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Why our organization supports UNC’s race-conscious admission policies
In 2014, Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) filed federal lawsuits against Harvard and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), alleging that both institutions’ admissions practices are discriminatory. The widely publicized Harvard case hinged on the question of whether Harvard’s admission policy discriminates against Asian American students by holding them to a higher standard than other applicants.
Pro-choice supporters energized despite divided court on abortion case
On the blistery cold morning of March 2, hundreds gathered at the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court in advance of oral arguments in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, the most significant reproductive rights case in recent history. The crowd sprawled out across the sidewalk and into the street. A man held a baby in […]
Tolling the damage to reproductive freedom from the 2015 General Assembly
We are finally on the other side of the tunnel that was the 2015 legislative session, and it has now become clear that the reproductive freedoms of North Carolinians have, once again, been gravely harmed. In the deceptive game they played this session, legislators and the Governor claimed to be looking out for the well-being […]
North Carolina pro-choice advocates give the Governor all F’s
On June 5th, with the stroke of a pen, Governor Pat McCrory restricted the rights of North Carolina women by signing a bill imposing a 72-hour mandatory delay on abortions. The Governor’s act was particularly egregious because, during his 2012 campaign, he had specifically promised not to sign any additional restrictions on abortion. NARAL Pro-Choice […]
Governor McCrory breaks his campaign promise…again (video)
On Wednesday evening, Governor McCrory stated that he is planning on signing the controversial House Bill 465 when it reaches his desk. The Governor’s statement came hours after the House voted 71 to 43 to make the bill, which includes a 72-hour abortion waiting period, law in North Carolina. The Governor’s decision came as a shock […]
New bill would prohibit teaching about emergency contraception
In the barrage of bad bills introduced at the legislature in recent days, there is one that would result in great harm to sexual health education but that has thus far drawn little attention. House Bill 596 would rewrite the current requirements for sex education in schools, making an already flawed law even worse. The […]
New legislation would all but end access to safe, legal abortions in North Carolina
Women’s rights to make decisions about their own bodies took another blow yesterday and this time the strike was aimed at doctors too. While proponents of women’s rights were still reeling from the anti-abortion Senate bill filed last week, HB 465 was introduced, yesterday, containing the most restrictive proposed abortion restrictions North Carolina has seen […]
Supreme Court rules GPS tracking of sex offenders may be unconstitutional
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that North Carolina’s highest court must re-examine a sex offender’s case to determine whether a law requiring him to wear a GPS tracking bracelet for life is constitutional. Torrey Dale Grady was convicted of a second-degree sex offense in 1997 and then of taking indecent liberties with a […]
Medical cannabis bill killed in the House Judiciary Committee
A bill to legalize medical marijuana, introduced by Representative Kelly Alexander, was considered by the House Judiciary I Committee today. Despite heart-wrenching testimony from veterans and others with serious medical conditions, the committee took less than thirty seconds to vote to give the bill an unfavorable report. If passed, the bill would have allowed North […]
New bill would criminalize drug use by pregnant women
On Tuesday, a bill was proposed in the Senate that would make it a criminal offense for a woman in North Carolina to use drugs while pregnant. The bill, sponsored by Senator Brent Jackson and Senator Louis Pate, would permit a woman to be charged with assault if she uses an illegal narcotic while pregnant […]
Students petition UNC Board of Governors to rethink financial aid cap
Two students who attend colleges in the UNC-System have created an online petition asking the UNC Board of Governors to rescind its financial aid cap and instead cap student loan debt for low and middle-income families. In August 2014, the Board of Governors voted unanimously to cap the tuition revenue used towards need-based aid at 15 […]
New study shows that vast majority of Teach for America teachers plan to leave the classroom
A new study, conducted by Mathematica Policy Research indicates that the much-debated Teach for America program (TFA) is not creating more effective or successful teachers. The study shows that test scores for students taught by TFA teachers in their first or second year of teaching are on par with those taught by traditionally certified teachers. […]