Precinct Organization for Southwest and Southern Precincts is tomorrow, Saturday March 11 at 9:30AM in the downstairs meeting room of the Asheboro Library 201 Worth St. Asheboro, NC 27203

Thank you to RISE Together NC for today’s calls to action.

FEDERAL:

Call: Sen. Burr, Sen. Tillis & Rep. Walker

The House is pushing Trump Care hard. It has already been hurried through two committees, even though Congress’ own budgeting department hasn’t yet issued its assessment of the bill’s full consequences. Right now, the Senate is certain to reject Trump Care, but the fight for affordable health care is far from over. Now we know that after seven years of pure obstructionism, the best the GOP has to offer is a simply a watered-down, totally inadequate version of the ACA that threatens the care of a vast number of vulnerable people. Let’s find out where our representatives in Congress stand on this bill, and let them know how we feel about it.

Script:
Hello, I am a constituent in zip code _____ and I am calling to urge Rep./Senator ___________ to oppose the GOP replacement for the ACA. This plan covers fewer people by severely cutting Medicaid, costs more for everyday citizens, and needlessly targets Planned Parenthood. Please urge Sen./Rep. ____________ to oppose this bill.

STATE:

HB 271: Repeal of the plastic bag ban on the Outer Banks

This bill would repeal a ban on plastic shopping bags on the Outer Banks that took full effect in 2010 in order to address the persistent problem of litter on our beaches. Proponents of the bill claim that the ban puts on undue burden on businesses, but how can this compare to the environmental, aesthetic, and economic impacts of plastic befouling one of our state’s premier resources? Plastic is devastating to wildlife, and makes our beaches less desirable to tourists who pump millions of dollars a year into our state’s economy.

Five years later, ban on plastic bags has become a way of life (From 2014)

 

HB 267: Cutback on mandates for renewable energy

This bill would severely curtail current state law that mandates consistent increases in the amount of renewable energy produced by the state’s energy companies. Current law will require 12.5% of all energy to be renewable by 2021; this bill would cap that at 8%. Needless to say, we will never solve the problem of climate change unless polluting industries are compelled to wean themselves–and us–off fossil fuels.

GOP introduces bills to roll back renewable energy standard, repeal plastic bag ban

Script (for HB 271 & 279):
Hello, I am a constituent in zip code _____________ and I am calling to ask Sen./Rep. _____________ to oppose HB 271 and SB 279. We need to protect our land, water, and air now more than ever. Plastic bags on beaches are terrible for wildlife and bad for business (HB 271). Furthermore, we need to move as rapidly as possible to renewable energy if we are ever going to combat climate change (HB 267).

 

HB 303: Voter Freedom Act

This excellent bill is sponsored for now by a lone African-American representative, Garland Pierce. In 2016, McCrory lawyers filed numerous ultimately bogus claims of voter fraud in an attempt to challenge the election. Chillingly, these false challenges created uncertainty in the public, laying the groundwork for what many see as even more onerous laws that will further suppress the vote. This bill makes the bar for challenges to voters much higher. Challenges will only be allowed from another voter in the same precinct, and actual evidence will have to be presented on oath. Even though this bill has no chance of going anywhere, we must vocally support it. The battle of ideas about voting rights must be waged vigilantly. With Jeff Sessions at Justice, a known enemy of voting rights, and Trump in the White House, the man who falsely claimed that millions voted illegally, rights are certain to come under further attack. The North Carolina General Assembly has passed some of the most notorious legislation in the country, and the NCGOP went on an absolute witch hunt in 2016, trumping up claims of fraud which amounted to nothing. The super-majority continues, and the NCGA is surely emboldened by the rise to national power of those who share the same odious tactics and ideology.

Script:

Hello, I am a North Carolina voter, and am calling to urge Rep. ___________ to support HB 303, the Voter Freedom Act. This bill would make it much harder for bogus claims of fraud to be filed with boards of elections. The real fraud is voter suppression. Thank you for recording my call.