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Weekly News, Updates, and Events

We As Democrats Believe:

"If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded."

 

Maya Angelou

 

Suggest a future quote?: Click here to send to the Editor

 

You Can Vote Fellowship Applications Open through March 31

The voter promotion organization You Can Vote is looking for local college students to participate in paid fellowships to encourage voter participation in North Carolina. You Can Vote works to educate, register and mobilize voters, and the group needs young people to work with teams of students across the state on nonpartisan projects that will help mobilize students to make their voice heard in local elections in 2021 and 2022. 

The Summer Fellows program requires a commitment of 10 hours per week and access to a computer and WiFi as most activities will be virtual. The interactive program hopes to hold limited in-person events in June -- safety permitting. The Summer Fellows program orientation will begin the week of May 17th and is required. This program will last 7 weeks, ending July 2nd. Fellows will be paid $150/week. 

Alumni of the 2020 Fellows program will be considered for early onboarding/extended end date to help shape the program and mentor new fellows throughout the program. Applications are now open and will close March 31. To apply click here. For more information on You Can Vote, click here. 

Our Latinx Neighbors Need Support in Opposition to 'Show Me Your Papers' Bill

On March 9th, 2021 the NC senate Judiciary committee passed anti-immigrant bill SB 101. SB 101, the NC “Show Me Your Papers Act” is similar to a bill vetoed in 2019, HB 370, and much like the failed bill wants to turn sheriff’s deputies across the state into immigration agents. This is a retaliatory effort aimed at rolling back local policies that recognize the dignity of everyone in our communities, including immigrants. We stand against any legislation that would lead to thousands more deportations and force collaboration between sheriffs' departments across North Carolina and ICE.

 

New Hanover County residents are encouraged to contact Senator Mike Lee on this issue. The North Carolina Poor People's Campaign, the American Civil Liberties Union and other organizations are organizing to block the bill from becoming law. Click here for more information. Click here for North Carolina ACLU's sample letter to your legislators. 

 

Latinx and immigrant residents of New Hanover County are assets who enrich our community culturally, economically, socially and spiritually. Two of our outstanding Democratic neighbors received accolades recently: Congratulations to Isabela Lujan, co-chair and founder of the Latin American Business Council, with the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. She was honored by the magazine Hola for “Work & Leadership” and her advocacy and leadership within the Latinx community and links with local and state Latinx leaders. Congratulations also to Victoria Garcia Velazco, recipient of the 2021 YWCA Women of Achievement Award for Arts & Culture.

Democratic State Senator Running to Replace Burr in US Senate

NC Senator Jeff Jackson recently announced that he is running for the United States Senate seat which will be vacated by Republican Richard Burr in 2022. Jeff has said he would campaign in all 100 North Carolina counties.  

 

For some background on Jeff, look here:  [link removed](politician)

 

 

 

Weird, Racist Comments from Republican Senator Ron Johnson

Ron Johnson, one of Donald Trump's most rabid supporters, has gone full-bore white supremacist in his latest public comments. Johnson, who has previously tried to blame the January 6 U.S. Capital insurrection on provacateurs posing on Trump supporters, now is praising those same insurrectionists as "people who love this country." He basically said he wasn't afraid they would do him harm because they weren't black people. See Politico article here. 

In a shockingly disturbing interview on conservative talk radio last week, Johnson said he didn’t feel threatened by rioters violently storming the Capitol. Instead, he said, he might have been scared if the participants were Black Lives Matter or Antifa supporters — a comment with strong racial overtones according to Politico. “Even though those thousands of people that were marching to the Capitol were trying to pressure people like me to vote the way they wanted me to vote, I knew those were people that love this country, that truly respect law enforcement, would never do anything to break the law, and so I wasn't concerned,” Johnson (R-Wis.) said in an interview on conservative radio host Joe Pag’s show Thursday.  "Now, had the tables been turned — Joe, this could get me in trouble — had the tables been turned, and President Trump won the election and those were tens of thousands of Black Lives Matter and Antifa protesters, I might have been a little concerned," Johnson said.

Ron Johnson is just one Republican, but his comments may be representative of a political party that seems to embrace its hard-right, racially bigoted fringe more and more closely every day. Republicans are the party that happily went along as Donald Trump ripped children away from their asylum seeking parents, pushed new voter restriction bills in 43 states, and refused to cast a single vote in either house of Congress for Joe Biden's COVID relief package. It's becoming a morally dead organization that is losing all credibility as a legitimate political party.

For the impact of the American Rescue Plan in North Carolina, click here. 

Campaign Supporting 'For the People Act' Continues

According to Common Cause, "For The People Act is a transformative, comprehensive bill addressing voting rights and election administration, money-in-politics, redistricting government transparency, and ethics. Many parts of the bill are reforms Common Cause has successfully won at the state and local level, often with bipartisan support. Now, the For the People Act is an opportunity to pass these important reforms at the federal level." Among the most important provisions in the bill are:


Universal automatic voter registration, online voter registration, and same day registration

Blocking partisan and racial gerrymandering by setting up independent redistricting commissions to draw legislative maps 

Making secret money organizations disclose their donors

Making presidential candidates disclose their tax returns,

Expanding conflict-of-interest laws to stop corruption, and requiring the Supreme Court to adopt a code of ethics. 


​For more details on HR-1, click here. To voice your support, you can call the office of Senator Thom Tillis at (202) 224-6342, and Senator Richard Burr at (910) 251-1058. To add your name to the Common Cause petition supporting HR1, click here.

Seeking Volunteers to Organize 2 Precincts

Thanks to Jill Hopman for volunteering to organize Precinct H01 and the many others who have pitched in to get this done. We now have 2 precincts left that still need organizers, H24 and M07. Help us reach 100%! H24 is particularly challenging because of the ongoing turmoil and remote learning at the UNCW Campus.

You do not have to live in the precinct to volunteer to organize it. The work involves calling, emailing, setting up a Zoom meeting or working with a Zoom facilitator to set it up, conducting the meeting, electing Precinct Officers and County Convention delegates and submitting a meeting certification which reports the results.

If you can help, please email Susanne Werner (2nd Vice-chair), [email protected], using 2021 Precinct Organizers in the subject line.

Register for your 2021 Precinct Meeting!



Annual precinct organization meetings are taking place beginning last Saturday, and reaching as late as March 20th, all by Zoom!  Don’t miss out on all the 2022 midterm election action - it all starts in the precincts.  Candidates are already announcing, and we are organizing for victory. You must pre-register to attend your precinct meeting. Click here to pre-register.  If you are not sure of your precinct, go to [link removed] > Check Registration.


 


You Can Vote Hiring 2011 Summer Fellows

 

You Can Vote, a nonpartisan organization seeking to encourage voting is seeking students for paid, interactive internships for this Summer. Participants will work with teams of students across the state on nonpartisan projects to educate and mobilize students to make their voice heard in local elections in 2021 and 2022. The program requires a commitment of 10 hours per week from May 17th through July 2nd.  Fellows will be paid $150/week.

 

APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN NOW and close MARCH 31ST. Click here for more information. Please share this information with any student who might be interested.


 

NHCDP To Vote On County Party Officers on April 10th

NHCDP will vote for new officers at the County Convention in April, including Chair, 3 Vice Chairs, Secretary and Treasurer. In addition, we will vote on a dozen SEC members. If you are interested in serving or know someone who may want to serve, please contact any of the existing officers.


 

EVENTS


 




Precinct Organization Meetings -- March 6th - March 20th

 

When: March 6th - March 20th

Where: TBD by Precinct Organizers. Most on Zoom.

 

These organizational meetings are critical to our effectiveness going forward to 2022 and 2024. You can find information on the Precinct Meetings at the NHCDP Website: [link removed]

 


Upcoming Democratic Events To Note On Your Calendar

 

2021 County Convention Meeting – Saturday, April 10th

2021 (Makeup Date) County Convention Meeting – Saturday, April 17th

2021 Congressional District Convention Meeting – Saturday, May 22nd

2021 Summer SEC Meeting – Saturday, August 7th

 

 

Best,

Richard Poole, Chair

News Content by James Cummings

 

If you have any announcements, comments, questions or concerns regarding this email series, please contact the Editor here.


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| Paid for by the New Hanover County Democratic Party |
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Mailing Address: 

NHCDP

PO Box 3446

Wilmington, NC 28412

 

Office Address:

5041 New Centre Drive

Wilmington, NC 28403

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