartered in Raleigh. In truth, the UPS Store in the photograph you see is their “office.”

In July, NCFC did predatory fundraising by claiming credit for GRNC’s legislative accomplishments. Now they are reportedly sending surveys to North Carolina candidates – who should be aware that beyond claiming credit for the work of others, this type of charlatan often rakes in money by beating on pro-gun legislators for supposedly not being pro-gun enough.

            NCFC was created by Patrick Parsons of Georgia (not North Carolina), where his “Georgia Gun Owners” also reportedly developed a somewhat unsavory reputation, including having as its place of business a UPS Store. (Are you seeing a pattern yet?)

Parsons originally hailed from the “National Association for Gun Rights” (NAGR), which itself developed a reputation for being far more interested in money than gun rights. In fact, NAGR became so notorious that there is even a Facebook page entitled, “The Truth About the National Association for Gun Rights.”

As gun rights supporters gradually discovered the truth about NAGR, the resulting flight of donors reportedly caused it to downsize, with laid off employees trained in NAGR’s predatory fundraising returning to their states to bilk gun owners in an exercise reminiscent of when Jimmy Carter decimated the CIA, forcing spooks to earn a living by fomenting revolution in South America.

            Today I called the phone number for NCFC, and guess who I got: Chris Dorr of the infamous Dorr brothers. So notorious are the Dorr brothers, in fact, that they even warrant a website entitled www.dorrbrotherscams.com, featuring links to quite a list of their exploits. (And we won’t even talk about leftist articles “outing” the Dorrs in The Daily Beast and The Trace.)

It seems that Parsons is now working for another one of the Dorr brothers’ schemes, this one calling itself the “American Firearms Association” and that, in turn, the Dorrs are apparently running NCFC.

            Oh, and I should mention that Chris Dorr, who answered a Raleigh phone number, reportedly lives in Pennsylvania. His brother Aaron reportedly lives in New York. Given that Parsons hails from Georgia, I have yet to speak to anyone at the “North Carolina” Firearms Coalition who actually lives in North Carolina.

…and lying politicians

            Speaking of charlatans, it seems that Pat McCrory is sending fundraising mail claiming that Congressman Ted Budd is a “business partner” of none other than the evil George Soros, which McCrory knows full well is a lie.

            Carolina Journal debunked this claim back in October. In truth, Soros invested in a company which itself invested in a company owned by Ted Budd’s father – a company in which Budd was not even an officer, but only a shareholder.

            Even more interestingly, the claim was originally made by a shadowy super PAC calling itself the “Carolina Senate Fund” (which actually hails from Virginia), actually two rich power brokers: James “Art” Pope of Variety Wholesalers and Doug Lebda, CEO of Lending Tree, who have so far jointly contributed $350,000 to the effort. Its thirteen (yes, thirteen) donors read like a “Who’s Who” list of R.I.N.O.s.


     The plot thickens when you learn that Art Pope has ties to Pat McCrory, specifically that Pope was a co-chair on North Carolina Governor-Elect Pat McCrory's transition team and served as the state budget director in the McCrory administration.

Super PACs are prohibited by law from coordinating with the candidate who benefits from their expenditures. So does the fact that McCrory is now making the same fallacious claim as Pope suggest that they might be illegally coordinating their hit pieces against Budd? It certainly warrants investigation.

            And since McCrory seems to think being a shareholder in a corporation makes you the “business partner” of every investor in the corporation, GRNC calls upon McCrory to release a list of corporations in which he owns stock in order that we may examine who his “business partners” may be.


     And since we are talking about Pat McCrory, gun rights supporters should understand that we are still saddled with our Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permit system because of McCrory.


     You see, when McCrory was governor, GRNC managed to get an omnibus gun bill through the General Assembly, HB 937, which contained a purchase permit repeal … at least until McCrory threatened to veto the bill if it contained the repeal. After that, then-Speaker Thom Tillis had the purchase permit repeal stripped out in committee and the remainder passed only under considerable pressure from GRNC.

            Rather than donating to phony gun groups and lying politicians, may I suggest you donate to the GRNC Political Victory Fund? GRNC is our federally registered political action committee, and is the instrument by which we “throw the bums out” and elect pro-Second Amendment candidates.

            And unlike the charlatans of phony gun groups, I don’t earn a dime for my work on behalf of gun rights. GRNC is an all-volunteer organization. We might not put out slick, high-dollar websites, but I guarantee we will put your money to more efficient, effective use in defending your rights than any other group.


Armatissimi e liberissimi,




 

President, Grass Roots North Carolina


Executive Director, Rights Watch International


Radio host, Guns, Politics and Freedom

Paid for by Grass Roots North Carolina Political Victory Fund. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee

[Crafty_Dog]

GRNC-PVF CANDIDATE RECOMMENDATIONS
FEDERAL RACES

US SENATE (R)

To replace retiring Sen. Richard Burr, the clear standout for gun voters in the race is Rep. TED BUDD (GRNC ****). Not only was Budd a Life member of GRNC long before running for Congress, he is also a gun shop owner. More importantly, he has compiled the best record on Second Amendment issues of any legislator in the NC delegation to Congress, including a 100% pro-gun voting record and co-sponsorship of several pro-gun bills. Budd and Rep. Dan Bishop have the distinction of being the only members of the NC delegation to vote against the National Defense Authorization Act because it contained “red flag” gun confiscation for military members. 

By contrast, opponent Pat McCrory (GRNC ***) is a RINO (“Republican in Name Only”) of the first order who has used a variety of false accusations to attack Budd. Worse, North Carolinians are still saddled with our Jim Crow era pistol purchase permit law – which urban sheriffs are using to obstruct handgun purchases – thanks to McCrory. In 2013, as governor, he threatened to veto omnibus pro-gun House Bill 937 unless the purchase permit repeal was removed from the bill.

Although some gun voters have supported Mark Walker in the race, he has no chance of winning the Republican nomination and acts principally as a spoiler by siphoning off votes needed by Budd to defeat McCrory. In this race, GRNC-PVF strongly recommends you vote for TED BUDD.

US HOUSE

Unfortunately, we are dealing with congressional districts imposed on us by the “special masters” which the Democrat-controlled NC Supreme Court selected to redraw districts after rejecting those drawn by the Republican-controlled legislature. Despite our Republican-leaning state, the “special masters” drew districts which, in normal election years, would yield 7 Democrats and 7 Republicans, effectively costing Republicans two seats. Given that NC picked up a congressional seat and that districts are new, the following analysis will also contain the partisan leaning of each district.

District 1 (R): In this Democrat-leaning (D+5) district, the Republican primary features 8 candidates, only three of which returned GRNC’s candidate survey: SANDY ROBERSON (100%, ****), SANDY SMITH (100%, ****), and BILLY STRICKLAND (100%, ****). Given identical survey scores and GRNC evaluations, GRNC-PVF can only recommend that you pick one of the three.

District 2: In this solidly Democrat (D+13) district, no Republican returned the GRNC survey. The seat is currently held by anti-gun Democrat Deborah Ross (0-star). GRNC-PVF has no recommendation in this district.

District 3 (R): In this solidly Republican (R+12) district, incumbent Greg Murphy (****) faces a field of four Republican challengers in which Brian Michael Friend and George J. Papastrat, returned the GRNC survey with scores of 93 and 91, respectively, giving both 4-star (****) evaluations. Because Murphy has dropped two gun votes in recent sessions of Congress, GRNC-PVF has no recommendation in the district.

