Rehabilitation and reintegration into society are not just words:

Social, economic and environmental factors play a bigger role in a person’s health outcomes, they argue. Housing, employment, education, transportation and access to healthy food are known as “social determinants of health.”

But people with criminal records face barriers to accessing some key health determinants, such as housing and employment. The “Second Chance Act” moving through the North Carolina legislature would help remove some barriers for people with certain nonviolent criminal records and make it easier for these folks to access the things that make them healthier.

Everybody reading this has broken the law at one point or another. And most of us have actually endangered the lives of others in doing so (driving while impaired, excessive speeding). Making a living and caring for your family is difficult enough in today's economy, and it's virtually impossible to do so with a criminal record. This bill would provide some relief from that:

More notes from the Kakistocracy:

Education Secretary Betsy Devos pushes her school choice agenda at conference for education writers | The Progressive Pulse https://t.co/2K4nH1u28x #ncpol #nced #education

— NC Policy Watch (@NCPolicyWatch) May 7, 2019

Well, at least she didn't push any Amway products on them...

Forcing the Supremes to do the right thing:

A federal court on Friday tossed out Ohio’s congressional map, ruling that Republican state lawmakers had carved up the state to give themselves an illegal partisan advantage and to dilute Democrats’ votes in a way that predetermined the outcome of elections.

The ruling follows decisions by four other federal courts striking down partisan gerrymanders in Wisconsin, North Carolina, Maryland and, last week, in Michigan. All but Maryland were gerrymandered by Republicans. The Supreme Court, which last year sidestepped the issue of whether partisan gerrymandering violates the Constitution, is expected to rule this spring in appeals from Maryland and North Carolina.

The 3-judge panel has directed the Ohio Legislature to have new maps ready by June, so no doubt the Supreme Court will be asked to issue a stay sometime very soon. And that unfinished business with a clock ticking will be on their minds while looking at Maryland and North Carolina. Tell me if this doesn't sound eerily familiar:

Municipal governments may soon be just a fond memory:

These bills significantly favor the interests of homebuilders and Realtors, but at what would be the great expense of communities across North Carolina, and here in Moore County. One of those bills we’ve already discussed here: State Sen. Tom McInnis’ bill preventing municipalities from regulating tree removal. McInnis says he’s no longer pushing his bill, but it remains ominously in the mix.

Other pending legislation is even more grievous. One bill would prohibit municipalities from regulating the minimum square footage of homes, something that has long been the purview of local government. Another bill would roll back reasons a municipal code enforcement officer may consider a building unsafe. And still another would extend the tax exemption to homebuilders from three to five years for unsold houses, and restrict a town’s ability to make a builder clean up a dilapidated site that violates an ordinance.

I've been dealing with the issue of property rights (heavily) for the last 15 months or so, and I can safely say it's a tremendous balancing act. But one thing is certain; when citizen groups get involved in the process (as opposed to one or two ranters) on a local level, they can influence said process. Nobody gets everything they want, but that is itself a sign that property rights are being respected. But apparently some Legislators simply do not understand that: