Because This Is America!
Weekly News, Updates, and Events
We As Democrats Believe:
"Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong."
James Bryce
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Happy Memorial Day!
Local DREAMers Need and Deserve Your Help; Sign Letter to Support DACA Legislation
New Hanover County is home to an uncounted number of young people who were brought to the area as minor children by parents from Mexico and Central America. Local immigration attorney Jeff Widdison said he has had hundreds of these DREAMers come to him for help fixing their immigration status. During the Obama years, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) gave them a sense of security as they were protected from deportation and allowed to pursue employment and education.
"While their parents labored in the fields or pursued their entrepreneurial spirit in starting up their own businesses in other occupations, their children went through the normal educational paths in local schools, developed a love for the area they lived in, and made relationships with their neighbors and communities," said Widdison of the law firm Womble Bond Dickinson.
Donald Trump attempted to kill DACA and a string of legal challenges since his term began has thrown the fate of DREAMers into limbo. Victoria Velazco, first vice-chair of the New Hanover County Democratic Party, is urging Democrats and others to sign a letter to the leadership of the U.S. Senate to support a new bipartisan Dream Act now working its way through the legislature.
"When I think of DREAMers, I think of resilience, bravery, activism, the present and the future," Velazco said. "They have names, last names and big brown eyes with smiles that light up their world. This is personal! DREAMers are not just numbers to me, they are part of our local community and are contributing members of the NC economy. It is time DACA recipients are given what they have earned, a path to citizenship. It is time congress passes H.R.6 - American Dream and Promise Act of 2021."
Click here to sign onto the Dream Act letter created by business and education leaders.
Wilmington City Council Avoids Question On Citizen Review Boards
A year after the death of George Floyd the Wilmington Cty Council is still not answering questions about whether it favors creation of a citizens review board to provide an independent review of complaints against law enforcement officers. At a city council meeting on Tuesday May 25th, NAACP Chair Deborah Dicks Maxwell asked the City Council to "openly and publicly" state where it stood on the creation of a Citizens Review Board. Rather than affirm that the City of Wilmington supports the creation of such a board, the city attorney stated that the question was in the hands of the North Carolina General Assembly. Read about it here.
Republican Legislators Seek to End Corporate Income Tax in North Carolina
Senate Republicans recently introduced a package of tax cuts for individuals and businesses that would result in less money — billions of dollars less — flowing to North Carolina coffers, according to NC Policy Watch. The state’s corporate income tax would be phased out over five years, starting in 2024. Currently at 2.5%, North Carolina’s corporate income tax is the lowest in the nation among states that collect it. By 2028, North Carolina would join a handful of states without one.
An NCDP press release said the move was "all of too familiar. The Republican General Assembly has repeatedly put power politics, corporations, and wealthy donors before the best interests of North Carolina’s schools, infrastructure, and workforce. That has led to a permanent drain on the state’s ability to meet the needs of the people."
North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Bobbie Richardson said, “After a year where we saw inequities exposed and exacerbated, North Carolina Republicans in the General Assembly are still prioritizing the wealthy and big corporations, while income inequality rises and public education -- one of the most powerful drivers of our economic future -- suffers."
EVENTS
Steve Miller Meet & Greet -- June 4
When: Friday, June 4, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Where: Bottega Art & Wine, 723 N. 4th Street, Wilmington
Steve Miller, candidate for the 7th U.S. Congressional District seat now held by David Rouzer, will meet with supporters and other members of the public. Pizza will be provided for attendees.
Be Loud, Be Blue: Give It Our Best Shot Phonebank -- June 5
When: Saturday, June 5, Shifts from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Where: Online event, click here to sign up
Volunteers are asked to join NCDP Eva Clayton Fellows for a Day of Action phonebank. You will be contacting Democrats in the twenty least vaccinated counties, encouraging them to sign up and take their shot! This is a 100% virtual event, with training at the top of every hour. Details for the Open Virtual Phone Bank will be shared after you've been trained.
You Can Vote Workshops -- June 5, 7 and 10
When: Saturday, June 5 from 11 a.m. to 12 noon; Monday, June 7, and Thursday, June 10 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Where: Online event, click here to sign up
All volunteers who want to help educate and register voters in their community at YOU CAN VOTE events need to first attend a volunteer training. There are many technical details in completing an accurate voter registration application and in effectively engaging with voters, so we walk you through our best practices, step-by-step, to ensure your conversations will be a success! If you are interested in being trained and need ASL or Spanish interpretation, please email
[email protected].
Building Blue Online Training Retreat -- June 11 -13
When: Friday, June 11, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday hours TBA.
Where: Online event, click here to sign up
NCDP invites all county and precinct officers, activists and parliamentarians to participate in various training tracks aimed at preparing for 2022 elections to support Democrats up and down the ticket.
In-Person County Executive Committee Meeting To Choose New SEC Member -- June 21
When: Monday, June 21 at 6:30 p.m.
Where: NHCDP HQ, 5041 New Centre Drive, Wilmington NC
This will be the first in-person countywide meeting since February 2020.
Sonya Bennetone-Patrick was elected Chair of the 7th Congressional District Democratic Party and as a result, she will also be an ex-officio member of the State Executive Committee, potentially freeing up a New Hanover SEC seat. We hope to fill the SEC seat at this meeting. The vote will require that a quorum be present, so if you are a Precinct Chair or Vice Chair, a CEC Officer, or an SEC member, please plan to attend or send a proxy. Pursuant to Section 12.05 of the Plan of Organization, CEC members who are unable to attend may appoint a proxy to attend the meeting on their behalf, so long as they notify the NHCDP Chair or Secretary, in writing, before the meeting is called to order. If you are a CEC member and are unable to attend, please send a proxy to represent you. If you are a precinct officer, you should designate an active Democrat from your precinct.
Upcoming Democratic Events To Note On Your Calendar
2021 Summer SEC Meeting – Saturday, August 7th. NCDP is determining whether to attempt an in-person meeting.
James Cummings and Richard Poole
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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