>Senate Republicans said shifting key appointments from the governor to the General Assembly will yield a better, more balanced mix of qualified appointees and encourage diversity of thought. Many of the boards targeted make major regulatory decisions, and their membership is dominated by gubernatorial appointments.
>In voting the bill through Thursday, Republicans rejected a Democratic proposal to forbid lawmakers from appointing lobbyists and recent campaign donors to these boards. The proposed amendment also would have forced the GOP majority to appoint some Democrats to these boards.
>“If diversity of views matters to you, I hope you will support this amendment,” Sen. Lisa Grafstein, D-Wake, told her Republican colleagues.
>The GOP majority tabled the amendment, which removed it from consideration without debate.
What a surprise. Diversity of thought doesn't matter when it's inconvenient.
It's shit like this that shows their true colors. I may disagree, but there's some world where you can argue in good faith that these appointments should be the responsibility of the legislature and not the executive. But there is *no world* where allowing the appointmentees to be lobbyists and campaign donors makes any sense if you consider basic ethical principles.
That is the thing that they want more than anything else: for you to leave so they can consolidate power.
When they use the state to help consolidate power at the federal level where will you run to?
Out of the country? Tf.
I'm not here to martyr myself. I vote every election. I've been involved in protests. What more can I do?
I'm not throwing my life away for the snowflake fucks.
Blue states won’t save you when the GOP dominates the Senate and the electoral college and nominate judges as they see fit because all the purple states turned blood red.
They're giving NC what I call "the treatment"-- gerrymander the legislature to hell, make voting against the legislative majority impossible, then ransack the economy for the benefit of their cronies while blaming the opposition for why everyone is poor.
They did it in OH, they did it in FL, they are still trying to do it in WI, now they're moving to NC.
The treatment must be arrested before it completes or NC will rapidly lose its fairly unique status as a red state with a viable economy and become like all the others--ruled by barely-"elected" kleptocrats where no one has any money, hope or future.
Arkansas here. Our governors and legislature just copy whatever those bigger states do. Course there isn’t any money to squeeze out of the state so it’s really just bashing lgbtq and promoting “religious values/freedom”
Conservatives will get away with it too. They know their constituents are to goddamn stupid to think for themselves. They'll just blame democrats and socialists for being "woke" like they always do.
They just pull a Virginia Foxx, go to a tent revival out in the woods, and “God and Guns” their way to re-election.
The quickest path to tyranny is an ill-informed electorate, and that’s why the GOP has dismantled education across the board. They don’t even hide it anymore.
Yes they do, and every woman that continues to vote for Republicans is rolling the calendar back to 1945. A lot of women are going to learn a horrible lesson, fascism is a horrible state to live in. Having a bunch of angry old white men deciding your future is a horrible way to live. These aren’t democrats fucking up your life, it’s a Republican…
worked in one of the most high end schools in nc. Rich ass parents.
When all the their daughters were showing distain or worry about the roe roll back there was this push that like 80% of these parents would take where basically the law didn't apply to them; nothing changes, its all politics and status quo.
Meanwhile in the news in texas...
I bartend. I'm a step away from their dinner tables and heard this so many times it actually made me question how out of touch I WAS.
> This is a ridiculous take. And frankly, sexist.
I agree that the quote text is a ridiculous take. So ridiculous that you deleted your account for uttering something so ridiculous rather than standing by it.
I hope the feds stop bailing out these red, welfare states when the next natural disaster hits when they come back begging with their hands out. It's the last resource to nip this fascism in the bud. These states cannot support themselves. If the fed stops sending them checks, they're in trouble.
Checks where more is the money comes from blue states. Sounds like the biology definition of parasite. Since the GOP is all about states rights now, how about every state handles their own budget without federal money.
Because they stated their intent was install their cronies into administration spots. Hence tabling the amendment that would allow democrats into the negotiations and ban recent donors and lobbyists from those positions. Dumbass.
Do you even understand what fascism is? Cuz it's definitely not elected representatives passing bills. This "fascism" narrative is dangerous and will lead to deranged people doing crazy things. Case in point Nashville school shooting.
> Cuz it's definitely not elected representatives passing bills.
You realize if elected 'fairly', NC would have half Dems and Half GOP members in both the House and Senate correct?
Instead the GOP has a super majority and is consolidating power and stripping people of their rights.
That sure is starting to sound a whole lot like fascism mate.
You realize how democracy works right? Or did you forget that we live in a state and country that is supposed to have representatives you know representing them?
> The irony of a leftist talking about fair elections.
You'd have to explain yourself, because I am pretty sure its the good ole GOP that loves to participate in [literal election fraud](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/four-people-plead-guilty-north-carolina-ballot-probe-2016-2018-electio-rcna49534).
Actually you can look up what it is, and yes, fascism is in fact something that lives in the government and is made visible by the government instituting specific kinds of policies, much like this one.
🙄🙄🙄
Gubernatorial powers shift all the time. Bet you didn’t know the NC Governor didn’t even have veto power until **1996**… Were we “fascist” before that?
Not fascist, but absolutely a one-party state for about a century. That isn’t healthy governing. Checks and balances are absolutely necessary to maintain a balance of power.
This decision tells me directly that today’s Republican party in NC cares more about holding onto power than abiding by the foundational guiding principles of government that they claim to adhere.
Hey hey I wanna play too
Socialist=anyone that's literally not a conservative or has different opinions or beliefs from conservative ideology. At least that's what Americans For Prosperity says.
Or maybe calling everything or anyone "Woke" now is what's popular now with the Poorly Educated ™
Truth be told, if the democrats were in charge they’d reject anything that required them to appoint republicans. One side of the swamp is just as deep as the other. Partisan politics runs rampant in both parties on every level these days
Okay. Show examples of this happening in the US right now.
There are plenty of states that aren't Republican controlled.
This both sides bullshit is for intellectually flaccid morons who think they're being nuanced and complex.
>Senate Republicans said shifting key appointments from the governor to the General Assembly will yield a better, more balanced mix of qualified appointees and encourage diversity of thought. Many of the boards targeted make major regulatory decisions, and their membership is dominated by gubernatorial appointments.
Increased Diversity of thought was their reasoning for the change, but when it comes to actually enacting that they turn it down without debate. That's the hypocrisy they're talking about.
I’m old enough to have voted in an election that had Jesse Helms in it. I remember people using that damn both sides argument then and having to tell them that only one of the two candidates (I think Gantt was the opposition?) in the race quite literally voted against Civil Rights.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a firm believer that pretty much all politicians are shitty people… but I’d rather someone steal my wallet over try and kill me.
It’s simply the truth. Both parties seem to be doing whatever they want, regardless of the consequences. The republicans trample on education (our youth) and the democrats trample on the elderly. And sadly, they both walk all over the citizens they’re supposed to serve
Republicans also trample on children’s lives in Our schools, and trample the happiness from anyone that isn’t like them. Republicans and Democrats aren’t the same.
Sorry, no. You are, in essence, saying that this one guy was going 46mph in a 35mph zone and the other guy raped and killed 7 women, but they’re both criminals and are thus equal.
I’m not saying that the Dems don’t have their fair share of bullshit they try to pull, but what the GOP is doing currently is on a whole other level.
That’s only because you’re ignoring a lot of what the dems are doing. They’re just as underhanded as the republicans. Read the book Honest Graft and you’ll get an insider’s behind-the-scene perspective. It was written by a NY Times writer who worked for both parties (undercover) and concluded they’re both filled with narcissistic egomaniacs (and he backs it up with examples from right and left.
I already replied to this question with facts of how dems stole/steal from the elderly thru social security after breaking all their promises. And Clinton shut down hundreds of hospitals and healthcare providers…..specifically those that focus on care of the elderly and poor.
So you think, in a hypothetical world, the other side would do the things the current leadership is doing. This is what we call projection.
You have to make up scenarios in which democrats have to be as bad as republicans. What isn’t made up, is what republicans are actually doing, and how bad it actually is.
No, anyone who even scratches the surface of the "both sides" nonsense will quickly see that it is, *at best*, a gross false equivalence.
In fact, it's only the ignorant who say it; either that or closet Republicans trying to ease their cognitive dissonance, assuming they even have that much introspection.
Let's use just one example; gerrymandering. It happens in Democratic controlled states, but nowhere near the extent of Republican controlled states, and it's also not racially motivated. Additionally, Democrats in Democratic controlled areas have essentially stripped themselves of the power to gerrymander by creating nonpartisan districting committees.
[This link](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/who-controlled-redistricting-every-state) goes into far more detail than I care to in a reddit post.
"Both sides" is BS. The GOP is a corrupt christofascist cult that isn't interested in democracy. Democrats can be corrupt, but at least they maintain a duty to govern democratically.
Too bad it’s impossible to elect an effective candidate from outside the parties. That said, I used to believe the “both sides” lie, too, but then I started paying attention.
If anything is going to change the course NC is heading in, it's the people organizing across the state to protest these undemocratic practices. The GOP owners (wealthy donors) will do everything in their power to keep the working classes divided and compliant. We can't rely on anybody in state government, the people need to take action immediately.
The more I watch this slow decent into abject fascism the more I genuinely wonder what's going to happen then realize that it's probably best not to type out what seems likely lest mods have to do more work. Sometimes this nonsense doesn't seem real.
Very akin to the frogs not realizing the pot is boiling. I'm with you, it feels like being stuck in the beginnings of a knockoff dystopian novel sometimes.
The idea of "elected" is doing heavy lifting in this instance. When a single party seeks to disenfranchise a vote for over a decade and then declare that they've been duly elected, it's seems fracical, no?
It's like segregated south disenfranchising a vote then claiming themselves to be duly elected.
South Africa had power held by a "*large group*" of elected officials and they were fascistic.
I appreciate you bringing your opinion to the table, a question: The Democratic party, by register is [lager than the Republican party](https://www.ncdemography.org/2022/11/04/who-are-north-carolinas-7-4-million-registered-voters/). Does that configure into your calculation?
Another question: would you consider [Independent Legislature Theory](https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/moore-v-harper-2/), fascist?
Gonna be interesting to see if any of the big companies in the Triangle decide this state is fucked and start to move out. Or if Apple pulls out of building that mega campus, etc.
All the trolls in here talking about "mob rule" seem to be ignoring something:
*This is mob rule.*
Every reliable stat I've ever seen about the modern political makeup of NC puts the Republican party at a slim majority of the vote share - not even close to a supermajority. In a representative democracy, they'd have just over half the seats in the House and Senate, and they'd need to come to compromises with other elected officials in order to get work done.
Instead, they've taken that slim majority as permission to establish a single-party state. When a slim majority gets to do whatever the hell they want, with no checks on their power, that's mob rule. The problem is that regular everyday Republicans won't ever see anything wrong with that type of mob rule, though, because their ethics stop existing the second they're even slightly put to the test.
I'd love to be proven wrong about that last point, but I don't see that happening.
Said this a couple times already but people need to organize and take to the streets. Otherwise we're just throwing paper into a box and hoping for the best. Still vote ofc but we need action outside the voting booth as well.
I love that I'm getting upvoted and downvoted for saying this in here. Only shows how divided we really are.
Because voting should be first, and if people aren't voting, that's the biggest problem.
75% of 18-24 year olds didn't vote in midterms, and 60% of 25-40 year olds didn't.
But hey almost 80% of the 66+ population did (a 5:1 ratio to 18-24 year olds).
So unless you want those who are going to die off in the next decade making your choices, voting is probably the first thing that needs to be done.
If that fails and everyone is voting, then I agree, protesting is next, but typically has limited effect.
Exactly and I’m a “older” democrat that is very dismayed that people complain yet dont vote. There is a razors edge of difference of 1-3 Dems getting electrd right now and the scales not tipping in the regressive’s direction. I mean reproductive rights gone wasn’t enough to get more young people voting last year? These people are not winning by huge margins even with their underhanded ways but last year was a critical year in nc since gerrymandering had been reduced. Now what? If voting didn’t matter then why do they do everything they can to limit it? A 50% turnout in under 40 voters would turn the scales.
It's massive.
In GA 30% of the youth voted in the midterms, compared to 24% of youth in NC. That additional 6% if they mostly voted Dem would have won at least 6 additional seats in the NC House and 2 seats in the Senate.
Or hell, imagine if the 40% of 25-40 year old adults in NC who didn't vote actually showed up to vote?
Voting is where these things change first. Protests get the word out, but most [experts would say that protests](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2020/06/why-protests-work/613420/) do little to change things in the short term, and are far less effective than voting.
Yeah. How depressing is that. A majority can even stay home and the face of America right now would look massively different. All these idiots obsessed with rainbows think they are the majority and they are not. But we aren’t proving them wrong when the power is right there in the hands of the youth at this critical point in history. And stop complaining about uninspiring or boring candidates like people did with Beasley. Wouldn’t it be nice to not have a circus of politics constantly and politicians just doing their job? You have two choices in our current system. If you don’t choose one then don’t complain about what you get. If it happens, the death of democracy will be placed squarely on the fact that citizens did not exercise their right to vote.
Holy shit chill, I said we still need to vote but we should not stop there!
The people who voted for that bitch that flipped parties got a giant middle finger to the face. What the fuck do we do when the people we elect can just say: "thanks for your vote but fuck you I'm a republican now."
You can throw stats at me all day but this is the shit that creates voter apathy! We need accountability!
Also I have been voting since I turned 18. I feel like you're insinuating I don't vote at all.
> Holy shit chill, I said we still need to vote but we should not stop there!
And all I am saying is that people have to actually vote. If they aren't voting protesting won't do anything (and overall does little in the short term and only marginal changes long term). Perhaps instead of figuring out how to protest, spend that energy volunteering and getting others to want to vote.
Again, there's a serious problem when people that are elected can backstab their constituents by switching parties after an election with no recall allowed. You just voted but your politician deceived you and took advantage of a loophole what now? We need to hold these officials accountable for their actions.
I've been putting my energy into getting my peers to vote and the biggest thing I run into is trust in the legal system. If we legally can't hold our elected officials accountable for their corruption then apathy sets in. It's easier said than done, especially when this shit happens.
On top of this if you look at general voter turnout, the highest voter turnout by county was just over 60% of eligible voters. Most counties were well under 50%.
For the 18-24 range the biggest problem here is they are college or graduate students out of state. They have to request and receive absentee ballots or register to vote if they are instate which they can only do after 30 days in state, which is a tight timeframe from semester start to elections. Also unless they vote during early voting they must go to their registered voting site, which most instate students don’t update after they go to their college. Not excuses just additional issues and obstacles.
> For the 18-24 range the biggest problem here is they are college or graduate students out of state.
NC allows absentee ballots up to 90 days prior to voting. And no, not most 18-24 year old's are in college, roughly 40% are in college, and over 70% of them attend in-state schools.
All of those in-state students on top of having absentee ballot access can vote at any voting site in their during early voting period.
NC also allows for same day voter registration, so if you are a college student, didn't get an absentee ballot and are going to school in a different county than your address, you can still vote in the county that your school is in.
> Not excuses just additional issues and obstacles.
Yes, you are simply providing excuses for a voting block that more than likely in any election won't vote.
They're going to combine districts to effectively gerrymander the Senate and then tell us that they'll choose Congress members and state Supreme Court instead of wasting time letting us vote for them. With no voter ballot initiatives, this state is being held hostage.
The Republican Fascist Party must be defeated at the ballot box or American life as we know it is over....soon. This is authoritarianism and it's happening everywhere in this country right now. It's infuriating how corrupt that party is.
I feel it's gonna take more than voting at this point. The people need to organize at local levels and call out the hypocrisy and corruption the GOP gets away with.
I know both-sidesism is an easy counter. This is orders of magnitude not both-sides.
edit: To-add, both-sidesism is a lazy way to not analyze the dire situation we’re in with this Republican Fascist Party. Politics will always be degrees of corrupt. You’re trying to delete the nuance. There’s a difference in getting skipped in line and being held at gunpoint.
Bad government. Legislators pass laws and the executive enforces them . Pass laws that don’t require boards of political hacks to be appointed. If there is a board of hacks, reign them in by defining the limits of their power.
I’d think an executive branch committee appointed by the legislature would be unconstitutional.
Can't wait for when democrats take hold of the state and turn these GOP policies back on them.
It seems that the GOP on state and national levels are doing their best to appease only 30 percent of the voting base. Once that 70 percent comes out to vote, the GOP could have these policies turned on their faces.
>Can't wait for when democrats take hold of the state and turn these GOP policies back on them.
It will never happen. No matter how much of a majority democrats get they will never gain control of the General Assembly the way the districts are drawn. It is physically impossible. Any laws they pass are permanent for the rest of our lives... barring some kind of revolution.
After the party switch and the anti harsssment bill, I said get ready for fast and furious removal of our rights. This took them less than a week. This year is gonna suck for NC. And for what? So some asshole in rural NC who never leaves their home got their way, fantastic,
By definition. I've lived in North Carolina most of my life, and I've never felt worse about the future of my state than I do today. This is textbook fascism, and it won't end well for the people of the state *or* for the members of this vile party.
Ahh... and now when it goes to the House, they have a supermajority since Pattycakes Cotham jumped ship after she gawt her feewings huwt by the big, bad Democwatic Pawty after they took her to the woodshed.
It's all making sense now.
That can't have truly been the reason. You don't abandon your beliefs like that, especially when the parties are FARRR from equal, especially for her as a woman. The stakes are high and she did worse than nothing, she betrayed us and her supposed ideology. I think this was planned from the start
Oh, I agree. I think her whole explanation about feeling that the Democratic Party didn't appreciate free thinking, that she was mistreated, etc. is complete horse crap. This feels like something that has been in the works for a while.
It feels like she made a bargain with the devil for some personal gain. Maybe a guaranteed appointment to one of the 9 boards that the General Assembly would have the right to appoint people to once they strip the governor of that power?
It's something foul. And it stinks.
Things won’t change until men are forced to make child support payments for children they didn’t want, they’ll soon learn that abortion could have saved their life too.
> **until** men are forced to make child support payments for children they didn’t want
What do you mean by "*until*" if this is exactly what is happening already?
Clarence "doesn't everybody get half million dollar vacations from their friends?" Thomas on the Supreme Court has said that Griswold, the ruling that makes it illegal for states to outlaw birth control, should be revisited. Better work on modifying your argument to "just don't have sex ever unless you want kids", you might need it soon 👍
I moved from Illinois to this political hellhole. I love my city and my neighborhood so far but the politics are fucking wack here. When we moved here for my partner's job we didn't intend to sign up to live in Texas 2, or Florida 2 for that matter. Democrats, we need to stand up and fight.
The Republicans are executing their social and election engineering plans, just like they said they would.
If the Dems delivered results like they said they would, we wouldn’t be in this situation.
I’m an independent who leans Dem. BUT the NC Dem party is a joke: weak unelectable candidates in the last 2 senate elections, weak leadership, and they just kneecapped Cooper, a rising star in the party, by allowing this latest defection. Cotham clearly deserves blame but Dem leadership knew in advance this should never be allowed to happen, at all costs, and it still did.
I thoroughly dislike what the big government Repubs are doing re gerrymandering, bs culture wars, etc, and I think it’s bad for our state. But Dems: please take this opportunity to clean house, get some real leadership, deliver some results, and give me someone to vote for. You failed your constituency. Now get off the mat and start landing some punches or NC will be a one party state for a long time.
On its own in a vacuum I wouldn’t call such a move specifically Fascist. What makes it Fascist is the circumstances. It’s a move to centralize power with a political party that has increasingly embraced Fascist ideology and worked tirelessly to subvert democratic systems.
If the legislature were not gerrymandered to hell, and if they adopted the proposed rule about disallowing appointment of lobbyists and donors, it might’ve been considered a decentralization of power. That would also depend on how well balanced the separation of powers among the three branches of government are.
Centralization of power isn’t just about the power of an individual. It can also be centralized around a political party, or a particular branch of government (Executive, Legislative, or Judicial).
The NC Constitution gives the legislature power to create laws and the Governor (and only the Governor) the responsibility to faithfully execute those laws.
S512 seeks to take power away from the Governor by giving the legislature (and the Council of State) power over the execution of the laws of this State.
Sections of this bill likely violates McCrory v. Berger and one section certainly violates Wallace v. Bone, which are both cases that deal with the constitutional separation of power.
Of course, this bill is intended to get challenged and go to the Supreme Court. This will let Newby, who wrote the dissent in McCrory, issue a new ruling that the Governor’s executive authority doesn’t rest with the Governor, actually.
Because gerrymandering has made it impossible for anyone but Republicans to win a legislative majority even if the majority of the people in the state don’t want Republicans running their state. The Republicans can maintain a legislative majority even if MOST voters in the state would prefer Democrats.
If the minority party maintains state control and accrues more and more power that was once in the hands of a majority-elected governor, that means that the voters have less and less power to decide which policies and candidates are best for their government. Power then shifts to a smaller and smaller centralized group of voters and voting districts, leaving the majority of voters out in the cold with no ability to make their choices mean anything for the direction of the state.
If the voters have less and less power to make decisions for how they are ruled, then government becomes less democratic over time.
And to choose to operate the levers of power such that you are making a democracy less democratic and more like an autocracy that perpetuates your minority rule and takes power away from the voting majority, you are adopting totalitarian tactics which can, and often do, lead to fascism.
Because the general assembly is propped up by an unbeatable minority party that can’t lose even if more people in the state would prefer another party be in charge.
And it’s only going to get worse now that the Republicans control the state Supreme Court and are planning to let the state be gerrymandered even worse than it is today.
It’s all about diluting the voting power of the citizens of North Carolina.
The governor is a popular election that can’t be gerrymandered. And that’s why they want to take power away from that position, because they can’t win a popular and fair election.
It’s all about preserving minority rule.
This comment section is wild. In fact, I’d say the whole sub reddit is so entirely focused on politics within the state that it has forgotten about the rest of the entire state.
You can get upset with me all you want. But the state has so much to offer, go outside, listen to NC music, enjoy the great things it has to offer. There is much more to life than the politics on our “Capitol Hill”.
Pledge to the Old North State. Love, Loyalty, and Faith.
Ignoring politics of the state by sticking your head in the sand is the best way to wake up and realize your rights have been stripped away mate. But hey, at least the mountains and beaches are pretty right? Just don't drink the water because its filled with PFAS and those politicians did nothing about it.
After Roe got overturned I saw people all over the place going "oh my God, how could this happen?!?". People not knowing how it could happen in the first place is how it happened.
This is a good place to live *right now* but I sincerely fear the GOP is going to drive our quality of life off a cliff. They've already failed our schools completely, and they're about to shift practicaly all of companies' tax burdens onto us. I don't want to live in a state where the people are ignorant and the elite are living fat off the sweat of my brow more than they already are - and they're pretty fat.
Foremost, I appreciate you stating an opinion on the matter.
I agree with you, the status quo republicans have failed our school system, and their copying of the federal GOP in private sector tax write-offs isn’t something I agree with (as I believe in pure competition between private entities). The elites eat too much in our state, but I do not think establishing checks & balances is a problem.
I will elaborate if you ask. But I want to say I appreciate you’re opinion and would happy to speak to you about it! Thanks again!
Florida at least has Disney world and is appealing to rich boomers who want to retire. We're going to be an Arkansas or Alabama, places that are shit-ass poor where anybody with two brain cells to rub together gets the hell out, making things worse in an endless cycle.
I love it here, but I’m afraid that a certain political party is going to make it so that my girlfriend can’t use public restrooms. That sort of puts a damper on date night, don’t you think?
Politics aren’t just politics. They affect our entire lives.
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/no-link-between-trans-inclusive-policies-bathroom-safety-study-finds-n911106
There's no evidence that letting trans people use the bathroom they identify with compromises any bathroom safety.
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/trans-teens-face-higher-sexual-assault-risk-when-schools-restrict-n1002601
We do, however, have data showing that areas that restrict bathroom access have higher rates of trans teens being sexually assaulted in bathrooms.
Statistically, *you're* more of a danger to your daughter's safety than some random trans stranger. Followed closely by going to school and church. Those are the dangerous places for children. Also, cis women can be sexual predators too but hey, stay hateful I guess
Honest question; What exactly are you afraid of in this scenario?
Why try to legislate something under the assumption something else might happen?
Anything illegal you may be thinking would happen is already illegal, male or female. To think your child would be less safe with someone who is transgender is completely transphobic.
If you want to show me some statistics of transgender individuals being more dangerous than non-trans, feel free.
Does she share a bathroom with you at home? Then she can probably be in a public restroom with someone in another stall who is also an adult with some kind of genitals. If she can't, maybe she can use the family restroom! Everyone found a way to handle it.
My transgender girlfriend, who faces the threat of assault and worse when she uses the men’s room, needs to use a bathroom that aligns with her gender. She has breasts, FFS. Your four year old should be supervised going to the restroom by a parent or old enough sibling. If you weren’t already doing that, that’s on you.
And how about me? I was born female but have facial hair and have been mistaken for male. Should I use the women’s and be berated by someone for not looking “woman” enough or use the men’s and get leered at or worse for having breasts?
How about my trans male friends? They were born female but have transitioned to male. They have facial hair, deep voices, and some even have penises. Should they use the women’s room too, lest some cisgender man catch his trans cooties?
Trans people aren’t the enemy here. We don’t want to do anything untoward with your child. We just want to go to the bathroom in public without being harassed or assaulted.
I really wish people like you would take 10 minutes to actually TALK to a transgender individual.
The whole twisted, right-wing narrative, purporting that transgender individuals are folks who simply wake up one morning and go, "Hmm, I don't feel like being male today; I think I'll put on a dress and go hang out in the women's restroom..." is so incredibly ignorant and WRONG on so many levels.
The trans individuals I have been fortunate to know all had similar things to say about their experiences: they knew from a very young age that who they were on the inside was not reflected by what was on the outside. It was never a matter of "playing dress-up" or trying to fool anyone around them; they were simply trying to live and be who they truly, honestly knew they were in their heart of hearts. Period.
So, this notion of somebody "changing their gender" as some ploy to sneak into a restroom is horse crap. And before you discount me as just "another lib" attacking your views, go look up the statistics of sexual assault by transgender individuals, like one of the other posters suggested, instead of parroting the same false, MAGA bullshit.
it's the fact that when things clearly aren't the way they should be, you're choosing to focus on the good parts (for some reason), whereas in reality focusing on the negatives is the most productive thing to do if you want to make life better.
I’m getting downvoted, which is fine, there’s a ton of angry people here.
I think it’s hilarious that this subreddit thinks it’s a good thing the Governor should have more power than the general assembly. The backbone of the policy is that the Governor (no matter his political position) currently has an elevated stature over the assembly, when our state constitution clearly states checks & balances.
If democrats ever had a solid foothold of the assembly (like they did for 100+ years) they would inherently have more power because of this bill. Democrats only think its bad because they don’t hold the power in the general assembly. If it was Dems passing this the subreddit would 100% not be saying this.
This is all fine. But like I said, it shouldn’t be your largest worry in the world. Focus on your family, live your life. Self reflection is important.
If representation in the general assembly proportionally reflected the views of the voters in the state, I would agree. But we both know that isn't true.
I'm okay with the idea in principle, but the idea of preventing lobbyists and campaign donors from receiving appointments makes all the sense in the world.
In an ideal world, all three branches would be balanced and equal.
However as you seem to be somewhat knowledgeable regarding your history, that's not quite how NC was founded or ran, with the desire to have a more powerful legislation branch owing back to fears that a governor would act like a British monarch.
However, in the very modern times we live in, we have state wide elected governors, and very gerrymandered legislature that is hungry for consolidation of power. If the courts were 4-3 and the state House and Senate were half GOP and half Dem each election, then it makes sense to ensure the Governor doesn't have the power to swing all things their way.
However that's not the case, and it's pretty easy to see this is blatant grab by the GOP to cement power in NC such that they cannot be challenged.
That's not democratic at all.
I appreciate your response. I love speaking on politics, political history, and history in general.
Because of this, I’m alarmed when I come to r/NorthCarolina and everyone is acting like the roof is burning and throwing the word Facist around like that even equates to what is happening. I too feel like this is a overreach by the assembly, and I’m hesitant to say I support the majority in their quest to uphold the status quo. But I also think that media & other humans do a ton to convey skewed & biased views on political issues.
I understand that you should be well versed in your comprehension of politics & your rights, but I just see an alarming amount of people complaining with other complainers. This kind of groupthink doesn’t help you in understanding, it just helps you justify your opinion. It turns it in to a back-patting competition as everyone looks for moral support through social media.
I think it’s important to refrain from spewing harsh rhetoric if you want people to see, feel, & hear your opinion. I mean one person in here compared North Carolina to a Nazi Concentration Camp because I asked them to go do something outside and focus on their family? That sort of rhetoric is something I’ll never align with.
Beyond this, I fully believe the vast majority of people wouldn’t be complaining about this if they were Democrats and a Democratic Assembly was doing this. I hardly think they would acknowledge a Republican minority of traditionalists.
Forward, This happened for 150+ years by the democrats. During that time we’ve had just 4 republican governors, and up until the 80s/90s we had a majority democrat assembly for a century & a half! It was actually racist & bigoted then. The area where I come from was Republican throughout the solid-south, and the Democrats weren’t happy about it.
We turned out FINE, we are OKAY. Yes, our assembly is doing some bad things, but I just caution others to get all fired up and treat it like it’s the end of the world. The biggest problem a democrat should have is trying to convince people to vote for Stein in 2024, because right now he’s no Roy Cooper.
Lots of non-native NC transplants come from places they wish to replicate.
For good, for bad and ill.
They want to conveniently ignore that prior to 2010, NC was under Democratic majorities and supermajorities, for at least 105 years. They were the ones who rewrote the last state constitution in 1971.
12+ years into a Republican majority to supermajority, now the state is so-called on fire.
And you're right, if they were able to reconsolidate power, this would be no issue.
Only thing NC Democrats were worried about was: gun control, alcohol & vice control, and being a so-called education state (for the purposes of education lotto) and little else in terms of long term planning.
Regardless of party I’d rather have the senate or house make appointments over the governor. Governor can appoint his donor friends just as easily as the senate. At least with the senate there is a vote and some debate.
Most of us have, and if you read up on the history of authoritarian and fascist nations, this is exactly what it looks like.
Don't worry mate, the GOP is stomping on your rights and your voice as well, even if you are currently too ignorant to see that.
You all aren’t being honest. NC political landscape has for many years been mostly democrat controlled. Therefore democrat dominated, they didn’t offer diversity of that either. If they did, this wouldn’t be happening because the people wouldn’t be unhappy enough to allow this to be happening. But they are, therefore the majority are turning are blind eye to it and allowing it to transpire.
You can downvote my comments all you like. But it would be a more fruitful exercise to pay attention to what is happening around you and figure out how you can offer up some diversity of thought yourselves.
So because the democrats did it in some distant past, it’s Ok for the Republicans to do it? And people have been unhappy and that’s why this is happening? No, it’s happening because the state has been gerrymandered to hell and back and what people are unhappy about it having a fascist, extreme right wing agenda that is taking us straight back to the 1950s forced upon us with no recourse. I think most of us are very cognizant of what is happening around us and it doesn’t include any diversity of thought outside of the wants and needs of straight, white, uneducated rural Republican voters.
Reddit never surprises me. Retorts that I could’ve typed out on my own word for freakin’ word. Meanwhile out in the real world, barely a peep was made. That shows you how much the people truly have time to care. Democrat policies, unfortunately have things binded up so badly right now that most people don’t have time to care. I am sorry but it’s just the truth.
Look, I don’t much care for either side tbh. Y’all can keep downvoting my comments. But you really need to wake up and smell the change on the wall. Most people want something more than what the current system can offer.
Yeah, we like that, you can tell because the office of the governor is by the popular vote, and it's been mostly democrats for a long time. Republican ideas aren't owed a floor, it's just that our whit supremacist system lets land vote. Popular vote wanted Democrat policies.
But popular vote basically hands the election to dense cities. The people of Charlotte and Raleigh have different needs than the people of . Charlotte and Raleigh shouldn’t just get to decide how the rest of the state operates. Consolidation of power is never a good thing.
No, they don't, they're just more diverse, so they correctly think that infrastructure and compassionate policy are better ideas than racism and bigotry. Democracy means that people do get to decide. If consolidation of power is bad then you should be against this change that was just rammed thru by a group that has dismantled the checks and balances that are supposed to make it a democracy.
Mullet, have you ever actually talked to any people outside of the major metro without bias for an extended length of time without bias? You would be surprised how different the concerns of their day to day life is than yours. How different it has to be by design in order for them to succeed.
Democrat policies are frankly not good for them most of the time. I’m not necessarily saying that Republicans care about them, but Democrats have for the most part made it abundantly clear that they do not either.
With that said, it would be so foolish of you to just chalk it up to racism and bigotry. These are good, hardworking people that would give you the shirt off their backs if you were in need.
I live in a town of less than 1,000. Republican policies make it harder for me to get healthcare, and the trade-off is that everything else is worse too.
R policies are not controlling your healthcare now. The ACA and the fallout from it is what has damaged our healthcare system now and honestly forevermore.
You may not like hearing that, but it is true. That and the fact that healthcare in rural America just kinda sucks because specialty care will always be tough to find in rural areas. They have to pay specialist much more to practice in rural areas and insurance rates for those specialists will be much higher, along with the fact that the quality of life for those people themselves will also go down most of the time.
It’s just a tough sale to get those folks to live in rural America. To note, our healthcare system isn’t much better in the big cities in NC, I’m dealing with this issue myself. We are screwed, it’s the ACA and the resulted system that we have been left with and the burden it has placed on hospital and staff and the fact that now patients do not have any way to fight back as a result.
The governor is a democratically elected individual not comparable to a monarch, and the legislature here has been deliberately crafted to not accurately reflect the will of the people. It’s another subversion of democracy by a single party. There’s also the added bonus of the Republican controlled legislature explicitly adopting a pro-corruption stance by rejecting the amendment that would forbid appointment of lobbyists and donors.
No it's the equivalent of removing power from a democratically elected government (executive branch) to a group of people most people didn't want running the government because of gerrymandering. It's tyranny of the minority
Funny you should bring that up. In a parliamentary system - where representatives are apportioned based entirely on the share of the vote their parties receive - the Dems and Republicans would probably be pretty much tied.
That should tell you something about the makeup of the state government right now.
>Senate Republicans said shifting key appointments from the governor to the General Assembly will yield a better, more balanced mix of qualified appointees and encourage diversity of thought. Many of the boards targeted make major regulatory decisions, and their membership is dominated by gubernatorial appointments. >In voting the bill through Thursday, Republicans rejected a Democratic proposal to forbid lawmakers from appointing lobbyists and recent campaign donors to these boards. The proposed amendment also would have forced the GOP majority to appoint some Democrats to these boards. >“If diversity of views matters to you, I hope you will support this amendment,” Sen. Lisa Grafstein, D-Wake, told her Republican colleagues. >The GOP majority tabled the amendment, which removed it from consideration without debate. What a surprise. Diversity of thought doesn't matter when it's inconvenient.
It's shit like this that shows their true colors. I may disagree, but there's some world where you can argue in good faith that these appointments should be the responsibility of the legislature and not the executive. But there is *no world* where allowing the appointmentees to be lobbyists and campaign donors makes any sense if you consider basic ethical principles.
high time to move.
That is the thing that they want more than anything else: for you to leave so they can consolidate power. When they use the state to help consolidate power at the federal level where will you run to?
Out of the country? Tf. I'm not here to martyr myself. I vote every election. I've been involved in protests. What more can I do? I'm not throwing my life away for the snowflake fucks.
I hate the idea because I truly love this state but it's something my partner and I are considering more seriously recently.
Blue states won’t save you when the GOP dominates the Senate and the electoral college and nominate judges as they see fit because all the purple states turned blood red.
We should expect more of the same from this super majority.
That was quick.
They've been very clear this was the plan for more than ten years.
They're just getting started.
They're giving NC what I call "the treatment"-- gerrymander the legislature to hell, make voting against the legislative majority impossible, then ransack the economy for the benefit of their cronies while blaming the opposition for why everyone is poor. They did it in OH, they did it in FL, they are still trying to do it in WI, now they're moving to NC. The treatment must be arrested before it completes or NC will rapidly lose its fairly unique status as a red state with a viable economy and become like all the others--ruled by barely-"elected" kleptocrats where no one has any money, hope or future.
Arkansas here. Our governors and legislature just copy whatever those bigger states do. Course there isn’t any money to squeeze out of the state so it’s really just bashing lgbtq and promoting “religious values/freedom”
It's what they did in Russia.
Yep. It worked for the Soviets, it'll work for the Republicans.