District 4 (R): In what is the most Democrat district in NC (D+16), perennial anti-gun Democrat David Price retired, but with no less than 8 0-star Democrats vying to replace him, things in the district are not likely to improve. That said, in the race for the Republican nomination, GRNC-PVF recommends ROBERT THOMAS (GRNC survey: 98%, ****) over Courtney Geels (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).

District 5 (R): In this solidly Republican (R+10) district, GRNC-PVF recommends incumbent VIRGINIA FOXX (****) over challenger Michael Ackerman (survey: NR, 0-star), but notes that Foxx has dropped gun votes in recent sessions of Congress and should be watched carefully.

District 6 (R): In this Democrat-leaning (D+6) district, 7 Republicans are vying for the nomination to face anti-gun incumbent Kathy Manning (0-star). Mary Ann Contogiannis, Lee Haywood, William (Bill) Schuch, and Laura Pichardo returned GRNC’s survey, scoring 100, 98, 91 and 73, respectively. On the basis of Haywood’s history of conservative political activism, GRNC-PVF recommends LEE HAYWOOD.

District 7 (R): In this Republican-leaning (R+5) district, incumbent David Rouzer (pro-gun votes: 93%, ****) faces Max Southworth-Beckwith (GRNC survey: 98%, ****). Based on Rouzer’s long history of pro-gun votes, GRNC-PVF recommends DAVID ROUZER, but cautions that Rouzer did drop one vote in the current session of Congress.

District 8 (R): In this solidly Republican (R+17) district, incumbent Dan Bishop (pro-gun votes: 96%, ****) does not face a primary challenger, but deserves kudos for voting against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) because it contained “red flag” gun confiscation measures for military personnel. Among the NC delegation, only Bishop and Rep. Ted Budd had the guts to vote against the NDAA.

District 9 (R): In the most neutral of Republican-leaning (R+3) districts drawn, incumbent Richard Hudson (pro-gun votes: 82%, ****) faces 3 challengers, including Mike Andriani (GRNC survey 100%, ****) and Francisco Rios (GRNC survey: 100%, ****). Given two 4-star challengers and the fact that Hudson has dropped two gun votes in recent sessions of Congress, GRNC-PVF has no recommendation in this primary.

District 10 (R): In NC’s most Republican congressional district (R+19) Congressman Patrick McHenry (pro-gun votes: 92%, ****) faces four primary challengers. McHenry has been a friend of gun owners ever since his service in the NC House, including his effort to ensure passage of a clean concealed handgun reciprocity bill. Therefore, we are deeply concerned that Rep. McHenry recently dropped the NDAA vote described above. Owing to his long history of service to gun owners, GRNC-PVF continues to recommend PATRICK MCHENRY, but notes that with a primary featuring pro-gun Jeff Gregory (GRNC survey: 98%, GRNC ****), Congressman McHenry needs to focus on avoiding the inherently corrupting influences of incumbency.

District 11 (R): The Republican primary for this Republican-leaning (R+5) district is a slugfest featuring 7 Republican challengers to incumbent Republican Madison Cawthorn (pro-gun votes: 89%, ****). Cawthorn has made a series of gaffs, including being reprimanded by Republican leadership, which damage his legislative effectiveness. Combined with dropping the NDAA vote in his first term in office (he says he voted for it knowing the red flag language would be stripped in the Senate), gun voters in the district should consider replacing him. That replacement should NOT, however, be Wendy Marie-Limbaugh Nevarez, whom leftist Democrat Moe Davis (defeated by Cawthorn in 2020) recruited and for whom he is recruiting Democrats to change registration to vote for her. Challengers Rod Honeycutt and Michele V. Woodhouse both scored 100 on GRNC’s survey, earning 4-star evaluations, but the standout is Rep. CHUCK EDWARDS (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****), who is not only a federally licensed gun dealer, but has a 100% voting record in the NC House and has helped GRNC pass pro-gun legislation through the legislature. GRNC-PVF recommends CHUCK EDWARDS.

District 12: In this D+14 Democrat district, none of the 3 Republican challengers completed GRNC’s survey, giving all of them 0-star evaluations. But it doesn’t really matter because none of them can defeat ensconced leftist Democrat Alma Adams (0-star).

District 13 (R): The race for this open seat in the most competitive “swing” (D+1) district in the state features no less than 8 Republicans, 5 of which refused to return GRNC’s survey, earning them the lowest 0-star evaluation. The three 4-star Republicans are Renee Ellmers, DeVan Barbour, and Bo Hines. In previous service in the US House, Ellmers proved to be a disappointment. Trump has endorsed Hines, but some Johnston County Republicans object that he hasn’t lived in the district. GRNC-PVF has no recommendation in this race.

District 14: In this new, Democrat-leaning (D+6) district, the only candidate to return the GRNC survey was Jonathan Simpson, who scored only 79, earning a poor 2-star (**) evaluation. GRNC-PVF has no recommendation in this race.

STATE RACES

NC JUDICIAL RACES

The redistricting debacle, in which activist Democrats on the NC Supreme Court invented reasons to reduce the number of conservatives NC sends to Washington, emphasizes why Second Amendment voters MUST vote in judicial elections. Two seats on the NC Supreme Court and four on the NC Court of Appeals will be on the ballot in the state’s 2022 elections with majority control up for grabs in on each court. In particular, Republicans stand an excellent chance of reversing the 4-3 majority currently held by Democrats.

NC Supreme Court Seat 3: For this open seat, there are no primaries for either Republican or Democrat nominations. Court of Appeals Judge Richard Dietz will face Court of Appeals Judge Lucy Inman in November. Despite the lack of primaries, however, GRNC-PVF strongly recommends Judge RICHARD DIETZ, who is a strong originalist and constitutionalist who respects the Second Amendment and has argued gun rights before the US Supreme Court.

NC Supreme Court Seat 5: The race for this seat features two Republicans vying for the nomination to challenge incumbent Democrat Justice Same Ervin IV. The Republicans are Trey Allen, who previously clerked for conservative Chief Justice Paul Newby, and Court of Appeals Judge April Wood. Either Allen or Wood would likely be good on the court. However, if Wood won the race for NC Supreme Court, leftist Democrat Governor Roy Cooper would appoint a Democrat to replace her on the Court of Appeals, potentially shifting control of the Appeals Court to Democrats. For this reason, GRNC-PVF recommends TREY ALLEN for the Republican nomination.

NC Court of Appeals Seat 9 (Stroud seat): Although GRNC-PVF has supported incumbent Republican Donna Stroud in past elections, she faces District Court Judge Beth Freshwater-Smith, who is a stronger constitutionalist and Second Amendment supporter, in the Republican primary. GRNC-PVF recommends Judge BETH FRESHWATER-SMITH.

NC Court of Appeals Seat 11 (Jackson seat): In 2020, Gov. Cooper appointed former NC House Rep. Darren Jackson (GRNC 0-star) to a vacant seat which is now up for re-election. Jackson is an anti-gun leftist with only a 7% pro-gun voting record in the House. Republicans Charlton Allen and District Court Judge Michael Stading are vying for the Republican nomination to challenge Jackson. Because Stading is a strong constitutionalist who respects the Second Amendment, GRNC-PVF recommends Judge MICHAEL STADING.

NC SENATE

District 01 (R): In a district which found two Republicans “double bunked,” GRNC-PVF recommends NORMAN SANDERSON (pro-gun voting record: 100%, ****) over Bob Steinburg (pro-gun voting record: 84%, ***). 

