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More people in NC will have health insurance on Dec. 1, but there’s more to do to improve access
North Carolina will reach a milestone Dec. 1 when an estimated 600,000 low-income people become eligible to enroll in health insurance under Medicaid expansion. North Carolina is the 40th state to expand Medicaid and allow people with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level to enroll in the government health insurance plan. That’s […]
Black North Carolina residents sue over Senate redistricting plan
Two Black northeastern North Carolina residents are suing to invalidate the state Senate redistricting plan approved last month. The federal lawsuit filed Monday claims that the legislature ignored the history of racially polarized voting in northeastern North Carolina, federal law, and a state Supreme Court opinion to draw districts in eastern North Carolina that dilute […]
Immigrant families in NC face barriers to enrollment in safety-net programs
Language barriers, misinformation and complex eligibility rules keep North Carolina’s immigrant families from enrolling in safety-net programs, according to a new report from the Urban Institute. The report released Wednesday recommends making translators for languages other than Spanish more widely available, customizing outreach to immigrant groups, and engaging more community health workers in outreach. The […]
Black voters removed from a state Senate district where their choices could determine the winner
Sonya Bennetone-Patrick told her cousin she almost fainted when she saw the plan for the New Hanover state Senate district. Predominantly Black precincts in Wilmington were cut away from New Hanover and attached to a Senate district dominated by Brunswick and Columbus counties. “I’m still sick over it,” Bennetone-Patrick said in an interview. “I’m just […]
Democrat Luis Toledo declares candidacy for NC state Auditor
With incumbent Democratic state Auditor Beth Wood bowing out of the 2024 race, Democrat Luis Toledo announced Friday he would seek the office. Toledo is a former assistant state auditor who has run before. He ran for state Auditor in 2020 in the Democratic primary where Wood, the incumbent, defeated him. She was elected to […]
As NC Democrats denounce new GOP-drawn election districts, one congresswoman called them “explicit political pornography”
Democrats are considering a lawsuit against GOP redistricting plans that U.S. Rep. Alma Adams called “explicit political pornography.” North Carolina’s Democratic members of Congress and legislative leaders said the GOP-drawn plans for new election districts go to extremes to stack election odds in Republicans’ favor. They denounced new election maps in a video news conference […]
Redistricting recap: Voting has ended on NC election districts favoring the GOP
Legislators took final votes Wednesday on new election districts for Congress, the state House, and the state Senate that greatly advantage Republican candidates. The congressional plan creates 10 solid Republican districts, three strong Democratic districts, and one district that is trending Republican. First-term Democratic US Rep. Don Davis lives in that district. The existing court-ordered […]
Do new NC election district maps treat Black voters fairly? (And, what is “Gingles”?)
Redistricting debates are some of the most jargony going, with frequent talk of “VTDs,” “county groupings,” and references to various court cases. One of the terms mentioned several times a day at the North Carolina General Assembly is “Gingles.” Gingles is shorthand for a 1986 U.S. Supreme Court decision in a North Carolina redistricting lawsuit. […]
NC legislature begins voting on plans for new election districts that will expand GOP majorities
The state Senate approved new congressional district boundaries and gave a preliminary nod to a new plan for state Senate districts despite Democrats’ warnings that they would be overturned by courts. A little later Tuesday, the House approved a district plan for its chamber. All three maps lock in Republican majorities. The congressional map […]
New NC election districts that lock in Republican advantages on their way to approval
The state legislature is moving toward approving a new plan for congressional districts that will likely have North Carolina elect 10 or 11 Republicans to the U.S. House in 2024, up from seven Republicans elected last year. North Carolina’s congressional delegation of seven Republicans and seven Democrats was elected last year using a court-ordered plan […]
Plans for new NC congressional districts would elect more Republicans to Congress
North Carolina Republicans presented plans for congressional districts that would drastically change who voters elect to the US House and may help the GOP expand its veto-proof majorities in the state legislature. North Carolina voters elected seven Republicans and seven Democrats to the US House last year. Changes to district lines would mean some of […]
Gov. Cooper sues over a new law that strips governors of state elections board appointments
Gov. Roy Cooper is suing Republican legislative leaders over a new law that takes away his ability to appoint members of the state Board of Elections. This is the second lawsuit Cooper has filed over new laws. He’s challenging a separate bill that reduces a governor’s appointments to state boards and commissions. The lawsuit filed […]