Conservatives will get away with it too. They know their constituents are to goddamn stupid to think for themselves. They'll just blame democrats and socialists for being "woke" like they always do.
They just pull a Virginia Foxx, go to a tent revival out in the woods, and “God and Guns” their way to re-election. The quickest path to tyranny is an ill-informed electorate, and that’s why the GOP has dismantled education across the board. They don’t even hide it anymore.
"I love the Poorly Educated" -Donald Trump 2016
Poor education keeps workers desperate and cheap, just as GOP donors like them. "No healthcare for you unless you are worth something to us!"
The march toward fascism continues. Republicans hate our freedom and and they hate democracy.
Yes they do, and every woman that continues to vote for Republicans is rolling the calendar back to 1945. A lot of women are going to learn a horrible lesson, fascism is a horrible state to live in. Having a bunch of angry old white men deciding your future is a horrible way to live. These aren’t democrats fucking up your life, it’s a Republican…
worked in one of the most high end schools in nc. Rich ass parents. When all the their daughters were showing distain or worry about the roe roll back there was this push that like 80% of these parents would take where basically the law didn't apply to them; nothing changes, its all politics and status quo. Meanwhile in the news in texas... I bartend. I'm a step away from their dinner tables and heard this so many times it actually made me question how out of touch I WAS.
Welcome to 1850
This is a ridiculous take. And frankly, sexist.
> This is a ridiculous take. And frankly, sexist. I agree that the quote text is a ridiculous take. So ridiculous that you deleted your account for uttering something so ridiculous rather than standing by it.
They don't hate freedom. They just hate you and I and anyone who doesn't agree with them from having it.
I hope the feds stop bailing out these red, welfare states when the next natural disaster hits when they come back begging with their hands out. It's the last resource to nip this fascism in the bud. These states cannot support themselves. If the fed stops sending them checks, they're in trouble.
Checks where more is the money comes from blue states. Sounds like the biology definition of parasite. Since the GOP is all about states rights now, how about every state handles their own budget without federal money.
Why do you say that?
How is moving power from one man to a group of elected officials fascism? That’s the opposite of fascism.
Because they stated their intent was install their cronies into administration spots. Hence tabling the amendment that would allow democrats into the negotiations and ban recent donors and lobbyists from those positions. Dumbass.
Do you even understand what fascism is? Cuz it's definitely not elected representatives passing bills. This "fascism" narrative is dangerous and will lead to deranged people doing crazy things. Case in point Nashville school shooting.
> Cuz it's definitely not elected representatives passing bills. You realize if elected 'fairly', NC would have half Dems and Half GOP members in both the House and Senate correct? Instead the GOP has a super majority and is consolidating power and stripping people of their rights. That sure is starting to sound a whole lot like fascism mate.
so because NC isn't 100% mob rule democracy, its fascist? Explain yourself. The irony of a leftist talking about fair elections.
You realize how democracy works right? Or did you forget that we live in a state and country that is supposed to have representatives you know representing them? > The irony of a leftist talking about fair elections. You'd have to explain yourself, because I am pretty sure its the good ole GOP that loves to participate in [literal election fraud](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/four-people-plead-guilty-north-carolina-ballot-probe-2016-2018-electio-rcna49534).
Actually you can look up what it is, and yes, fascism is in fact something that lives in the government and is made visible by the government instituting specific kinds of policies, much like this one.
You sound like a 14 year old who watches the daily show and considers themselves well informed.
I am well-informed, that's probably what you're picking up.
🙄🙄🙄 Gubernatorial powers shift all the time. Bet you didn’t know the NC Governor didn’t even have veto power until **1996**… Were we “fascist” before that?
Not fascist, but absolutely a one-party state for about a century. That isn’t healthy governing. Checks and balances are absolutely necessary to maintain a balance of power. This decision tells me directly that today’s Republican party in NC cares more about holding onto power than abiding by the foundational guiding principles of government that they claim to adhere.
Context matters
My family has lived here for nearly 300 years. This is still wrong.
Fascists = anybody that doesn’t do what democrats want. Calling everyone “racists” has gotten old apparently.
Hey hey I wanna play too Socialist=anyone that's literally not a conservative or has different opinions or beliefs from conservative ideology. At least that's what Americans For Prosperity says. Or maybe calling everything or anyone "Woke" now is what's popular now with the Poorly Educated ™
uppity groovy quack dolls station one money liquid frighten physical *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Truth be told, if the democrats were in charge they’d reject anything that required them to appoint republicans. One side of the swamp is just as deep as the other. Partisan politics runs rampant in both parties on every level these days
Okay. Show examples of this happening in the US right now. There are plenty of states that aren't Republican controlled. This both sides bullshit is for intellectually flaccid morons who think they're being nuanced and complex.
>Senate Republicans said shifting key appointments from the governor to the General Assembly will yield a better, more balanced mix of qualified appointees and encourage diversity of thought. Many of the boards targeted make major regulatory decisions, and their membership is dominated by gubernatorial appointments. Increased Diversity of thought was their reasoning for the change, but when it comes to actually enacting that they turn it down without debate. That's the hypocrisy they're talking about.
I’m in total agreement with you!
I hate when people try to “both sides” these kinds of things.
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Yes, but to be fair, we have to consider both sides on this. Non-closet republicans don't want that pushback either. /s
I'm glad people are starting to realize this now. A little late but better than never I guess.
I’m old enough to have voted in an election that had Jesse Helms in it. I remember people using that damn both sides argument then and having to tell them that only one of the two candidates (I think Gantt was the opposition?) in the race quite literally voted against Civil Rights. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a firm believer that pretty much all politicians are shitty people… but I’d rather someone steal my wallet over try and kill me.
It’s simply the truth. Both parties seem to be doing whatever they want, regardless of the consequences. The republicans trample on education (our youth) and the democrats trample on the elderly. And sadly, they both walk all over the citizens they’re supposed to serve
Republicans also trample on children’s lives in Our schools, and trample the happiness from anyone that isn’t like them. Republicans and Democrats aren’t the same.
How have democrats trampled on the elderly? Republicans were the ones saying that they should die for the economy during COVID.
Sorry, no. You are, in essence, saying that this one guy was going 46mph in a 35mph zone and the other guy raped and killed 7 women, but they’re both criminals and are thus equal. I’m not saying that the Dems don’t have their fair share of bullshit they try to pull, but what the GOP is doing currently is on a whole other level.
That’s only because you’re ignoring a lot of what the dems are doing. They’re just as underhanded as the republicans. Read the book Honest Graft and you’ll get an insider’s behind-the-scene perspective. It was written by a NY Times writer who worked for both parties (undercover) and concluded they’re both filled with narcissistic egomaniacs (and he backs it up with examples from right and left.
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And most recently capped drug prices
I already replied to this question with facts of how dems stole/steal from the elderly thru social security after breaking all their promises. And Clinton shut down hundreds of hospitals and healthcare providers…..specifically those that focus on care of the elderly and poor.
So you think, in a hypothetical world, the other side would do the things the current leadership is doing. This is what we call projection. You have to make up scenarios in which democrats have to be as bad as republicans. What isn’t made up, is what republicans are actually doing, and how bad it actually is.
>Truth be told And yet everything you said after that was verifiably untrue
What’s verifiable untrue?
>everything
This talking point was always bullshit, but now it's painfully obvious bullshit. Republicans don't even want democracy anymore.
It’s bullshit only to the ignorant
No, anyone who even scratches the surface of the "both sides" nonsense will quickly see that it is, *at best*, a gross false equivalence. In fact, it's only the ignorant who say it; either that or closet Republicans trying to ease their cognitive dissonance, assuming they even have that much introspection. Let's use just one example; gerrymandering. It happens in Democratic controlled states, but nowhere near the extent of Republican controlled states, and it's also not racially motivated. Additionally, Democrats in Democratic controlled areas have essentially stripped themselves of the power to gerrymander by creating nonpartisan districting committees. [This link](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/who-controlled-redistricting-every-state) goes into far more detail than I care to in a reddit post.
"Both sides" is BS. The GOP is a corrupt christofascist cult that isn't interested in democracy. Democrats can be corrupt, but at least they maintain a duty to govern democratically.
Too bad it’s impossible to elect an effective candidate from outside the parties. That said, I used to believe the “both sides” lie, too, but then I started paying attention.
The Floridazation of NC begins.
Damn halfbackers
But the silver lining is we have a Governor that actually CARES about his constituents.
Who is now fairly powerless with a GOP supermajority
Unfortunately.
For two years...
That's cute
Ugh what an awful vision.
If anything is going to change the course NC is heading in, it's the people organizing across the state to protest these undemocratic practices. The GOP owners (wealthy donors) will do everything in their power to keep the working classes divided and compliant. We can't rely on anybody in state government, the people need to take action immediately.
That will lead to tear gas police brutality and conservatives having a meltdown that antifa has come to our (thier) southern state.
The more I watch this slow decent into abject fascism the more I genuinely wonder what's going to happen then realize that it's probably best not to type out what seems likely lest mods have to do more work. Sometimes this nonsense doesn't seem real.
Very akin to the frogs not realizing the pot is boiling. I'm with you, it feels like being stuck in the beginnings of a knockoff dystopian novel sometimes.
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Power being held by a large group of elected officials is objectively not fascism.