District 04 (R): This race represents a rare opportunity for gun voters. In the Republican primary for NC Senate District 4, the GRNC-PVF strongly recommends BUCK NEWTON (pro-gun voting record: 100%, GRNC ****). In previous NC Senate service, Newton was a gun rights leader who wrote and sponsored numerous pro-gun bills. Meanwhile, opponent Joe DeMocko (GRNC survey: NR, GRNC 0-star) refused to return GRNC’s candidate survey, suggesting that he doesn’t want you to know where he stands on the Second Amendment. In this race, Newton is the clear choice.

District 05 (D): In this D+8 district, GRNC-PVF recommends LENTON CREDELLE BROWN (GRNC survey: 100%, ****) over Kandie D. Smith (NC House pro-gun voting record: 25%, 0-star).

District 10 (R): In this R+11 district, GRNC-PVF recommends BENTON SAWREY (GRNC survey: 100%, ****) over Matt Ansley and Jill Homan (both GRNC surveys: NR, 0-star).

District 12 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends incumbent JIM BURGIN (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) over challengers David Buboltz and Ernie Watson (both GRNC surveys: NR, 0-star).

District 13 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends DAVID BANKERT (GRNC survey: 96%, ****) over Jeff Werner (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).

District 18 (R): In this race, E.C. Sykes (GRNC survey: 95%, ****) and Dimitry Slabyak (GRNC survey: 93%, ****) both earned 4-star evaluations. Consequently, GRNC-PVF makes no recommendation in this race.

District 19 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends WESLEY MEREDITH (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) over Dennis Britt (GRNC survey: 100%, ****) due to Meredith’s voting record and history of bill sponsorship in previous NC Senate service.

District 30 (R): In this rematch, Steve Jarvis (****) and incumbent Eddie Gallimore (****) have both returned GRNC surveys (with 98% and 97%, respectively), both have 100% pro-gun voting records, and sponsored pro-gun legislation in the past (Gallimore in the NC Senate, Jarvis in the NC House). However, Gallimore is the more devoted Second Amendment supporter. GRNC-PVF recommends EDDIE GALLIMORE.

District 36 (R): Shirley Blackburn Randleman (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****), Lee Zachary (pro-gun votes: 87%, ****) and Eddie Settle (GRNC survey: 100%, ****) have all earned 4-star evaluations. However, GRNC-PVF recommends SHIRLEY BLACKBURN RANDLEMAN due to her 100% voting record in previous senate service.

District 37 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends VICKIE SAWYER (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) over Tom Fyler (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).

District 42 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends SCOTT STONE (pro-gun votes in previous service: 100%, ****) over Cheryl Russo (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).

District 46 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends WARREN DANIEL (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) over Mark Crawford (GRNC survey: 98%, ****).

District 47(R): An unfortunate race in which two pro-gun Republicans have been “double bunked.” Both Deanna Ballard (****) and Ralph Hise (****) have 100% pro-gun voting records. GRNC-PVF has no recommendation in this race.

NC HOUSE

District 5 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends DONALD KIRKLAND (GRNC survey: 92%, ****) over Bill Ward (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).

District 6 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends MURRAY SIMPKINS (GRNC survey: 99%, ****) over Joe Pike (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).

District 9 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends TONY MOORE (GRNC survey: 94%, ****) over Timothy Reeder (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).

District 13 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends either PETE BENTON (GRNC survey: 100%, ****) or CELESTE CAIRNS (GRNC survey: 100%, ****), but not Eden Gordon Hill (survey: NR, 0-star).

District 14 (R): Incumbent George Cleveland is one of the few long-term stalwart Second Amendment defenders of the NC House, with a 100% voting record and repeated 100% survey score, more than earning a GRNC 4-star evaluation (****). GRNC-PVF strongly recommends GEORGE CLEVELAND over challenger Debbie Burke (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).

District 25 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends ALLEN CHESSER (survey: 99%, ****) over Yvonne McLeod (survey: 87%, ***) or Alsey Heth Hopkins (survey: NR, 0-star).

District 26 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends incumbent DONNA MCDOWELL WHITE (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) over challenger Rick Walker (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).

District 28 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends LARRY STRICKLAND (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) over James Davenport (GRNC survey: 79%, **).

District 35 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends FRED VON CANON (GRNC survey 92%, ****) over Brandon Panameno (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).

District 43 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends DIANE WHEATLEY (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) over Clarence W. Goins, Jr. (GRNC survey: 94%, ****) due to Wheatley’s demonstrated voting record.

District 47 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends JARROD LOWERY (GRNC survey: 96%, ****) over Mickey Biggs (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).

District 52 (R): In another unfortunate double-bunking of Republicans with good voting records, GRNC-PVF recommends BEN MOSS (pro-gun votes: 100%, GRNC ****) over Jamie Boles (pro-gun votes: 95%, ****).

District 53 (R): Because voting record is a better measure of candidates than survey scores, GRNC-PVF recommends HOWARD PENNY, JR. (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) over Brian Hawley (GRNC survey: 100%, ****).

District 54 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends CRAIG KINSEY (GRNC survey: 100%, ****) over Walter Petty (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).

District 55 (R): Because voting record is a better measure of candidates than survey scores, GRNC-PVF recommends MARK BRODY (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) over Brandon Smith (GRNC survey: 96%, ****).

District 63 (R): Because voting record is a better measure of candidates than survey scores, GRNC-PVF recommends STEPHEN ROSS (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) over Ed Priola (GRNC survey: 100%, ****) or Peter Boykin (GRNC survey: 95%, ****).

District 65 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends A. REECE PYRTLE, JR. (GRNC survey: 94%, ****) over Joseph A. Gibson III (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).

District 70 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends incumbent PAT B. HURLEY (pro-gun votes: 94%, ****) over challenger Brian Biggs (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).

District 73 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends PARISH MOFFITT (GRNC survey: 100%, ****) over Catherine Whiteford (GRNC survey: 88%, ***) and Brian Echevarria (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).

District 78 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends CORY BORTREE (GRNC survey: 100%, ****) over David Ashley (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star) and Neal Jackson (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).

District 79 (R): GRNC-PVF strongly recommends incumbent KEITH KIDWELL (pro-gun votes: 100%) over challenger Ed Hege (GRNC survey: 100%, ****). Kidwell has been a leader for gun rights, sponsoring numerous pro-gun bills.

District 83 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends BRAD JENKINS (GRNC survey: 100%, ****) over Kevin Crutchfield (GRNC survey: 88%, ***) and Grayson Haff (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).

District 89 (R): Because voting record is a better measure of candidates than survey scores, GRNC-PVF recommends MITCH SETZER (pro-gun votes: 98%, ****) over Benjamin Devine (GRNC survey: 100%, ****). Kelli Weaver Moore (GRNC survey: 84%, ***).

District 90 (R): Incumbent Sarah Stevens (pro gun votes: 93%, ***) dropped votes in years past but has voted with gun owners in recent years. Challenger Benjamin Romans returned a 100% survey, earning four stars (****). GRNC-PVF has no recommendation in this race.

District 91 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends incumbent KYLE HALL (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) over James Douglas (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star) and Stephen L. James (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).

District 109 (R): In this four-way Republican primary, Donnie Loftis is the incumbent but has no voting record because he was recently appointed to fill a vacant seat. GRNC-PVF recommends DONNIE LOFTIS (GRNC survey: 95%, ****) over Lauren Bumgardner Current (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star), John Gouch (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star) and Ronnie Worley (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).

