Opinion

Hating on our babies: North Carolina’s shortsighted, cheapskate childcare policies

April 10, 2024

In his article for NC Newsline, Rob Schofield discusses the critical state of childcare in North Carolina, highlighting the pandemic-induced financial aids that temporarily stabilized an already fragile system. With the impending cessation of these funds, Schofield underscores a looming “childcare cliff,” predicting significant closures and increased costs that threaten the stability of childcare availability across the state.

Incessant gambling ads: a vexing sign of moral decline in North Carolina

March 28, 2024

In the realm of American politics and morality, there’s a marked focus on issues like sexuality and gender, often overshadowing concerns like economic predation by corporate giants. Despite the historical and ongoing emphasis on traditional moral values by groups like the Moral Majority, issues like corporate gambling and the exploitation of the vulnerable seldom receive the same level of outcry or legislative action.

The political right in NC is promoting both conspiracy theories and secrecy

March 14, 2024

Trump, who is documented to have uttered and spread thousands of lies as president and in the years since leaving office, has pushed the blatantly absurd and false claim that President Biden is smuggling immigrants across the southern border as part of a fiendish scheme to steal the 2024 election.

NC physician: Alabama IVF ruling is a disaster for public health and reproductive freedom

February 29, 2024

Not even a week after the Alabama Supreme Court gave unprecedented and medically unnecessary protections to frozen embryos, several IVF clinics in the state had already halted services, afraid in this dangerous new setting to provide the healthcare they are trained to provide.

Opinion | North Carolina must stop criminalizing people with disabilities

January 18, 2024

At Disability Rights North Carolina, we witness injustice and discrimination against people with disabilities daily.

Opinion | NC Lawmakers Should Catch Up With the Times on Corporal Punishment

September 16, 2023

Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics reaffirmed its policy statement on corporal punishment in the public schools, calling for the practice to be abolished in all states by law and replaced by alternative forms of student behavior management.

Opinion | Latest Political Power Grab will Hit North Carolinians at Home

September 2, 2023

The energy transition could help our democracy flourish. But, in North Carolina, powerful industries and their political allies are doing everything they can to roll back progress – wasting our money and keeping us locked into an outdated and polluting fossil fuel economy.

Opinion | The NC Legislature’s Irresponsibly Undisciplined Budgeting

August 10, 2023

Imagine yourself in the following situation: your children lack decent clothing and shoes and depend on reduced-price school meals to meet their weekly nutrition requirements.

Opinion | “Big Brother” Bill that Would Establish Dangerous Precedent is Back

June 22, 2023

Perhaps it was wishful thinking. More than two months ago in this space, I explained why a seemingly innocuous state House bill is actually a hugely dangerous example of big government treading in an area in which it has no rightful place.

Opinion | “Look What WE Did:” National Extremists Score With NC Voter Suppression Bill

June 16, 2023

Last week, North Carolina Election Integrity Team (NCEIT) President and Lee County GOP Chair Jim Womack said the quiet part out loud when he told news reporters he would “fundamentally disagree” with the notion that more people voting helps conservatives.

Opinion | Bill to Override Sheriffs on Immigration Enforcement is Dangerous and Undemocratic

May 10, 2023

What determines who knows best how to keep our communities safe? Is it a mandate from voters to prioritize certain policies? Is it expertise in law enforcement leadership?

Opinion | NC Supreme Court Gerrymandering Reversal Highlights Urgent Need for Congressional Action

May 4, 2023

In recent years, state courts have been rare bright spots in the fight against gerrymandering, with voters around the country successfully using state constitutions to challenge politically skewed voting maps drawn by both major parties.