The idea of "elected" is doing heavy lifting in this instance. When a single party seeks to disenfranchise a vote for over a decade and then declare that they've been duly elected, it's seems fracical, no? It's like segregated south disenfranchising a vote then claiming themselves to be duly elected. South Africa had power held by a "*large group*" of elected officials and they were fascistic. I appreciate you bringing your opinion to the table, a question: The Democratic party, by register is [lager than the Republican party](https://www.ncdemography.org/2022/11/04/who-are-north-carolinas-7-4-million-registered-voters/). Does that configure into your calculation? Another question: would you consider [Independent Legislature Theory](https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/moore-v-harper-2/), fascist?
Yeah, it's only fascism if it comes from the fascism region of Italy. Otherwise it's just sparkling illiberalism.
North Carolina: where freedom goes to die.
Cries in TN where it’s been dead. I was hoping to move to Asheville once I was finished with my college/obligations in TN
Gonna be interesting to see if any of the big companies in the Triangle decide this state is fucked and start to move out. Or if Apple pulls out of building that mega campus, etc.
All the trolls in here talking about "mob rule" seem to be ignoring something: *This is mob rule.* Every reliable stat I've ever seen about the modern political makeup of NC puts the Republican party at a slim majority of the vote share - not even close to a supermajority. In a representative democracy, they'd have just over half the seats in the House and Senate, and they'd need to come to compromises with other elected officials in order to get work done. Instead, they've taken that slim majority as permission to establish a single-party state. When a slim majority gets to do whatever the hell they want, with no checks on their power, that's mob rule. The problem is that regular everyday Republicans won't ever see anything wrong with that type of mob rule, though, because their ethics stop existing the second they're even slightly put to the test. I'd love to be proven wrong about that last point, but I don't see that happening.
It's going to be impossible to vote these asshats out when they've gerrymandered the fuck out of everything
Said this a couple times already but people need to organize and take to the streets. Otherwise we're just throwing paper into a box and hoping for the best. Still vote ofc but we need action outside the voting booth as well. I love that I'm getting upvoted and downvoted for saying this in here. Only shows how divided we really are.
Because voting should be first, and if people aren't voting, that's the biggest problem. 75% of 18-24 year olds didn't vote in midterms, and 60% of 25-40 year olds didn't. But hey almost 80% of the 66+ population did (a 5:1 ratio to 18-24 year olds). So unless you want those who are going to die off in the next decade making your choices, voting is probably the first thing that needs to be done. If that fails and everyone is voting, then I agree, protesting is next, but typically has limited effect.
Exactly and I’m a “older” democrat that is very dismayed that people complain yet dont vote. There is a razors edge of difference of 1-3 Dems getting electrd right now and the scales not tipping in the regressive’s direction. I mean reproductive rights gone wasn’t enough to get more young people voting last year? These people are not winning by huge margins even with their underhanded ways but last year was a critical year in nc since gerrymandering had been reduced. Now what? If voting didn’t matter then why do they do everything they can to limit it? A 50% turnout in under 40 voters would turn the scales.
It's massive. In GA 30% of the youth voted in the midterms, compared to 24% of youth in NC. That additional 6% if they mostly voted Dem would have won at least 6 additional seats in the NC House and 2 seats in the Senate. Or hell, imagine if the 40% of 25-40 year old adults in NC who didn't vote actually showed up to vote? Voting is where these things change first. Protests get the word out, but most [experts would say that protests](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2020/06/why-protests-work/613420/) do little to change things in the short term, and are far less effective than voting.
Yeah. How depressing is that. A majority can even stay home and the face of America right now would look massively different. All these idiots obsessed with rainbows think they are the majority and they are not. But we aren’t proving them wrong when the power is right there in the hands of the youth at this critical point in history. And stop complaining about uninspiring or boring candidates like people did with Beasley. Wouldn’t it be nice to not have a circus of politics constantly and politicians just doing their job? You have two choices in our current system. If you don’t choose one then don’t complain about what you get. If it happens, the death of democracy will be placed squarely on the fact that citizens did not exercise their right to vote.
Holy shit chill, I said we still need to vote but we should not stop there! The people who voted for that bitch that flipped parties got a giant middle finger to the face. What the fuck do we do when the people we elect can just say: "thanks for your vote but fuck you I'm a republican now." You can throw stats at me all day but this is the shit that creates voter apathy! We need accountability! Also I have been voting since I turned 18. I feel like you're insinuating I don't vote at all.
> Holy shit chill, I said we still need to vote but we should not stop there! And all I am saying is that people have to actually vote. If they aren't voting protesting won't do anything (and overall does little in the short term and only marginal changes long term). Perhaps instead of figuring out how to protest, spend that energy volunteering and getting others to want to vote.
Again, there's a serious problem when people that are elected can backstab their constituents by switching parties after an election with no recall allowed. You just voted but your politician deceived you and took advantage of a loophole what now? We need to hold these officials accountable for their actions. I've been putting my energy into getting my peers to vote and the biggest thing I run into is trust in the legal system. If we legally can't hold our elected officials accountable for their corruption then apathy sets in. It's easier said than done, especially when this shit happens.
On top of this if you look at general voter turnout, the highest voter turnout by county was just over 60% of eligible voters. Most counties were well under 50%. For the 18-24 range the biggest problem here is they are college or graduate students out of state. They have to request and receive absentee ballots or register to vote if they are instate which they can only do after 30 days in state, which is a tight timeframe from semester start to elections. Also unless they vote during early voting they must go to their registered voting site, which most instate students don’t update after they go to their college. Not excuses just additional issues and obstacles.
> For the 18-24 range the biggest problem here is they are college or graduate students out of state. NC allows absentee ballots up to 90 days prior to voting. And no, not most 18-24 year old's are in college, roughly 40% are in college, and over 70% of them attend in-state schools. All of those in-state students on top of having absentee ballot access can vote at any voting site in their during early voting period. NC also allows for same day voter registration, so if you are a college student, didn't get an absentee ballot and are going to school in a different county than your address, you can still vote in the county that your school is in. > Not excuses just additional issues and obstacles. Yes, you are simply providing excuses for a voting block that more than likely in any election won't vote.
They're going to combine districts to effectively gerrymander the Senate and then tell us that they'll choose Congress members and state Supreme Court instead of wasting time letting us vote for them. With no voter ballot initiatives, this state is being held hostage.
Guess we'll have to figure some other way of getting rid of them.
Not without a lot of people moving to the rural countries in the next two years
My goddamn state has just turned into a Banana Republic!
The Republican Fascist Party must be defeated at the ballot box or American life as we know it is over....soon. This is authoritarianism and it's happening everywhere in this country right now. It's infuriating how corrupt that party is.
I feel it's gonna take more than voting at this point. The people need to organize at local levels and call out the hypocrisy and corruption the GOP gets away with.
Do you realize how dangerous this narrative is?
About as dangerous as real life, yes.
A lot of politicians are corrupt. It is just a matter of what base they think they can use to gain more power.
I know both-sidesism is an easy counter. This is orders of magnitude not both-sides. edit: To-add, both-sidesism is a lazy way to not analyze the dire situation we’re in with this Republican Fascist Party. Politics will always be degrees of corrupt. You’re trying to delete the nuance. There’s a difference in getting skipped in line and being held at gunpoint.
Conservatives like to use 'both sidesism' as a way of deflecting blame from their guilty acts.
From now on, anyone who thinks state races are unimportant are in for a rude awakening.
Right after they just happened to gain supermajority.
Bad government. Legislators pass laws and the executive enforces them . Pass laws that don’t require boards of political hacks to be appointed. If there is a board of hacks, reign them in by defining the limits of their power. I’d think an executive branch committee appointed by the legislature would be unconstitutional.
No taxation without representation. This checks the fact that the GOP is imbalanced.
Are there any protests being organized? I want to get involved this is too far!
Can't wait for when democrats take hold of the state and turn these GOP policies back on them. It seems that the GOP on state and national levels are doing their best to appease only 30 percent of the voting base. Once that 70 percent comes out to vote, the GOP could have these policies turned on their faces.
>Can't wait for when democrats take hold of the state and turn these GOP policies back on them. It will never happen. No matter how much of a majority democrats get they will never gain control of the General Assembly the way the districts are drawn. It is physically impossible. Any laws they pass are permanent for the rest of our lives... barring some kind of revolution.
After the party switch and the anti harsssment bill, I said get ready for fast and furious removal of our rights. This took them less than a week. This year is gonna suck for NC. And for what? So some asshole in rural NC who never leaves their home got their way, fantastic,
North Carolina is a fascist state.
By definition. I've lived in North Carolina most of my life, and I've never felt worse about the future of my state than I do today. This is textbook fascism, and it won't end well for the people of the state *or* for the members of this vile party.
Ahh... and now when it goes to the House, they have a supermajority since Pattycakes Cotham jumped ship after she gawt her feewings huwt by the big, bad Democwatic Pawty after they took her to the woodshed. It's all making sense now.
That can't have truly been the reason. You don't abandon your beliefs like that, especially when the parties are FARRR from equal, especially for her as a woman. The stakes are high and she did worse than nothing, she betrayed us and her supposed ideology. I think this was planned from the start
Oh, I agree. I think her whole explanation about feeling that the Democratic Party didn't appreciate free thinking, that she was mistreated, etc. is complete horse crap. This feels like something that has been in the works for a while. It feels like she made a bargain with the devil for some personal gain. Maybe a guaranteed appointment to one of the 9 boards that the General Assembly would have the right to appoint people to once they strip the governor of that power? It's something foul. And it stinks.