District 113 (R): Another unfortunate district in which redistricting double-bunked two pro-gun Republicans, Jake Johnson (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) and David Rogers (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) have identical voting and survey scores. GRNC-PVF has no recommendation in this race.

District 117 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends DENNIS JUSTICE (GRNC survey: 96%, ****) over Jennifer Capps Balkcom (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star) and Chelsea Walsh (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).

This message supporting the above-named candidates was authorized and paid for solely by the Grass Roots North Carolina Political Victory Fund. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

[Crafty_Dog]

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/over-60k-voters-nc-are-either-dead-registered-twice-under-similar-name-or

[Crafty_Dog]

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/04/28/tillis-cornyn-start-talks-democrats-promote-amnesty-hundreds-thousands-illegals/

[Crafty_Dog]

Second post:


https://saveourstates.com/take-action/north-carolina?fbclid=IwAR29GlZ-RDXl5Ux3VXbowHCcXdGMVqceRhIWsgQfrapvXPNdDFE7n29cfps

[Crafty_Dog]

NORTH  CAROLINA CAUTION:

In regards to all the people wanting to move here from New York and California as well as many other heavily populated cities across the country, as well as those wanting to visit...

Before you come to North Carolina to visit you must be aware of what is happening here. There's a housing shortage, rent has tripled, and folks are vacationing here in record numbers...

So if you plan on moving here, or just plan on vacationing at our beaches, hill country, mountains or lakes this summer, I think you should know that wolf spiders, fire ants and bedbugs have infested hotels and motels across the area due to dryer than usual weather. The woods will eat you alive with ticks and chiggers.

Our lakes are full of gators, fresh water sharks, and creepy old guys wearing speedos.

Our rivers are full of drunks in tubes peeing themselves while the banjo players lay waiting in the bushes.

Carolina panthers have eaten many domesticated animals and possibly some small children.

The local bear and coyote population are all 'in heat' and think your wife/girlfriend is hot.

Snakes... don’t even get me started on the water headed copper moccasins here, and the Diamond Back Rattler Cobras.
The poison ivy has overtaken all other vegetation.

We have had bear sightings at every park and town and they are after your picnic baskets….and some cougars have been spotted in motel rooms and bars.

Watch out for the jackalopes, they have been extremely aggressive this season.

We have the Skunk Ape invading our parks and it’s their mating season. Porcupines are "stabbing" small children should they dare to utilize the local playground equipment.

Skunks have made their way over and multiplied at unprecedented rates and wander the local campgrounds in packs looking for beer.

Murder hornets!?! We’ve got great black clouds of murder hornets, and swarms of giant crickets and even some attack grasshoppers.

Scorpions have now migrated here and have been congregating in massive quantities under rocks, logs, wooden steps, automobiles, and tarantulas are now stealing peoples food and biting like crazy.

I’m pretty sure all private tiger owners (we had a jump in them after Tiger King) have released their cats into the streets of our cities and towns.

Head lice now fly and we have vampire bats.

Oh, and no one is vaccinated.

I hear Idaho and Louisiana are really nice though.” 👍🏼

[Crafty_Dog]

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/20/democrats-north-carolina-senate-00033887?fbclid=IwAR2eq3s7UUVilnxuVQ2lxVo40BAJfBOyzE2BozxMCQQBy5r-OxLVDZCPcME

[Crafty_Dog]

https://readlion.com/2022/05/27/north-carolina-senate-committee-approves-parental-rights-in-education-bill/?fbclid=IwAR1mK2sBlBmZ6Qc9Xzp5rJbe51BOetYvZa-w67cdCBc50ocIyxxZz36YgCY

[ccp]

legislature wants voter photo ID, it enforced while harvard lib did not:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/supreme-court-rules-gop-lawmakers-141909882.html

now look at Josh Stein's election history ; out of over 5.3 million votes cast in 2020 Stein only was elected back as State AG by 13,000

In other words looks like he cannot win without cheating :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Stein

[Crafty_Dog]

https://www.theepochtimes.com/supreme-court-allows-gop-legal-defense-of-north-carolinas-embattled-voter-id-law_4553386.html?utm_source=News&utm_campaign=breaking-2022-06-23-3&utm_medium=email&est=xoDbkdKGR%2Bpqo%2B31ct9r5lsY8%2Fd8v9Dd%2B9u%2BKDBFobnPDiekdCC3z9lLJGNMCE7DPcT%2F

[Crafty_Dog]

https://www.carolinajournal.com/green-party-says-democrats-used-tricks-to-block-them-from-ballot/?fbclid=IwAR2NAYFtZfQjPLMaa74-N0jipiVFaHWGeKH9p7qhtJH3P8ogRR1GjC_jVLc

[Crafty_Dog]

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/aug/31/ice-identifies-cop-killer-suspects-illegal-immigra/?utm_source=Boomtrain&utm_medium=subscriber&utm_campaign=evening&utm_term=evening&utm_content=evening&bt_ee=dQ%2BozDfIz8DzmOHytyLg0A563Zq4GY1DU0lz8z5AHV6%2B3nIsivv6pd26CINzuxVs&bt_ts=1661977537390

[Crafty_Dog]

Court of appeals: North Carolina fisheries challenge can continue

BY GARY D. ROBERTSON ASSOCIATED PRESS RALEIGH, N.C. | Coastal recreational anglers can keep suing the state of North Carolina over accusations that government regulators have devastated nearshore fishing stocks in violation of the state constitution, the state Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.

The Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina and more than 80 individuals sued the state in 2020, alleging it had failed its fiduciary duty to protect the state’s fisheries from overfishing.

Their complaint cited constitutional provisions giving people the right to hunt and fish and making it the state’s policy “to conserve and protect its lands and waters for the benefit of all its citizenry.”

The constitutional right to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife was approved by voters in November 2018. The “conserve and protect” language cited in the lawsuit was added to the constitution in 1972.

In particular, the anglers blamed the state Division of Marine Fisheries and state Marine Fisheries Commission for allowing excessive for-profit commercial fishing and certain fishing methods that they say have led to dramatic declines in certain fish stocks since 1997. The plaintiffs want a court to declare violations have occurred and to force the state to make changes.

Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins refused last year to dismiss the lawsuit. He rejected arguments by state Department of Justice attorneys that individual rights haven’t been violated in the challenged constitutional provisions, which in part only clarifies state policies and functions.

The state attorneys also said the state hasn’t waived sovereign immunity, which exempts state government from lawsuits unless an agency consents to be sued.

The state appealed Judge Collins’ ruling.

Court of Appeals Judge Toby Hampson wrote Tuesday that state courts hadn’t previously ruled until now whether sovereign immunity bars someone from suing to enforce the state’s “public trust” obligations.

The public trust doctrine states that natural resources are held in the government’s trust to benefit current and future generations.

But Judge Hampton said a review of North Carolina law by the three-judge panel hearing the case determines that sovereign immunity doesn’t bar such claims.

“The doctrine of sovereign immunity will not stand as a barrier to North Carolina citizens who seek to remedy violations of their rights guaranteed under the North Carolina Constitution,” Judge Hampson wrote in the unanimous opinion.

And he said the plaintiffs’ alleged wrongs — the inability to protect public waters and to carry out the right to harvest fish — can’t be addressed through any other means.

The Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina praised Tuesday’s decision, which was agreed to by Court of Appeals Judges Hunter Murphy and April Wood.

