Human Rights

March For Our Lives to rally in Durham this weekend

By Eleanore Wood / August 20, 2019 /

Federal legislative change takes a long time, but 100 Americans are dying from gun violence every single day. That’s why we must push powerful and influential voices — who do not reside in gerrymandered Congressional districts — to do everything they can to build safer communities with fewer guns.  That’s why gun safety groups March…

Past time for common-sense gun safety laws

By Eleanore Wood / August 12, 2019 /

With multiple deadly mass shootings happening each week in our country, it’s past time for “thoughts and prayers.” Now is the time for action on common-sense gun safety reforms in Congress and the General Assembly. Democratic lawmakers in North Carolina have proposed a number of gun safety solutions which deserve bipartisan support, including: Enacting “red…

Ms: Charlotte Passes Noise Restriction, Improving Abortion Clinic Access and Protecting Patients

By Eleanore Wood / July 23, 2019 /

A huge victory for abortion rights activists in Charlotte was years in the making. A step forward in this important fight for abortion access. From Ms. Magazine: The quiet buffer zone noise ordinance passed by the City Council of Charlotte, North Carolina, prohibits the use of loudspeakers, bull-horns and megaphones within 150 feet of medical facilities,…

Rewire: An Anti-Choice Group Misspent $50,000 on Religious Material. North Carolina Wants to Give It $400,000 More.

By Eleanore Wood / July 12, 2019 /

The Anti-abortion group that runs the dubious “Crisis Pregnancy Centers” in North Carolina used tens of thousands of dollars on the printing of illegal religious rhetoric pamphlets.  Instead of receiving any consequences for their unconstitutional actions the Republican-led General Assembly wants to give them $400K more in funds. From Rewire: Last year, Rewire.News revealed that…

Budget would quadruple funding for anti-choice fake pregnancy clinics

By Eleanore Wood / June 25, 2019 /

In addition to throwing schools and low-income families under the bus, the GOP budget awards more than $1.2 million to fake clinics designed to deceive pregnant people. Although Raleigh politicians claim not to have enough money for textbooks or school nurses, they appear to have ample funds for Christian-based conservative clinics that do little other…

NC Sheriff’s Association flip-flops on legislation forcing sheriffs to act like ICE agents

By Eleanore Wood / June 13, 2019 /

Despite widespread opposition from the immigrant community and even several county sheriffs, the North Carolina Sheriff’s Association has flip-flopped to support the controversial House Bill 370, which forces local sheriffs to be part of Trump’s deportation machine, ripping children from their parents and separating families. Enforcing federal immigration laws is the federal government’s responsibility. Local authorities should be…

Cooper & pro-choice champions beat back deceptive anti-abortion bill and NC-GOP’s shameful political stunts

By Eleanore Wood / June 11, 2019 /

The deceptive so-called “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act” has been defeated once and for all, even though House Speaker Tim Moore tried to postpone the veto override vote at least NINE times. He wanted to sneak in a vote when pro-choice champions like Rep. Sydney Batch of Wake County, who is currently recovering from breast cancer treatment, were not…

Public News Service – Study: Black Women May Be Most Affected by NC Abortion Restrictions

By Eleanore Wood / June 4, 2019 /

In North Carolina, the number of people without access to health care is disproportionately women of color. Without this access, it is very difficult for these women to obtain expensive contraceptive medication. Because North Carolina lawmakers refuse to expand Medicaid, contraception and prenatal care are nearly impossible for lower-income women. North Carolina already has one of the…

NC General Assembly stoops to new low in latest attack on women’s right to an abortion

By Eleanore Wood / May 28, 2019 /

The NC House of Representatives do not have the votes to override Gov. Cooper’s veto of SB 359, the so-called “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act,” when all House members are present. So they have placed the bill on the voting calendar and then postponed it ten times in hopes of finding a moment when enough pro-choice champions…

Protests against immigration bills that force sheriffs to act like ICE agents

By Eleanore Wood / May 8, 2019 /

A group of immigrants and activists came together Saturday morning to rally outside of the North Carolina Sheriff’s Association against House Bill 370 and House Bill 135. They are urging Governor Roy Cooper to take a stand against two bills, which according to Members of the immigrant community makes them feel as if they are “captive in a community…