Legislative Update

January 11, 2020

Dear Friend,

After slogging through one of the longest and most contentious legislative sessions in recent history last year, North Carolina's General Assembly (which normally wouldn't return to Raleigh until May) will reconvene at noon next Tuesday, January 14, 2020.

There's more than a little bit of truth to what's sometimes been said about our state legislature--that justice and democracy are not safe as long as the General Assembly is in sessionAnd that's why it's important for UUs and other secular and religious progressives to let our lawmakers hear our voices and feel our presence while they're in Raleigh to "do the people's business."  

What To Expect? 

  • Senate Republicans will almost certainly look for an opportunity to override Gov. Cooper's veto of the state budget (they only need a couple of Democrats to vote with them or be absent when a vote is called). 
  • Republican lawmakers will probably propose returning some or all of the $900 million budget surplus to taxpayers--which may sound good but comes at the cost of putting a few more dollars into the pocket of families while ignoring the very real need to adequately fund public education and health care for all.
  • Both Republicans and Democrats want to increase the pay for public school teachers but will be able to do so only if they are truly willing to negotiate in good faith to find some middle ground between the increases proposed by Republican leaders and Gov. Cooper.
  • Democratic lawmakers will continue to push for Medicaid expansion but Senate Republicans don't seem interested in providing health care for uninsured North Carolinians and it's unclear whether House Republicans will go forward with more modest proposals to provide health care for the uninsured. 
  • The General Assembly may have to reconsider and try to pass an amended voter ID law following a federal court decision that put the 2018 voter ID law on hold because of its disparate impact on African Americans.

What Can We Do?

  • Show up in Raleigh for the 14th annual HKonJ Moral March and People's Assembly on February 8, 2020 (see below) to let state lawmakers hear our voice in support of the HKonJ's 14 Point People's Agenda, public education, economic justice, health care, gun safety, racial justice, criminal justice reform, and democracy. 
  • Email (or call or visit) your state Senator and Representative (see below) to remind them that the true measure of any government can be found in the way it treats those who are most vulnerable, powerless, and needy and that we'll be paying attention to what they do and what they don't do in this legislative session.
  • Take action in response to the Legislative Updates and Action Alerts that UU Forward Together will be sending out during the coming weeks and months.
  • Make a financial contribution to support UU Forward Together's work to give life the shape of justice in North Carolina. 

Join UU Forward Together for the 14th annual HKonJ March on Raleigh, Saturday, February 8, 2020.

Meet at the corner of South Street & S. Wilmington Street between 8:30 and 9:00 am.

Register for the UU HKonJ Gathering after the march (lunch, worship, singing, networking, organizing) from 1:30 - 2:30 pm at the First Baptist Church Family Life Center, 109 S. Wilmington St.

 

Click below to send an email telling your state Senator and Representative to give life the shape of justice. 

Unitarian Universalist
Justice Ministry of
North Carolina
info@uuforwardtogether.org

www.uuforwardtogether.org

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