[Crafty_Dog]

     I don’t think I need to tell you about the importance to gun rights of the 2022 elections. For example, leftist and former NC Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley, if elected to the U.S. Senate, has admitted she would “be the 51st vote to end the filibuster…”

          And if Beasley is allowed to cast a vote ending the filibuster, the ban on semi-automatic firearms Democrats have been trying to pass, as well as universal gun registration (aka “universal background checks”) will become law shortly thereafter.

   That is one of many reasons we need to elect Ted Budd (GRNC ****) to the U.S. Senate. In addition to being a gun shop owner and GRNC Life member long before being elected to Congress, Budd has a perfect 100% pro-gun voting record and the best pro-gun bill sponsorship record in the entire NC delegation to Congress.

          The problem is that the current RealClear Politics polling average puts Budd only 1.3 ahead of Beasley (RCP Average 44.8/43.5).

[Crafty_Dog]

Because of your kind 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.
Did you know: 

A pistol purchase permit is valid for 5 years from the date it is issued. Therefore, an applicant does not have to immediately use it, but can hold on to the permit and use it later.


A sheriff can only issue a pistol purchase permit to residents of their county with only one exception. A sheriff can issue a pistol purchase permit to a non-resident if the permit is for collecting (as long as the non-resident meets all other requirements for a permit).   


By statute, a sheriff can only charge $5.00 for each permit requested and cannot limit the number or frequency of pistol permit applications. 


A sheriff is required to keep a list of county residents who receive pistol purchase permits. This list must include the date of issuance, name, age, place of residence, and former place of residence of each person, firm, or corporation to whom a permit has been issued. This list is not public record.


If a permit is revoked, the list must be updated to include the date that a permit was revoked, the date the permittee received notice of the revocation, whether the permit was surrendered, as well as the reason for the revocation.


Even with the addition of information about revocations, this list remains confidential and is not public record.


However, the list or information related to a particular permit issued can be made available upon request to any federal, State, and local law enforcement agency. Additionally, the sheriff will make the records available to a court if required to be released by court order.


A sheriff is also required to keep a list of permit denials. That list must include the specific reasons for the denial. However, the list cannot contain any information that would identify the applicant. Unlike the list of issued permits which is not public record, this list of denied permits is public record.

[Crafty_Dog]

North Carolina Senate Race Spotlights Shrinking Slice of Persuadable Voters
‘This is the closest race in the country nobody’s talking about,’ said one Democratic strategist in the state

Facing a tight race, North Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Cheri Beasley, right, says she may sway some voters angry over abortion restrictions.
PHOTO: JOSHUA JAMERSON/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
By Joshua JamersonFollow
Oct. 24, 2022 5:30 am ET

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TEXT
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GREENSBORO, N.C.—In one of the closest Senate contests in the country, both political parties have emphasized energizing their bases more than trying to persuade a shrinking pool of undecided voters ahead of the midterm elections.

The race between Democrat Cheri Beasley, a former chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, and Rep. Ted Budd, a Republican backed by former President Donald Trump, has been close for months, as many elections in North Carolina have been in recent years. Mr. Budd holds a roughly 2.6 percentage-point edge, according to polling aggregator FiveThirtyEight.

There is no incumbent on the ballot as the pair vie to fill an open seat vacated by retiring GOP Sen. Richard Burr, and the race hasn’t gotten the same national attention or become the center of controversy as have some states with high-profile candidates on the ballot.

“This is the closest race in the country nobody’s talking about,” said Morgan Jackson, a Democratic strategist in the state.

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Control of Congress is up for grabs and candidates are eager to sway voters heading into November. WSJ’s Joshua Jamerson explains how Republicans and Democrats are framing the debate around key issues like the economy, abortion, gun violence, immigration and student loan forgiveness. Photo illustration: Laura Kammermann
The slice of the state’s electorate that is seen as persuadable is getting smaller, a trend that has shown up in many parts of the country, strategists from both parties said. In North Carolina, where the state’s voter-registration system allows for voters to be unaffiliated with either party, strategists say even those voters typically lean heavily to one side of the aisle.

“It just feels like there are fewer and fewer people who are gettable, and more and more people who put their jerseys on at the beginning of the cycle,” said Jordan Shaw, a GOP strategist in North Carolina and a former top aide to GOP Sen. Thom Tillis.

Both candidates in recent weeks held events in places where they expected to find their strongest supporters. Ms. Beasley rallied voters at a brewery in downtown Asheville, a Democratic stronghold in the western part of the state. Mr. Budd held a rally with Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s son and a celebrity on the right.


Ted Budd, left, appeared at a recent rally with Donald Trump Jr.
PHOTO: MELISSA SUE GERRITS/GETTY IMAGES
Mr. Jackson, the Democratic strategist, said Ms. Beasley was unlikely to win many rural counties but said she could convince enough Democrats there to show up to eat into Mr. Budd’s margins. Mr. Shaw, the GOP strategist, said Mr. Budd had an advantage in that Republicans are motivated to vote this year in a bad national environment for Democrats.

Many North Carolinians did split their tickets here in 2020, when former President Trump and Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, both won the state. But nationally, 2020 marked a 20-year low for ticket-splitting, according to Republican pollster Bill McInturff. Some 11% of the electorate were ticket-splitters in 2020 compared with 20% in 2016 and 36% in 2000.

Senate Leadership Fund, the super political-action committee that supports Republican Senate candidates, has reserved a total of $30 million in TV ads in the state, according to ad-tracker AdImpact.

Senate Majority PAC, the super PAC run by allies of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), recently injected roughly $4 million in TV ad reservations in the state, bringing its total here to about $12 million, according to AdImpact.

North Carolina has backed Republicans for president since 2012 and senate since 2014, but voters here twice picked Mr. Cooper, a Democrat, for governor, giving Democrats hope that Ms. Beasley has a path to an upset victory. Some North Carolina Democrats have been calling on Washington officials to send more money as polls showed a close race. Asked whether she needed more money from the national party, Ms. Beasley said: “I would never say no.”


Many North Carolinians split their tickets in 2020, when former President Trump and Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, both won the state.
PHOTO: GRANT BALDWIN/POOL/SHUTTERSTOCK
The candidates in North Carolina say they could persuade some voters outside their camps. Mr. Budd told reporters that the economy was front of mind for voters and that he thought high prices would persuade some Democrats and independents to vote for him.

Asked in an interview whether President Biden deserves some blame for higher prices, Ms. Beasley declined to say yes or no. “I think really the bottom line is how do we get out of it,” she said. An aide said the campaign was advertising on lowering the cost of living, such as capping the cost of insulin.

She said some voters who aren’t registered Democrats, especially women, would be persuaded to vote for her because of Mr. Budd’s opposition to abortion. He supports a bill introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) that would limit abortions nationwide after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

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Mr. Budd defended his decision to support the bill, which he described as a counterweight to a Democratic bill that would stop states from enacting restrictions on abortion before fetal viability. “I’d prefer it be in the state capitals,” Mr. Budd said. The GOP bill hasn’t gotten a vote in Congress. The Democratic bill passed the House but hasn’t cleared the Senate.

Both Democratic and Republican voters in North Carolina said they liked their party’s candidates, but they loathed the opponent just as much if not more.

“If she gets in, I think that our situation here in North Carolina would be awful. I really do,” Janet Macrae, a homemaker from just outside Greensboro, N.C., said of Ms. Beasley.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
What’s your outlook on the Senate race in North Carolina? Join the conversation below.

