KEY ISSUES LEADER BLUE SAYS
BLACKS SHOULD FOCUS ON
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
As the Long Session of the 2019 NC General Assembly rolls on, NC Senate Minority Dan Blue (D-Wake) says there are, indeed, important issues that African Americans should be paying closer attention to, and be prepared to add their voices to – Medicaid expansion for the poor; funding for college voter photo IDs; and more funding for historically black colleges and universities.
MEDICAID EXPANSION– Despite the state’s eligibility, and Gov. Roy Cooper’s vow to make it happen, the Republican-led General Assembly continue to block Medicaid expansion to approximately 626,000 poor people in the state. It is estimated by Heath Insurance.org that 208,000 North Carolinians “…have no realistic access to health insurance without Medicaid expansion.”
“You’re talking about working people,” says Sen. Blue, “...working people who don’t make the big bucks, people who really need access to quality healthcare. Yet there is all of the [Republican] opposition to expanding it as the other 38 states have. There’s a big fight going on that.”
VOTER ID FUNDING FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS- As of March 19th, only five of 17 UNC System campuses across the state has their student photo identification cards approved as appropriate ID for voting during North Carolina elections. State lawmakers are still haggling about such details as student photos being officially taken, and the schools verifying official information like Social Security numbers. Sen. Blue says lawmakers need to decide on funding efforts to ensure that student photo IDs are in uniform compliance with voting requirements. “There has been no money available to issue acceptable IDs, and we need to make sure that all of these students have an opportunity to vote, using reliable identification.”
The new Voter ID law passed last December is still in force, even though the Voter ID amendment, which authorized it, passed last November, was struck down in February by a Wake County Superior Court judge. That ruling is being appealed.
INCREASED FUNDING FOR HBCU’s– On February 20thstudent representatives from all of North Carolina’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) went to the legislature, telling state lawmakers that their schools deserve more funding in the coming budgets.
“Throughout their history HBCUs have received significantly less funding than their white counterparts,” SurrayyahChestnut of North Carolina Central University said during the “HBCU Day of Advocacy.” “Decades of chronic underfunding have made our institutions more subject to the dangers of accreditation issues and unpredictable housing crises.”
Senate Minority Leader Blue agrees.
“HBCU funding...that’s a critical matter, and the UNC [System] Board of Governors has not been responsive to many of the needs of the HBCUs, especially on capital funding. Some schools have equipment that is outdated, buildings that are outdated…there’s no real push to correct a majority of these [budget shortcomings].
Blue adds that Fayetteville State now wants to be a part of the $500 tuition program, which has boosted student enrollment at the three pilot UNC System schools it was implemented in.
Sen. Blue recommends that, in addition to the critical need for affordable housing statewide in the face of increasing gentrification, North Carolinians need to call or write their legislators, and register their concerns about these issues and more, whether they’re Republican or Democrat.
“These are some of the issues that are critical to the African-American community,” says Sen. Blue.
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LAWS ABOUT EQUALITY, HBCU TECHNOLOGY
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
Democrats in Congress, anxious to retain control after the critical 2020 elections, are focused on showing that they care about what their constituents consider to be important issues.
North Carolina’s two African American congresspeople – Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC-12) and Congressman G. K. Butterfield (D-NC-1) are no different, and recently introduced measures that speak to constituent issues at home, but stand an excellent chance at passage in the Democrat-controlled U. S. House.
Whether they would even get a hearing in the Republican-led, President Trump controlled U.S. Senate, is another matter.
For instance, last month, Rep. Adams co-sponsored the “Dream and Promise Act of 2019 (H.R. 6), a bill, “…to protect our nation’s Dreamers, as well as our Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders, allowing them to contribute fully to North Carolina’s communities and our country while providing a pathway to citizenship.”
“In North Carolina Dreamers and TPS and DED holders contribute to our communities and our nation as teachers, students, medical professionals, first responders, entrepreneurs and taxpayers,” said Rep. Adams With the introduction of the Dream and Promise Act, Democrats are taking decisive action to protect these proud Americans from the Administration’s callous attempts to strip away their critical status.”
Another controversial measure Rep. Adams supports is “the Equality Act,” which, if passed by both chambers of Congress, would, “… amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect LGBTQ Americans from discrimination.”
“ In 2019, only 21 states have laws preventing discrimination based on sexual orientation,” Rep. Adams states. “North Carolina alone is home to 320,000 LGBTQ adults. Yet despite these numbers, the state ranks among the lowest in the nation for LGBTQ equality. This is why I am a proud co-sponsor of H.R. 5, the Equality Act. The Equality Act amends existing laws to protect the LGBTQ community from discrimination.”
Both bills are being held in committee. There’s no word on where Rep. G. K. Butterfield stands on those, but he also introduced two of his own in March.
Butterfield unveiled the Building Resources into Digital Growth and Education (BRIDGE) Act of 2019 (H.R. 1586).
“My legislation will expand the opportunities available to HBCUs to ensure the students they serve are prepared for tomorrow’s innovation economy,” said Rep. Butterfield in a statement. “ I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee and the bipartisan HBCU Caucus who share my commitment to strengthening our HBCUs and giving our students the resources they need for success.”
That bill is also being held in committee.
Also last month, Rep. Butterfield introduced an amendment to the For the People Act (H.R. 1) to ensure that early voting is available in rural areas. The bill passed the House on March 8th, and sent to the U.S. Senate for consideration.
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STATE NEWS BRIEFS FOR 04-4-19
NCGOP CHAIRMAN ROBIN HAYES INDICTED FOR BRIBERY
[RALEIGH] Robin Hayes, the chairman of the NC Republican Party, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly trying to funnel bribe money to the re-election campaign of NC Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey. Hayes, a former North Carolina congressman, was one of four people charged in the alleged scheme, published reports say. On Tuesday, Hayes pled not guilty at a Charlotte federal courthouse. Hayes is also charge with lying to FBI investigators.
BLACK PRINCIPAL PROBED FOR DISTRIBUTING “WHITE PRIVILEGE” PIECE
[GOLDSBORO] A black high school principal in Wayne county is being investigated by the Wayne county Public School System for allegedly giving at lest a dozen of his teachers an article on white privilege, and then asking them to do an assignment on the piece. Principal Christopher Horne of Goldsboro High School reportedly asked his teachers to “…submit a cultural biography to discuss both the material and their writing.” Horner has not responded to requests for comment, but Wayne County Schools confirm that they are looking into the matter.
STATE LABOR COMMISSIONER CHERIE BERRY WON’T RUN IN 2020
[RALEIGH] Anyone who has taken an elevator in North Carolina over
the past 18 years have seen both her name and picture – NC Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry. Berry, more affectionately known as the “Elevator Queen,” announced this week that she will not seek re-election in 2020 for a sixth term. Berry is a Republican. Thus far two Democrats have announced that they are running for the seat – Jessica Holmes, currently the chair of the Wake County Commission Board, and Raleigh tax attorney Eva Lee.
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