NC NOW Legislative Update #20 – Updates on State Budget – 6/17/19

See NC_NOW_Legislative_Update #20 (17 Jun 19), with summary and bill listings. Summary follows.

Last week the House and Senate leaders appointed budget conference committee members to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the budget. Budget chairs from both the House and Senate will serve as chairs.  For committee members, see: https://www.ncleg.gov/Legislation/Bills/Conferees/2019/H966.  No Senate Democrats were appointed to the committee, and only two House Democrats were appointed: Rep. Charles Graham, D-Robeson, and Rep. Elmer Floyd, D-Cumberland–the only Democrats who voted for the House budget.

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Easy action to help Expand Medicaid in NC (June 2019)

Easy action to help Expand Medicaid in NC. Expanding Medicaid would benefit EVERY SINGLE COUNTY, many many people, and many businesses too – the ripple effect of people doing better.

Did you miss the Medicaid Expansion Vigils across the state on 6/5/19? Or even if you went. Check out this fun activity from the Coalition for Health Action NC (of which NC NOW is part). Also it’s worth it to take the picture and share on social media. I turned the picture with one of my signs into my facebook profile picture.

 Do this and be part of something bigger :

NC NOW Legislative Update #11 – Rushed Anti-Abortion Bill – 15 April 2019

NC NOW Legislative Update #11.15 April 19 includes the summary and listing of NC Senate and House bills.

A terrible abortion bill, SB359/HB602, Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, is on the fast-track to be ratified.  The underlying premise of the bill, that infants showing signs of life after an attempted abortion are either actively killed or left to die, is outrageous and false.  If such thing were to happen, the action would be covered by existing murder and infanticide laws. 

NC NOW Legislative Update #7, GOP Overreach ICE and Medicaid Bill Issue– 18 Mar 19

See whole NC NOW Legislative Update #7.18Mar19 here.

In 2018, voters in North Carolina’s biggest counties elected seven new sheriffs who campaigned on pledges to no longer work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) because their practices have become increasingly brutal under the Trump administration.  The will of the voters was clear.  But this week Republicans filed a bill (HB370) that would force sheriffs to cooperate with ICE or face fines of up to $25,500 per day.  This bill is yet another example of the conservative Republican majority in the legislature attempting to force its agenda on urban counties that elect more moderate to liberal Democrats to local offices. This bill has the support of Republican leadership; Governor Cooper has not stated a position.  For more information, see https://abc11.com/politics/nc-republicans-file-bill-to-force-county-sheriffs-to-work-with-ice/5194070/

Sign from Tuesdays With Tillis protest against ICE taking children. Photo Credit: Michael Eisenberg

The drive to expand Medicaid hit an unexpected hitch this week.  Expanding Medicaid is a priority of Cooper’s legislative agenda, and companion bills (SB3/HB5) have been introduced in both the House and Senate.  But hopes for passage of a bill during this session (2019-2020) were crushed through a rookie error by a freshman legislator. 

NC NOW Newsletter Available – January/February/March 2019

The January, February and March 2019 newsletter is available. January and February have been a whirlwind of activity – 6 women’s marches around the state, getting people to other marches, NC NOW’s annual pro-choice signature ad, and organizing other events and advocacy days. Also, strong reactions to administration activities and lawmakers. There is plenty more to do in March and the rest of the year! NOW chapters choose what they want to do—Charlotte NOW actively working against ICE raids, Fayetteville NOW continues to work collaboratively against racism and sexism. Raleigh NOW is involved with rallies at Senator Tillis’ office highlighting ICE raids and the domestic gag rule (Mar 12).  Following NC NOW’s website and on facebook will help you keep much more up to date on activities.

Charlotte NOW at Charlotte Women’s March – 1/26/19 Photo Credit: Charlotte NOW

ERA is in the air and in the news! See March 5 ERA bill introduction and more on (page 1), and read about ERA Advocacy Day (1/30/19) on page 2.

#SaveScotus and #SaveRoe Town Hall Summaries – Aug 2018

The last two town hall events of the #SaveScotus/#SaveRoe across the state were the last week of August, 2018. Here is a summary of both, with pictures.

The #SaveScotus town hall for the Triad was at Forsyth Central Library in Winston-Salem on 8/29/18. Jen Ferris from Progress North Carolina moderated (see her standing by podium in the picture). Panelists (pictured) are Elizabeth Freeze, Director of Philanthropy at Planned Parenthood Votes South Atlantic; Gailya Paliga, President of NC NOW; and Alicia Diggs, Board Secretary of NC AIDS Action Network (NCAAN). Ms. Diggs is also a medical case manager at Positive Wellness Alliance in Lexington, so she deals directly with patients.

       #SaveSCOTUS town hall in Winston-Salem on 8/29/18
       People kept coming in! Photo Credit: Matt Martin

Press Release – Protect Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS:
Karen Ziegler, Tuesdays with Tillis, ziegl001 at gmail.com (organizer)
Gailya Paliga, President of NC National Organization for Women (NC NOW), www.northcarolinanow.org, president at raleighnow.org (organizer)

Raleigh, NC, 8/6/18 – “Protect Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security” 

Medicare and Medicaid’s 53rd birthday was July 30, 2018; Social Security’s 83rd birthday is August 14. All three of these programs are under attack by the same people who recently gave a 1.5 trillion dollar tax cut to the wealthy last fall. One in three Americans is currently covered by Medicaid or Medicare.  These programs are vital for the survival of some of our most vulnerable people, and the intention of Paul Ryan as well as some NC legislators to cut them is widely known and would be detrimental to us all. This week’s rally calls attention to the importance of these programs and exposes some threats.  

WHAT:  Rally to call attention to the importance of these programs and learn about problems with proposed changes

WHEN: Tuesday, August 7, 2018 from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm

53rd Anniversary of Medicaid and Medicare – 7/30/18

July 30, 2018 is the 53rd anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the bill that led to Medicare and Medicaid into law.  This was part of Johnson’s social reform movement known as “The Great Society,” whose main goals were to eliminate poverty and racial injustice. The programs were intended to remove racial segregation practiced by hospitals and other health care facilities at the time.

At first Medicare covered fewer than 5 million people, but since 1965 it has expanded significantly. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act expanding Medicaid, Medicaid covers even more people. In 2015, one in three Americans was covered by Medicare or Medicaid. 

In North Carolina, almost 2.3 million people receive comprehensive, affordable health coverage through Medicaid. 

Here is some general information about the two programs, which many people confuse, and how it helps people in North Carolina.

NC NOW Legislative Update #5, 17 Jun 18

Here is the beginning of the summary of the NC NOW Legislative Update #5. Click North_Carolina_NOW_Legislative_Update_5.17_June_2018 to read the whole update. Other topics include Restrictions on Early Voting, Medicaid Expansion, ERA (including action to take on ERA), and Judicial Redistricting.

BUDGET

As expected, Governor Cooper vetoed the budget, citing inadequate funding for education and teacher pay raises, implementing unnecessary tax cuts, and the deplorable process used to pass the budget.  Both the Senate and the House have overridden the Governor’s veto.  For an overview of the shameful way laws are being made this session, see
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article213240389.html, News and Observer, 6/15/18.

Voting Rights Rally at Bicentennial Plaza in Raleigh on 6/12/18. Photo Credit: Phil Fonville

 

VOTER ID/STATE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

NC NOW Legislative Update, 4 Jun 18

NC NOW Legislative Update #3 of the Short Session, 4 Jun 18 talks about the budget as the most controversial in modern history—not for what it contains, but for the process it went through. The process was explained in detail in NC NOW’s Legislative Update #2 for the Short Session, 28 May 18. This week, people learned more about some inappropriate recipients of taxpayer money, and some of the things the budget did and did not do. 

“The budget did not expand Medicaid coverage or provide adequate funding for education, including supplies and teacher salaries. No money was allocated to begin testing and tracking the backlog of untested rape kits, even though Attorney General Josh Stein requested $2,000,000 for this purpose.”

Actual rape kits used in NC. Displayed at the NC NOW State Conference in Oct 2017. We heard the story of how Fayetteville made the rape kit inventory happen! Photo Credit: Catherine Evangelista