Ms. Macrae, who attended the Donald Trump Jr. rally for Mr. Budd, said she generally thought Democrats were too soft on illegal immigration, which was her No. 1 voting issue this fall, above rising prices. “If we’re not secure, I don’t think inflation makes any difference,” she said.

Leslie Carey, a mother of four in Hendersonville, N.C., said that she typically votes Democratic and that the Supreme Court’s decision this year eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion made her want to double down on Democrats. For the first time, the stress-management consultant is knocking on doors to encourage people to vote in her community, which backed Mr. Biden in 2020 and is surrounded by rural neighborhoods that backed Mr. Trump, according to a WSJ analysis of Census Bureau data.

“I thought [abortion] was just used to raise money. I didn’t really believe that they would take that away,” Ms. Carey said. “Because I was feeling so helpless, the only way I sought to control the situation was to go and talk to people on my side.”

Natalie Andrews contributed to this article.

Write to Joshua Jamerson at joshua.jamerson+1@wsj.com

[Crafty_Dog]

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/exclusive-new-report-accuses-uncs-medical-school-of-putting-politics-before-patients/?bypass_key=b2VCOTQrMTZYNldXYXdwdmk0dGV2UT09OjpWRUo2ZG1aMVNXVkdkQzlQVUhsYVRtdGFSRVpRUVQwOQ%3D%3D?utm_source%3Demail&utm_medium=breaking&utm_campaign=newstrack&utm_term=29571059&utm_source=Sailthru

[Crafty_Dog]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Release date:            November 9, 2022

NC Gun Voters Win Big

Grass Roots North Carolina recommended

candidates make nearly a clean sweep

[Raleigh] In Tuesday’s biggest election victory, NC gun voters are sending Ted Budd to the U.S. Senate to replace retiring RINO Richard Burr. As a gun shop owner and strong Second Amendment supporter, Budd will be a considerable asset in the Senate.

Judicial races

Equally large were gun voters’ judicial victories, where we made a clean sweep of NC Supreme Court and NC Court of Appeals races. Thanks to victories by strong constitutional conservatives Richard Dietz and Trey Allen, Republicans will now control the NC Supreme Court by a 5-2 margin – something that will serve North Carolinians well as we continue to struggle over redistricting and our as-yet-unimplemented voter ID law.

Congressional races

Despite having a partisan, Democrat-led NC Supreme Court throw out and essentially redraw congressional districts, we were still able to send Chuck Edwards to the U.S. House in District 11. Edwards is a strong Second Amendment advocate who has been of considerable service to gun rights supporters in the General Assembly.

NC General Assembly (NCGA) races

In unofficial results, it appears that gun voters achieved a super-majority in the NC Senate, with 30 seats, and 71 seats in the NC House, just one seat shy of a supermajority. Here too GRNC-PVF was highly successful, winning in 8 of 10 targeted Senate races and 10 of 16 targeted House races.

Big individual wins

The GRNC Political Victory Fund was able to return Buck Newton to the NC Senate, where he had previously been a stalwart sponsor of gun rights legislation. Meanwhile, GRNC-PVF again defeated Christy Clark in Mecklenburg County. Clark is a “Mom’s Demand Action” Bloomberg gun ban advocate who briefly served in the seat before GRNC-PVF defeated her in 2020.

The GRNC and GRNC Political Victory Fund election effort included:

►   1+ million Ted Budd ads delivered to mobile devices via sophisticated “geofencing” apps;

►   1+ million email election alerts sent for NCGA races and judicial races;

►   150,000 “Remember in November” voter guides, with 120,000 mailed directly to voters;

►   60,000 GRNC-PVF postcard election alerts into targeted NCGA and judicial races;

►   98,000 “Peer-to-Peer” text messages in targeted NCGA and congressional races;

►   20,000 automated telephone alerts into targeted NCGA and judicial races.

Said GRNC president Paul Valone:

“I am deeply grateful to the many volunteers who made our victories possible. As an all-volunteer organization, GRNC is able to get more ‘bang for the buck’ when doing independent expenditures for and against candidates, allowing us to better shape a political environment conducive to gun rights.

“Now GRNC is calling upon Republican leadership to acknowledge the gains given them by gun voters by passing an aggressive Second Amendment legislative agenda. In particular, we are interested in joining the 25 states which have successfully adopted permitless or ‘constitutional carry’ laws, as well as repealing our Jim Crow era pistol purchase permit law and closing the ‘church loophole’ which prohibits lawful North Carolinians from protecting their families in churches which sponsor schools. GRNC’s legislative action team will be highly active in pursuing those objectives.”

For more information: www.GRNC.org

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

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.

##############

[DougMacG]

https://www.thepilot.com/news/substations-vandalized-by-gunfire-more-than-half-of-county-without-power/article_b3b19780-7370-11ed-865d-c78d0de5d921.html

[DougMacG]

https://redstate.com/jenvanlaar/2022/12/04/intentional-vandalism-causes-mass-power-outage-in-nc-county-bordering-ft-bragg-n668598

[Crafty_Dog]

NOT "vandalism"!!!

Sabotage!!!


This article is a few days old but gives the gist.
https://www.armytimes.com/.../how-army-commands-are.../

Collating various news sources since then we have:

Attack showed specific knowledge of the two power substations in question, both in terms of location, the targeting of the equipment, and the ammunition used.

DHS types blame "accelerationists".

Progs blame Christian groups for protesting a concurrent drag show that had invited children.

Logical people think the possibility of disgruntled employees should be seriously considered.

Early reports included reference to gun store being robbed, but subsequent reports did not mention this. Spur of the moment crime seeking to take opportunity of no electricity for alarms? Or related?

[ccp]

someone said they shot several hundreds of yards away?
that is sniper range if true

sounds like they knew exactly what to shoot at

hacks on CNN
a day or two ago :

most likely right wing terrorists
 included in story
with zero evidence
got the story line out there

 

[Crafty_Dog]

The other unsupported smear is that it was Proud Boys and Christians protesting Drag Queen show that had invited children (to duck the heat they withdrew that, but word may not have spread.

[DougMacG]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11515081/Authorities-confirm-five-attacks-electricity-substations-Washington-Oregon-month.html

https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/southeast/report-shows-intrusions-at-6-power-stations-in-florida/

[Crafty_Dog]

Good stuff, but let's post them here:

https://firehydrantoffreedom.com/index.php?topic=1903.msg30761#msg30761

[ccp]

how come not in Kalifornia or NY or NJ?

 

[Crafty_Dog]

Upon reflection this might be better yet:

https://firehydrantoffreedom.com/index.php?topic=2430.50

[Crafty_Dog]

https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_app/north-carolina-supreme-court-blocks-voter-id-law-over-discriminatory-intent_4930525.html?utm_source=Goodevening&src_src=Goodevening&utm_campaign=gv-2022-12-17&src_cmp=gv-2022-12-17&utm_medium=email&est=cVolfhHDRW6piSafmRlaU4XNTHlNWJCZWPcWk8p6jUJlqlU2VO%2FG7CzWHqLJ8s4%2FQn5X

North Carolina Supreme Court Blocks Voter ID Law Over ‘Discriminatory Intent’
By Zachary Stieber December 17, 2022 Updated: December 17, 2022biggersmaller Print

North Carolina’s top court has upheld the permanent block against a voter identification law, finding that lawmakers enacted it with “discriminatory intent.”

More African-American voters lack identification required under the law, Senate Bill 824, and a previous voter identification law was determined to be unconstitutional for that reason. That was part of a reason a panel of North Carolina judges used to conclude in September 2021 that Senate Bill 824 ran afoul of the equal protection clause in North Carolina’s Constitution. The clause states: “no person shall be denied the equal protection of the laws; nor shall any person be subjected to discrimination by the State because of race, color, religion, or national origin.”

