Our take
Everyday the government makes decisions that affect our lives; from the water we drink, the food our kids eat and how much money we bring home. Being informed is one of the first steps in building our power and creating change in our communities.
Long-awaited sexual assault bill finally clears the General Assembly
At long last, North Carolina is no longer the only state in the country where a woman cannot revoke consent to have sex once sex has begun. After years of NCGA leaders killing bills to update North Carolina’s sexual assault laws, the legislation finally made it to Gov. Cooper’s desk last week. Before this law was passed, if…
Deadline passes for NC universities to change student IDs for use in voting
The deadline has passed for North Carolina colleges and universities to decide whether to update their student IDs so students can use them to vote in next year’s elections. So which colleges decided not to make it easier for their students to vote, and whose fault is it? All 17 UNC system schools applied to…
A third of female undergraduate UNC students reported sexual assault, survey found
A new study has found that nearly half of women who have been studying at UNC-Chapel Hill for four or more years say they have been sexually assaulted that is at a four-year level or higher. This survey also stated that more than a third of all female undergraduate UNC students reported being sexually assaulted as well.…
Wake Schools offers praise, an apology to 14-year-old who exposed student racism. Parents demand more.
Cenayia Pope Edwards stood her ground against racist group messages that had hateful messages against black students at East Wake HS in Wendell, NC. This Tuesday at the Wake County Public Schools board meeting, her courageous efforts were acknowledged by the superintendent and board members. Cenayia’s efforts were praised, but those standing with Edwards want…
News & Observer: A third of female undergraduate UNC students reported sexual assault, survey found
A new study has found that nearly half of women who have been studying at UNC-Chapel Hill for four or more years say they have been sexually assaulted that is at a four-year level or higher. This survey also stated that more than a third of all female undergraduate UNC students reported being sexually assaulted as well.…
Teacher iPads shrouded in controversy finally delivered.
The office of Superintendent Mark Johnson says 3,200 iPads, some collecting dust in a Raleigh textbook warehouse for the past year, have finally – FINALLY – been delivered to educators around the state. Johnson, never missing a photo-op, has been posing with teachers across the state delivering iPads to schools in yet another act of self-promotion.…
The News & Observer: At morning-after protest, Rep. Butler talks about her ‘meltdown’ on the House floor
North Carolina Representative Deb Butler, a Democrat, talks about her ‘meltdown’ on the NC House floor, when she shouted “I will not yield” at Republican Speaker Moore. Butler spoke at a rally outside of the Legislature Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019.
This Labor Day, workers are realizing our own value
What does victory look like for the labor movement? Our movement will rise when we stop defining victory as not losing—and most of all when more workers realize our own value and the power of solidarity. This Labor Day, workers are winning. Momentum is building. The balance of power is shifting. Across the country, working people are…
The Herald Sun: We’re getting what we pay for with NC schools, and that’s not good
When adjusted for inflation and enrollment, North Carolina’s classrooms are being funded 40% less than they were 10 years ago. Our teachers are not paid at the national average and our school support staff is not making a living wage. It’s time that our lawmakers put the needs of our students above tax cuts for…
Is this the end of partisan gerrymandering in North Carolina?
Last week, a three-judge panel in Wake County ruled unanimously that lawmakers violated the state constitution by gerrymandering the state’s legislative districts for partisan gain. Lawmakers have until September 18 to draw new maps using strict nonpartisan criteria and in public view, with the new maps subject to review by the court before the 2020 election. For…