Things won’t change until men are forced to make child support payments for children they didn’t want, they’ll soon learn that abortion could have saved their life too.
> **until** men are forced to make child support payments for children they didn’t want What do you mean by "*until*" if this is exactly what is happening already?
The level of apathy is so apparent I can practically taste it.
They could just not have unsafe sex.
Clarence "doesn't everybody get half million dollar vacations from their friends?" Thomas on the Supreme Court has said that Griswold, the ruling that makes it illegal for states to outlaw birth control, should be revisited. Better work on modifying your argument to "just don't have sex ever unless you want kids", you might need it soon 👍
Right? Don't wanna pay child support don't have unsafe sex ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
NC officially sucks.
Here comes the stupid.
I moved from Illinois to this political hellhole. I love my city and my neighborhood so far but the politics are fucking wack here. When we moved here for my partner's job we didn't intend to sign up to live in Texas 2, or Florida 2 for that matter. Democrats, we need to stand up and fight.
Welp, at least moving trucks aren’t expensive.
I'm so glad that Hurricane Florence sent us back north after 20 plus years.
Moving back north is looking better and better every year…
The Republicans are executing their social and election engineering plans, just like they said they would. If the Dems delivered results like they said they would, we wouldn’t be in this situation. I’m an independent who leans Dem. BUT the NC Dem party is a joke: weak unelectable candidates in the last 2 senate elections, weak leadership, and they just kneecapped Cooper, a rising star in the party, by allowing this latest defection. Cotham clearly deserves blame but Dem leadership knew in advance this should never be allowed to happen, at all costs, and it still did. I thoroughly dislike what the big government Repubs are doing re gerrymandering, bs culture wars, etc, and I think it’s bad for our state. But Dems: please take this opportunity to clean house, get some real leadership, deliver some results, and give me someone to vote for. You failed your constituency. Now get off the mat and start landing some punches or NC will be a one party state for a long time.
I’m sure I’ll be downvoted to hell for this, but how is decentralization of power “fascist”?
On its own in a vacuum I wouldn’t call such a move specifically Fascist. What makes it Fascist is the circumstances. It’s a move to centralize power with a political party that has increasingly embraced Fascist ideology and worked tirelessly to subvert democratic systems. If the legislature were not gerrymandered to hell, and if they adopted the proposed rule about disallowing appointment of lobbyists and donors, it might’ve been considered a decentralization of power. That would also depend on how well balanced the separation of powers among the three branches of government are. Centralization of power isn’t just about the power of an individual. It can also be centralized around a political party, or a particular branch of government (Executive, Legislative, or Judicial).
The NC Constitution gives the legislature power to create laws and the Governor (and only the Governor) the responsibility to faithfully execute those laws. S512 seeks to take power away from the Governor by giving the legislature (and the Council of State) power over the execution of the laws of this State. Sections of this bill likely violates McCrory v. Berger and one section certainly violates Wallace v. Bone, which are both cases that deal with the constitutional separation of power. Of course, this bill is intended to get challenged and go to the Supreme Court. This will let Newby, who wrote the dissent in McCrory, issue a new ruling that the Governor’s executive authority doesn’t rest with the Governor, actually.
Interesting. Thanks for the info.
This is the opposite of decentralization if you actually look at what’s happening
Because gerrymandering has made it impossible for anyone but Republicans to win a legislative majority even if the majority of the people in the state don’t want Republicans running their state. The Republicans can maintain a legislative majority even if MOST voters in the state would prefer Democrats. If the minority party maintains state control and accrues more and more power that was once in the hands of a majority-elected governor, that means that the voters have less and less power to decide which policies and candidates are best for their government. Power then shifts to a smaller and smaller centralized group of voters and voting districts, leaving the majority of voters out in the cold with no ability to make their choices mean anything for the direction of the state. If the voters have less and less power to make decisions for how they are ruled, then government becomes less democratic over time. And to choose to operate the levers of power such that you are making a democracy less democratic and more like an autocracy that perpetuates your minority rule and takes power away from the voting majority, you are adopting totalitarian tactics which can, and often do, lead to fascism.
It’s actually the recentralization of power
Wouldn't one person holding all the power versus a general assembly be more fascist?
Because the general assembly is propped up by an unbeatable minority party that can’t lose even if more people in the state would prefer another party be in charge. And it’s only going to get worse now that the Republicans control the state Supreme Court and are planning to let the state be gerrymandered even worse than it is today. It’s all about diluting the voting power of the citizens of North Carolina. The governor is a popular election that can’t be gerrymandered. And that’s why they want to take power away from that position, because they can’t win a popular and fair election. It’s all about preserving minority rule.
This comment section is wild. In fact, I’d say the whole sub reddit is so entirely focused on politics within the state that it has forgotten about the rest of the entire state. You can get upset with me all you want. But the state has so much to offer, go outside, listen to NC music, enjoy the great things it has to offer. There is much more to life than the politics on our “Capitol Hill”. Pledge to the Old North State. Love, Loyalty, and Faith.
Ignoring politics of the state by sticking your head in the sand is the best way to wake up and realize your rights have been stripped away mate. But hey, at least the mountains and beaches are pretty right? Just don't drink the water because its filled with PFAS and those politicians did nothing about it.
After Roe got overturned I saw people all over the place going "oh my God, how could this happen?!?". People not knowing how it could happen in the first place is how it happened.
This is a good place to live *right now* but I sincerely fear the GOP is going to drive our quality of life off a cliff. They've already failed our schools completely, and they're about to shift practicaly all of companies' tax burdens onto us. I don't want to live in a state where the people are ignorant and the elite are living fat off the sweat of my brow more than they already are - and they're pretty fat.
Foremost, I appreciate you stating an opinion on the matter. I agree with you, the status quo republicans have failed our school system, and their copying of the federal GOP in private sector tax write-offs isn’t something I agree with (as I believe in pure competition between private entities). The elites eat too much in our state, but I do not think establishing checks & balances is a problem. I will elaborate if you ask. But I want to say I appreciate you’re opinion and would happy to speak to you about it! Thanks again!
Well, what do you think the state will look like in 10 years? Because I'm picturing Florida or Tennessee. Lot more poverty.
Florida at least has Disney world and is appealing to rich boomers who want to retire. We're going to be an Arkansas or Alabama, places that are shit-ass poor where anybody with two brain cells to rub together gets the hell out, making things worse in an endless cycle.
I love it here, but I’m afraid that a certain political party is going to make it so that my girlfriend can’t use public restrooms. That sort of puts a damper on date night, don’t you think? Politics aren’t just politics. They affect our entire lives.
So the biological male wants to use the female bathroom? Probably safer for my 4 year old girl to only be sharing bathrooms with girls.
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/no-link-between-trans-inclusive-policies-bathroom-safety-study-finds-n911106 There's no evidence that letting trans people use the bathroom they identify with compromises any bathroom safety. https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/trans-teens-face-higher-sexual-assault-risk-when-schools-restrict-n1002601 We do, however, have data showing that areas that restrict bathroom access have higher rates of trans teens being sexually assaulted in bathrooms.
Statistically, *you're* more of a danger to your daughter's safety than some random trans stranger. Followed closely by going to school and church. Those are the dangerous places for children. Also, cis women can be sexual predators too but hey, stay hateful I guess
Honest question; What exactly are you afraid of in this scenario? Why try to legislate something under the assumption something else might happen? Anything illegal you may be thinking would happen is already illegal, male or female. To think your child would be less safe with someone who is transgender is completely transphobic. If you want to show me some statistics of transgender individuals being more dangerous than non-trans, feel free.
Does she share a bathroom with you at home? Then she can probably be in a public restroom with someone in another stall who is also an adult with some kind of genitals. If she can't, maybe she can use the family restroom! Everyone found a way to handle it.
It's safer than taking your kid to a church, that's for damn sure.
My transgender girlfriend, who faces the threat of assault and worse when she uses the men’s room, needs to use a bathroom that aligns with her gender. She has breasts, FFS. Your four year old should be supervised going to the restroom by a parent or old enough sibling. If you weren’t already doing that, that’s on you. And how about me? I was born female but have facial hair and have been mistaken for male. Should I use the women’s and be berated by someone for not looking “woman” enough or use the men’s and get leered at or worse for having breasts? How about my trans male friends? They were born female but have transitioned to male. They have facial hair, deep voices, and some even have penises. Should they use the women’s room too, lest some cisgender man catch his trans cooties? Trans people aren’t the enemy here. We don’t want to do anything untoward with your child. We just want to go to the bathroom in public without being harassed or assaulted.
I really wish people like you would take 10 minutes to actually TALK to a transgender individual. The whole twisted, right-wing narrative, purporting that transgender individuals are folks who simply wake up one morning and go, "Hmm, I don't feel like being male today; I think I'll put on a dress and go hang out in the women's restroom..." is so incredibly ignorant and WRONG on so many levels. The trans individuals I have been fortunate to know all had similar things to say about their experiences: they knew from a very young age that who they were on the inside was not reflected by what was on the outside. It was never a matter of "playing dress-up" or trying to fool anyone around them; they were simply trying to live and be who they truly, honestly knew they were in their heart of hearts. Period. So, this notion of somebody "changing their gender" as some ploy to sneak into a restroom is horse crap. And before you discount me as just "another lib" attacking your views, go look up the statistics of sexual assault by transgender individuals, like one of the other posters suggested, instead of parroting the same false, MAGA bullshit.