In a narrow 4–3 ruling on Dec. 16, the North Carolina Supreme Court upheld that earlier conclusion.

“We hold that the sequence of events leading up to S.B. 824’s passage supports the determination that S.B. 824 was enacted with the discriminatory intent to target African-American voters,” Justice Anita Earls, writing for the majority, said. “In doing so, we do not conclude that the General Assembly harbored racial animus; however, we conclude just as the trial court did, that in passing S.B. 824, the Republican majority ‘targeted voters who, based on race, were unlikely to vote for the majority party.'”

Acceptable forms of identification include driver’s licenses, passports, and student IDs.

The law was enacted in late 2018, with supermajorities of Republican lawmakers in both legislative chambers overriding a veto of Democrat North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. The law came after voters approved a constitutional amendment to require voter identification.

Before its passage, several Democrats said that data showed a larger percentage of black voters than white voters lacked the identification allowed under the proposal, but their concerns did not result in any changes to the bill.

Before the passage of the previous law, House Bill 589, lawmakers reviewed state data that showed more Democrat voters lacked the appropriate identification when compared to Republicans, and that most of the Democrat voters were black.

Most of the same lawmakers who voted for House Bill 589 voted to override Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill 824, the panel noted. It found that Republicans supported the bill “with limited analysis and scrutiny” in order to approve it before the party lost its supermajorities in the next session, a development that came because Democrats flipped a number of seats in the 2018 election.

Also counted against the defendants, including Republican North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore, were “limited Democratic involvement” in the bill, the rejection of many Democrat-proposed amendments, and a lack of intent to help address the racial differences in identification holders.

Defendants have argued that provisions that were included in the bill, such as ordering county boards of elections to issue voter identification cards for free upon request, undercut the claims in the case. But prospective voters would have to go to a different location than a voting place to obtain the IDs, which could prove burdensome, the panel found.

The majority of the North Carolina Supreme Court said that their ruling should not be taken as saying no voter identification requirement laws are allowed, but that such laws should be less restrictive.

The majority was composed of Justices Robin Hudson, Samuel Ervin IV, Earls, and Michael Morgan.

All three Republicans on the court dissented from the new ruling.

In a dissenting opinion, one of them, Justice Philip Berger Jr., joined by Justices Paul Newby and Tamara Barringer, said that the legislature acted appropriately after voters approved a constitutional amendment.

“The plain language of S.B. 824 shows no intent to discriminate against any group or individual, and there is no evidence that S.B. 824 was passed with race in mind, let alone a racially discriminatory intent. The majority relies, as it must, on a misapplication of relevant case law and on its own inferences to reach a contrary,” he said.

He also noted that the new law enabled voters to vote without an ID if they produced a declaration that they suffered from a “reasonable impediment” to obtaining an acceptable form of identification.

North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger said that a new voter identification law will be passed in 2023.

“If Democrats on the state Supreme Court can’t respect the will of the voters, the General Assembly will,” he said in a statement.

“We need to go back to the drawing board, and work in good faith to pass a voter ID law that will pass constitutional muster,” added Dan Blue, the leader of the state Senate Democrats.

Makeup to Change; Another Ruling
The new ruling came as North Carolina’s Supreme Court makeup is set to change.

In the midterm elections, Republican lawyer Trey Allen beat Ervin.

An open seat was won by Republican Richard Dietz.

Republicans will soon hold a 5–2 majority.

In another 4–3 party-line opinion released just before the change, the majority blocked North Carolina’s remedial Senate map, finding it unconstitutionally set boundaries to manipulate election results. [delete]

A remedial House map was approved, as was a congressional map.

In a dissenting opinion, Newby said the majority was trying to usurp the role of the legislative branch, which is charged with redistricting.

In an earlier ruling, he said, “the majority effectively amended the state constitution to establish a redistricting commission composed of judges and political science experts,” adding, “When, however, this commission, using the majority’s redistricting criteria, reached an outcome with which the majority disagrees, the majority freely reweighs the evidence and substitutes its own fact-finding for that of the three-judge panel.”

[ccp]

 

why is voting different from the 50,000 other things we need ID for?

citizens  have no responsibility to get an ID

but then are deemed responsible enough to vote?

zero logic

all political BS

 4-3 decision

low and behold - what a surprise -  4 dems and 3 repubs on Court

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolina_Supreme_Court

gee I wonder who voted which way? !

[Crafty_Dog]

"The new ruling came as North Carolina’s Supreme Court makeup is set to change.

"In the midterm elections, Republican lawyer Trey Allen beat Ervin.

"An open seat was won by Republican Richard Dietz.

"Republicans will soon hold a 5–2 majority."

In my circles a real effort was made to spread the word to vote for the Rep candidates.

[Crafty_Dog]

https://sandhillssentinel.com/suspicious-man-carrying-rifle-arrested/

https://sandhillssentinel.com/meet-moore-people-kelly-ritter/

[Crafty_Dog]

https://sandhillssentinel.com/top-ranking-affirms-moore-countys-economy-is-consistently-strong-and-growing-2/

https://sandhillssentinel.com/antisemitic-sign-removed-from-bridge-in-vass/
I turn off at this point when I go to the gun range.

[ccp]

my nephew niece lived in Pinehurst for couple of yrs

got married while there

both majors in Army

they can both kick my ass.....

[Crafty_Dog]

My second gym is in Pinehurst.

[Crafty_Dog]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/new-anti-semitic-sign-seen-in-moore-county-christmas-day-1-week-after-first-sign-spotted/ar-AA15FvUz?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=81bc4e09ab0d4c1c8eafe30b3e1f9dec

[DougMacG]

https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/3789863-free-and-fair-voting-or-rigging-elections-supreme-court-will-decide/

[Crafty_Dog]

https://sandhillssentinel.com/hudson-surveys-moore-county-power-station-2/

[Crafty_Dog]

https://www.wspa.com/news/state-news/randolph-county-substation-damaged-by-gunfire-weeks-after-similar-attack-in-moore-county/
Randolph Co. substation damaged by gunfire weeks after similar attack in Moore Co. (wspa.com)

"The banner, first of two, included the language “bring it all down” with a link to a Telegram channel for the neo-Nazi group National Socialist Resistant Front. The channel includes graphics with the same language imposed over a graphic of a power substation. Both this and the second banner included the number 1488, a known white supremacist symbol.

"North Carolina men were among at least two groups of men with neo-Nazi ties awaiting sentencing in connection to plans to attack power substations. The plots were uncovered in 2020 and 2021 and covered numerous states.

"Three men pleaded guilty to a 2021 plot in February of 2022, and several men were indicted by the Eastern District of North Carolina in a 2020 plot. Both of these cases involved groups planning attacks on substations in different states, primarily using high-powered automatic weapons."

https://myfox8.com/news/investigations/power-grid-attack/neo-nazi-power-substation-plots/

MOORE COUNTY POWER GRID ATTACK
North Carolina men among several charged in various neo-Nazi plots against power substations in 2020, 2021
by: Emily Mikkelsen

Posted: Dec 30, 2022 / 10:16 AM EST

Updated: Jan 4, 2023 / 05:45 AM EST

SHARE
HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) — At least two groups of men with neo-Nazi ties have been charged or convicted in connection to plans to attack power substations, and some of those men have ties to North Carolina.

