Monday News: Beto testing

Submitted by BlueNC on

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2020 DEM PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL BETO O'ROURKE IN NC TODAY: Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O'Rourke is making a quick run through North Carolina — a presidential battleground and early primary state. O'Rourke planned "meet and greet" events on Monday in Charlotte, Greensboro and Chapel Hill. The former Texas congressman and 2018 U.S. Senate candidate announced his bid for the Democratic nomination last month. Monday marks his first visit to the state as a presidential contender. North Carolina's party primaries will be held March 3, 2020. O'Rourke's events will be held at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, Natty Greene's Pub & Brewing in Greensboro and at the Frank Porter Graham Student Union at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
https://www.wral.com/orourke-making-first-nc-visit-as-presidential-candidate/18326566/

Sunday News: From the Editorial pages

Submitted by BlueNC on

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TWISTING THE TRUTH WON'T MAKE PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHER PROGRAM ACCOUNTABLE: The twisted logic and fractured use of facts is worthy of the work of Cold War-era Soviet propaganda operations. Under a chilling headline, “Senate Democrats File Bill to Cut Funding for Opportunity Scholarships,” the release warns that legislation will “siphon money” away from scholarship for poor students to attend private schools. Instead, the money will go to the “largest and wealthiest school districts” in the state. Here is the truth. No one in North Carolina – not a single child -- who qualified for the so-called “Opportunity Scholarship” private school vouchers, has been denied a dime. In fact, in the current school year, of the $54.84 million available for the vouchers, $35.56 million has been obligated. More than a third of the money won’t get used to help educate anyone.
https://www.wral.com/editorial-twisting-the-truth-won-t-make-private-school-voucher-program-accounta...

Saturday News: Punishing good behavior

Submitted by BlueNC on

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LEGISLATURE MULLS HUGE INCREASE IN FEES FOR EVS AND HYBRIDS: A proposal to ratchet up the annual registration fee for a hybrid or an electric vehicle cleared its first legislative hurdle on Wednesday. Senate Bill 446 calls for increasing the fee on electric vehicles from $130 to $275 over the next three years. A new fee for hybrids would be imposed as well, starting at $87.50 and growing to $137.50 by 2022. After 2022, the fees would be adjusted every four years to keep up with inflation. Sen. Joyce Waddell, D-Mecklenburg, said the higher fees could discourage people from buying a hybrid or an electric vehicle. Davis said that isn't his intent, and Sen. Bill Rabon, R-Brunswick, said the proposal is simply a matter of fairness. "Without any question, on the roads that they travel, [these vehicles] will cause just as much of a problem as my light pickup truck, and I'm paying 36 cents a gallon to ride on that road," Rabon said. "It is only fair that they pay an equal amount."
https://www.wral.com/registration-fees-for-hybrids-electric-vehicles-could-be-going-up-a-lot/18318162/

Civitas deploys "Red Scare" tactics (again) over teacher rally

Submitted by scharrison on

Propagandists do what propagandists do:

“This is not a march for Democrats. This is not a march for Republicans. This is a march for our future.” But almost as soon as the new protest was announced, critics attacked the decision.

The conservative Civitas Institute has questioned holding the event on May Day, a day associated with labor union events, and for using “Marxist symbolism” by having a red fist in logos promoting the event. “They want to be disruptive,” said Civitas president Donald Bryson. “It’s not about parents or students. It’s about bringing a socialist labor union movement to North Carolina. That’s why it’s on May 1.”

What Donald Bryson fails to mention, either because he knows it will undermine his argument or (more likely) because he just isn't smart enough to understand: It was a labor movement (Solidarity) that broke the Marxist choke hold on Poland back in the early 1980's, and ushered in democratic reforms that (for the most part) still hold today. If anything, it's people like Berger and Bryson who most resemble those Communist Party leaders in Moscow and Gdańsk who saw the danger of losing their absolute power under such a movement. But Mark Jewell gets it:

Friday News: False premise

Submitted by BlueNC on

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CONSERVATIVES USE DECEPTION IN BATTLE AGAINST REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM: Identical House and Senate bills, one of which could receive a floor vote as soon as next week, require physicians and nurses to care for children born alive after the procedure. They could face a felony and active prison time if they don't, along with potentially $250,000 fines and other monetary damages. Abortion-rights advocates and their largely Democratic allies say the measures address a non-issue and are designed to intimidate medical providers and women who have the right to an abortion. Newborns aren't being left to die, they say, and any malicious activities already are subject to criminal laws and medical licensing boards. "The legislation is not aimed at treating a problem that exists," said Kelsea McLain with A Woman's Choice of Raleigh, which provides abortions. "Rather it's aimed at creating inflammatory rhetoric around abortion rights and access to further stigmatize our rights."
https://www.wral.com/post-abortion-bills-moving-at-north-carolina-legislature/18321050/

NC Senate passes CBD oil bill to treat specific diseases

Submitted by scharrison on

Hopefully this is the beginning of a movement:

What Senate Bill 168 would do is allow CBD oil treatments for all individuals experiencing autism, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease and mitochondrial disease. The bipartisan bill has two key Senate leaders as primary sponsors in Sens. Ralph Hise, R-McDowell, and Floyd McKissick Jr., D-Durham. State Sen. Paul Lowe, D-Forsyth, is a co-sponsor. The same bill was not acted upon by the Senate Health Committee in 2017.

Both bills say the legislature has determined that current available treatment options “have been ineffective” for autism, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease and mitochondrial disease. “Hemp extract shows promise in treating these chronic conditions,” the legislation says.

I'm glad to see this, but we really need to pursue medical marijuana and higher THC content CBD products if we truly want to combat NC's opioid problem.

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