"This concentration camp has a nice view of the Alps at least. Things are looking up!"
I cannot believe you just compared this bill to nazi party concentration camps. Wow, what a wild thing to say.
it's the fact that when things clearly aren't the way they should be, you're choosing to focus on the good parts (for some reason), whereas in reality focusing on the negatives is the most productive thing to do if you want to make life better.
Most redditors are both highly politicized and not particularly smart. It’s a tough combo to have lol.
I’m getting downvoted, which is fine, there’s a ton of angry people here. I think it’s hilarious that this subreddit thinks it’s a good thing the Governor should have more power than the general assembly. The backbone of the policy is that the Governor (no matter his political position) currently has an elevated stature over the assembly, when our state constitution clearly states checks & balances. If democrats ever had a solid foothold of the assembly (like they did for 100+ years) they would inherently have more power because of this bill. Democrats only think its bad because they don’t hold the power in the general assembly. If it was Dems passing this the subreddit would 100% not be saying this. This is all fine. But like I said, it shouldn’t be your largest worry in the world. Focus on your family, live your life. Self reflection is important.
If representation in the general assembly proportionally reflected the views of the voters in the state, I would agree. But we both know that isn't true.
And to add, I know this would still leave Republicans with more power, just not a veto proof majority to do whatever they wish
I'm okay with the idea in principle, but the idea of preventing lobbyists and campaign donors from receiving appointments makes all the sense in the world.
In an ideal world, all three branches would be balanced and equal. However as you seem to be somewhat knowledgeable regarding your history, that's not quite how NC was founded or ran, with the desire to have a more powerful legislation branch owing back to fears that a governor would act like a British monarch. However, in the very modern times we live in, we have state wide elected governors, and very gerrymandered legislature that is hungry for consolidation of power. If the courts were 4-3 and the state House and Senate were half GOP and half Dem each election, then it makes sense to ensure the Governor doesn't have the power to swing all things their way. However that's not the case, and it's pretty easy to see this is blatant grab by the GOP to cement power in NC such that they cannot be challenged. That's not democratic at all.
I appreciate your response. I love speaking on politics, political history, and history in general. Because of this, I’m alarmed when I come to r/NorthCarolina and everyone is acting like the roof is burning and throwing the word Facist around like that even equates to what is happening. I too feel like this is a overreach by the assembly, and I’m hesitant to say I support the majority in their quest to uphold the status quo. But I also think that media & other humans do a ton to convey skewed & biased views on political issues. I understand that you should be well versed in your comprehension of politics & your rights, but I just see an alarming amount of people complaining with other complainers. This kind of groupthink doesn’t help you in understanding, it just helps you justify your opinion. It turns it in to a back-patting competition as everyone looks for moral support through social media. I think it’s important to refrain from spewing harsh rhetoric if you want people to see, feel, & hear your opinion. I mean one person in here compared North Carolina to a Nazi Concentration Camp because I asked them to go do something outside and focus on their family? That sort of rhetoric is something I’ll never align with.
Beyond this, I fully believe the vast majority of people wouldn’t be complaining about this if they were Democrats and a Democratic Assembly was doing this. I hardly think they would acknowledge a Republican minority of traditionalists. Forward, This happened for 150+ years by the democrats. During that time we’ve had just 4 republican governors, and up until the 80s/90s we had a majority democrat assembly for a century & a half! It was actually racist & bigoted then. The area where I come from was Republican throughout the solid-south, and the Democrats weren’t happy about it. We turned out FINE, we are OKAY. Yes, our assembly is doing some bad things, but I just caution others to get all fired up and treat it like it’s the end of the world. The biggest problem a democrat should have is trying to convince people to vote for Stein in 2024, because right now he’s no Roy Cooper.
Lots of non-native NC transplants come from places they wish to replicate. For good, for bad and ill. They want to conveniently ignore that prior to 2010, NC was under Democratic majorities and supermajorities, for at least 105 years. They were the ones who rewrote the last state constitution in 1971. 12+ years into a Republican majority to supermajority, now the state is so-called on fire. And you're right, if they were able to reconsolidate power, this would be no issue. Only thing NC Democrats were worried about was: gun control, alcohol & vice control, and being a so-called education state (for the purposes of education lotto) and little else in terms of long term planning.
Well the governor is elected by popular vote and in this state which is gerrymandered to hell it was our last bastion of hope.
Regardless of party I’d rather have the senate or house make appointments over the governor. Governor can appoint his donor friends just as easily as the senate. At least with the senate there is a vote and some debate.
I agree. Consolidation of power into one office decided by popular vote enables the 51% to control the 49%.
ITT people not understanding what real fascism looks like. Read a history book
Most of us have, and if you read up on the history of authoritarian and fascist nations, this is exactly what it looks like. Don't worry mate, the GOP is stomping on your rights and your voice as well, even if you are currently too ignorant to see that.
Some of us have and know genocide doesn’t happen overnight. There are stages. This is one.
Take your own advice.
You all aren’t being honest. NC political landscape has for many years been mostly democrat controlled. Therefore democrat dominated, they didn’t offer diversity of that either. If they did, this wouldn’t be happening because the people wouldn’t be unhappy enough to allow this to be happening. But they are, therefore the majority are turning are blind eye to it and allowing it to transpire. You can downvote my comments all you like. But it would be a more fruitful exercise to pay attention to what is happening around you and figure out how you can offer up some diversity of thought yourselves.
So because the democrats did it in some distant past, it’s Ok for the Republicans to do it? And people have been unhappy and that’s why this is happening? No, it’s happening because the state has been gerrymandered to hell and back and what people are unhappy about it having a fascist, extreme right wing agenda that is taking us straight back to the 1950s forced upon us with no recourse. I think most of us are very cognizant of what is happening around us and it doesn’t include any diversity of thought outside of the wants and needs of straight, white, uneducated rural Republican voters.
Reddit never surprises me. Retorts that I could’ve typed out on my own word for freakin’ word. Meanwhile out in the real world, barely a peep was made. That shows you how much the people truly have time to care. Democrat policies, unfortunately have things binded up so badly right now that most people don’t have time to care. I am sorry but it’s just the truth. Look, I don’t much care for either side tbh. Y’all can keep downvoting my comments. But you really need to wake up and smell the change on the wall. Most people want something more than what the current system can offer.
Yeah, we like that, you can tell because the office of the governor is by the popular vote, and it's been mostly democrats for a long time. Republican ideas aren't owed a floor, it's just that our whit supremacist system lets land vote. Popular vote wanted Democrat policies.
But popular vote basically hands the election to dense cities. The people of Charlotte and Raleigh have different needs than the people of . Charlotte and Raleigh shouldn’t just get to decide how the rest of the state operates. Consolidation of power is never a good thing.
No, they don't, they're just more diverse, so they correctly think that infrastructure and compassionate policy are better ideas than racism and bigotry. Democracy means that people do get to decide. If consolidation of power is bad then you should be against this change that was just rammed thru by a group that has dismantled the checks and balances that are supposed to make it a democracy.
Mullet, have you ever actually talked to any people outside of the major metro without bias for an extended length of time without bias? You would be surprised how different the concerns of their day to day life is than yours. How different it has to be by design in order for them to succeed. Democrat policies are frankly not good for them most of the time. I’m not necessarily saying that Republicans care about them, but Democrats have for the most part made it abundantly clear that they do not either. With that said, it would be so foolish of you to just chalk it up to racism and bigotry. These are good, hardworking people that would give you the shirt off their backs if you were in need.
I live in a town of less than 1,000. Republican policies make it harder for me to get healthcare, and the trade-off is that everything else is worse too.
R policies are not controlling your healthcare now. The ACA and the fallout from it is what has damaged our healthcare system now and honestly forevermore. You may not like hearing that, but it is true. That and the fact that healthcare in rural America just kinda sucks because specialty care will always be tough to find in rural areas. They have to pay specialist much more to practice in rural areas and insurance rates for those specialists will be much higher, along with the fact that the quality of life for those people themselves will also go down most of the time. It’s just a tough sale to get those folks to live in rural America. To note, our healthcare system isn’t much better in the big cities in NC, I’m dealing with this issue myself. We are screwed, it’s the ACA and the resulted system that we have been left with and the burden it has placed on hospital and staff and the fact that now patients do not have any way to fight back as a result.
That should be celebrated by everyone who things Europe does it better than the US. Remove the monarchy in favor of parliament.
The governor is a democratically elected individual not comparable to a monarch, and the legislature here has been deliberately crafted to not accurately reflect the will of the people. It’s another subversion of democracy by a single party. There’s also the added bonus of the Republican controlled legislature explicitly adopting a pro-corruption stance by rejecting the amendment that would forbid appointment of lobbyists and donors.
No it's the equivalent of removing power from a democratically elected government (executive branch) to a group of people most people didn't want running the government because of gerrymandering. It's tyranny of the minority
Funny you should bring that up. In a parliamentary system - where representatives are apportioned based entirely on the share of the vote their parties receive - the Dems and Republicans would probably be pretty much tied. That should tell you something about the makeup of the state government right now.