The plots were uncovered in 2020 and 2021, and covered numerous states.

Three men pleaded guilty to a 2021 plot in February of 2022, and several men indicted by the Eastern District of North Carolina in a 2020 plot are awaiting trial. Both of these cases involved groups planning attacks on substations in different states, primarily using high-powered automatic weapons.

Other than shared white supremacist ideology, it does not seem that the cases are directly connected. The planning in both of them also shares similarities with the attack in Moore County, although no group has taken responsibility for the shooting of the two substations in early December.

In October of 2020, Liam Collins, Paul Kryscuk and Jordan Duncan were charged with conspiracy to unlawfully manufacture, possess and distribute various weapons and weapon accessories. At the time of their arrest, the three men lived in Boise, Idaho. All of the charges came from the Eastern District of North Carolina. Collins and Duncan were both Marines stationed at Camp Lejeune. Collins was originally from New Jersey, while Duncan was from North Carolina.

In November 2020, Justin Wade Hermanson, a North Carolina man who was in the same Marine unit as Collins at Camp Lejeune, was charged with one count of conspiracy to manufacture firearms and ship interstate. After two superseding indictments, he pleaded guilty on March 8, 2022.


In June of 2021, Joseph Maurino, a New Jersey National Guardsman, was also indicted, accused of supplying untraceable guns to the other men.

In August 2021, Kryscuk, Collins, Duncan and Maurino received a third superseding indictment. They were charged with conspiracy to damage property of a United States energy facility.

The indictment alleges that the four men researched and discussed at length a previous attack on power infrastructure by an unknown group, using assault-style rifles. The indictment alleges that for three years, between 2017 and 2020, Kryscuk manufactured guns and Collins, stationed at Camp Lejeune at the time, stole military gear and had them delivered to the other men. Duncan gathered “a library of information,” some military owned, about weapons, toxins and explosives.

The indictment goes into detail about how Collins and Kryscuk met on “Iron March,” a now-defunct forum for neo-Nazis to organize and recruit. They moved to encrypted messaging to talk outside of the forum, recruiting the other three accused men.


Video footage obtained show the men shooting guns, wearing AtomWaffen style-masks while giving Nazi salutes. The phrase “come home white man” is seen in the video.

Supposedly, Collins and Duncan moved from North Carolina and Texas respectively to Boise where Kryscuk relocated in 2020 in order to be closer to him.

The most recent document filed in the case against the men was a continuance, granted in early December of 2022.

In February of 2022, three men pleaded guilty to a plot to attack power substations in multiple states.


Court documents indicate that Christopher Cook, Jonathan Frost, and Jackson Sawall pleaded guilty to a count of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.

“These three defendants admitted to engaging in a disturbing plot, in furtherance of white supremacist ideology, to attack energy facilities in order to damage the economy and stoke division in our country,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen.

“These defendants conspired to use violence to sow hate, create chaos, and endanger the safety of the American people,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio.

“The defendants in this case wanted to attack regional power substations and expected the damage would lead to economic distress and civil unrest,” said Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “These individuals wanted to carry out such a plot because of their adherence to racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist views. When individuals move from espousing particular views to planning or committing acts of violence the FBI will investigate and take action to stop their plans. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities.”


Frost and Cook met in 2019 in an online chat group. They then began recruiting people to join in their plan of attacking power infrastructure, circulating neo-Nazi books. Sawall, a friend of Cook’s, joined them in their planning.

Each of them was “assigned” a substation in different parts of the country, and they would attack those electrical substations or power grids with high-powered rifles. They discussed how this would cause enough unrest in the country incite some sort of race war or financial collapse.

Frost gave Cook and Sawall “suicide necklaces” when they met up in Columbus, Ohio. These had fentanyl in then, documents say. The men expressed a “commitment to dying in furtherance of their mission.”

While in Columbus, they graffitied a bridge at an area park with a swastika and the words “Join the Front.” Sawall took his “suicide pill” during a traffic stop and “derailed” their plans for additional vandalism and propaganda in the area.

The three have a hearing on Jan. 4, 2023 “for the purpose of providing the government and defense counsel the opportunity to present evidence and argument which would assist the court in determining the magnitude of the risk this conspiracy posed to the national power grid.”

Unsealed court documents show that in the first week of December, an emergency bond revocation was filed for Cook and Sawall, and a warrant was issued for Cook to be taken back into custody. Electronics were seized from Cook on Dec. 5.

Moore County
On Dec. 3, two Duke Energy substations were attacked with high-powered rifles by unknown suspects. No group or ideology has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Moore County Sheriff’s Office says they’ve received numerous tips as they continue to investigate.

Two neo-Nazi banners have been put up on overpasses on US 1 in Moore County, one in the Vass area and the other in Cameron. The first was put up in the morning before Hannukah was set to start, and the second on Christmas.




The first banner included the language “bring it all down.” The Telegram channel for this neo-Nazi group, National Socialist Resistant Front, includes graphics with the same language imposed over a graphic of a power substation.

The second used the phrase “a touch of death” which doesn’t seem to have any specific Nazi ties and is the title of a pulp noir novel.

The sheriff’s office says they don’t have any indication that these incidents are connected to the power substations.

Raw Story reports, however, that documents that contained instructions on the destruction of power substations had been circulating in neo-Nazi social media spaces in the days before the Moore County attack.


Nazi banner not only antisemitic act across North Carolina in lead up to Hannukah
“Don’t you think it’s funny that three substations got attacked after the gardens pdf was posted here a few days ago?” someone asked.

‘The Garden’ is a document that includes an analysis of a 2013 “Metcalf attack,” where a California substation was shot and damaged, which cost millions and no suspects have been arrested for.

There had been an act of vandalism on a power substation in eastern North Carolina just three weeks before the attack in Moore County, when Cartaret-Craven Electrical Cooperative equipment was intentionally damaged near Maysville, leaving 12,000 customers without power for a few hours.

TIMELINE: Stokesdale man said he’s ‘ready to shoot’ FBI agents in conspiracy-filled TikTok videos, court documents allege
Concerning social media posts and the timing of the attack coinciding with a contested drag event in Southern Pines has put the local LGBTQ+ community on edge and left the broader community uncertain while investigators work.

In late November, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a report warning the country that there was a heightened risk of domestic terrorism, particularly against the LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities. The warning came in the wake of threats against synagogues in New York and the mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs.

David Schanzer, the director of the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security at Duke University, said, “We just don’t know exactly who the perpetrators are or what their motives are. But, once we do, the label of domestic terrorism could certainly be applied here, but it just depends.”


========

Multiple bullets leave hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage at Thomasville substation, EnergyUnited says (wxii12.com)

Randolph County substation damaged by gunfire weeks after similar attack in Moore County | WBTW

This tangent appeared in this article:

"There had also been an act of vandalism on a power substation in eastern North Carolina three weeks before the attack in Moore County when Cartaret-Craven Electrical Cooperative equipment was intentionally damaged near Maysville, leaving 12,000 customers without power for a few hours."


Gov. Cooper responds after Nazi banner spotted in Moore County; ‘White supremacy and antisemitism will not be tolerated’ | FOX8 WGHP (myfox8.com)

If I am not mistaken, this was where I turn onto the 690 from the 1 on my way to PSR.

Also see:
Cooperative Substation Vandalized | Carteret-Craven Electric Co-op (ccemc.com)

[DougMacG]

https://www.manhattancontrarian.com/blog/2023-2-6-candidate-for-the-craziest-state-supreme-court-north-carolina