We’re going to do state calls to action first today, because this first one is extremely important.

STATE:

Call Jerry Tillman or Rick Gunn

We all know how the NC Legislature loves a good power grab. Well, they’re at it again. I’m going to let Steve Harrison from BlueNC explain this, as he’s done a much better job than I can:

“Just a quick Legislative update, and I’ll try to make it brief for those friends who hate politics and would rather clip coupons or crush candy: After Republicans lost the election for Governor late last year, they held several “Special” sessions, most of which were dedicated to stripping the new Governor of powers and awarding those powers to, you know, the people stripping them. After enjoying majority control of (all 100) county election boards, they just really didn’t want to give that up, so they passed a law. A law which was (of course) overturned by the courts, as the violation of the NC Constitution that it was. But these guys are so drunk with power, they decided to take another bill about helping students who served as pages (my daughter was a House page back in the day), and just rewrote (hijacked) the bill to make another grab. This is what they do, and the reason they get away with it is because they’ve drawn the maps so creatively your opinion really doesn’t matter. So I guess you might as well go back to clipping coupons and crushing candy. Or maybe get pissed off and start paying attention.”

http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2017/04/04/house-take-bill-sidestep-court-ruling-ethics-commissionelections-board-combination/#sthash.y5WMqvKx.dpbs

SCRIPT:  Hello, my name is _______________ from Randolph County. I am calling in regards to the changes made to SB 68.  This practice of stripping a bill of its original purpose and inserting completely unrelated legislation for the purpose of sliding it past committee approvals and voter scrutiny is absolutely ridiculous and underhanded. North Carolina voters expect better of their legislators. I demand that the senator votes no on this bill and work to put forward legislation that prevents this kind of dishonest action in the future. Thank you for recording my thoughts.

 

Call Reps. Allen McNeill or Pat Hurley; Sens. Jerry Tillman or Rick Gunn

Medicaid Expansion (From RISE Together NC)

Congress utterly failed to pass health care reform, so the ACA, or Obamacare, remains the law of the land. Governor Cooper has sought to have North Carolina sign on to the Medicaid expansion that would bring our state fully into the reforms available under law. Predictably, the GOP leadership in Raleigh sued Cooper, and the courts have set a deadline of mid-April for resolution. However, most see little chance of the General Assembly allowing Cooper’s plan to become law.

Meanwhile, some Republicans, including Donny Lambeth of Forsyth County, are offering up a compromise Medicaid expansion bill, HB 662, that would allow the state to participate but with some restrictions on individuals. This plan closely mirrors what Mike Pence established in Indiana. Given Pence’s conservatism, it is not surprising that some of the provisions, including one that stipulates that recipients be either employed or actively seeking work, have a distinct “war on the poor” feeling. Opinions on what the best course to take vary. Accordingly, here are two very different scripts. Read the accompanying links and make your own mind up about which one to follow.

NC House Republicans file bill to expand Medicaid

GOP proposal would expand Medicaid

SCRIPT 1 (support Cooper’s Medicaid expansion):
Hi, I am a constituent from __________ and I am calling to urge Rep./Sen. _____________ to support Governor Cooper’s plan to join the federal Medicaid expansion. Like it or not, the ACA is the law of the land, and we need to participate fully in order to make sure that all North Carolinians have affordable health care. Thank you for recording my call.

SCRIPT 2 (Support HB 662)
Hi, I am a constituent from __________ and I am calling to urge Rep./Sen. _____________ to support HB 662. While an imperfect compromise, this bill, with the Rep’s/Sen’s support, might actually pass and bring additional health benefits to our citizens. Thank you for recording my call.

 

FEDERAL:

Congress is in recess again. Must be nice to only have to work about 150 days out of the year. I know, I know, schmoozing for donations in the off season is hard work what with all the bowing and scraping.

It’s time to start demanding that our senators and representatives participate in town hall meetings or at the very least, meeting with small groups of voters, in order to directly address the concerns of their constituency. If answering voter questions is too hard a job to handle then they might want to think about seeking another line of work.

There are so many issues our congresspersons need to address: healthcare, the environment, the Trump-Russia scandal, cuts to social programs, threats to Medicare and Social Security. The list goes on and on and on.

SCRIPT:
Hi, I am a constituent from __________ and I am calling to urge Rep./Sen. _____________ to schedule an in-person town hall or constituent meeting as soon as possible. Elected officials work for us, and should engage in dialogue with us about key issues such as ______________. When may I expect the Rep./Sen. to speak directly to his constituents?

 

 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Lunch with Lawmakers – Friday April 21, 2017 Archdale Trinity Chamber of Commerce is having a forum to make Reps. Pat Hurley and Allen McNeill  and Senator Jerry Tillman available to answer questions from constituents. See the link for the official flyer from the Chamber.

Tax March on Washington – Throughout the presidential campaign, Donald Trump promised that he would release his tax returns “later.” Then, just a few days after Trump assumed office, his top adviser, Kellyanne Conway, said that he wouldn’t release his tax returns ever, because the American people “don’t care.” We’re here to say that we do care. Join us at the White House on Saturday, April 15, 2017, to march and show Donald Trump that he owes us transparency. Two-thirds of Americans are concerned that he may be putting his interests ahead of the country’s. Until we see his tax returns, we can’t know for sure. There will also be rallies in Charlotte, Raleigh, and Mooresville the same day. Visit http://taxmarch.org/ for more information.

March for Science, Greensboro – The rally and march in Greensboro will include short speeches from local scientists who work at North Carolina A & T, UNC Greensboro, and other local organizations. We will also be featuring performances from local bands Disaster Recovery and Viva La Muerte, and from kid activist Sage Advice. Supporters of science from across the Piedmont Triad will gather at this event.  To help costs related to the march, please contribute to our gofundme page! https://www.gofundme.com/marchforsciencegreensboro  Leftover money will be used to send deserving local children to a local science camp.

People’s Climate March –  Join us April 29th in Washington, DC to let Trump know that we won’t let him pollute the air and wreck the climate on our watch!  There is no denying it: Donald Trump’s election is a threat to the future of our planet, the safety of our communities, and the health of our families. If the policies he proposed on the campaign trail are implemented, they will destroy our climate, decimate our jobs and livelihoods, and undermine the civil rights and liberties won in many hard fought battles. It’s up to us to stop that from happening before it starts.