Good Government Archives - NC Council of Churches

Raleigh Report – March 11, 2019

March 11
George Reed, Former Executive Director

Raleigh Report – March 11, 2019

INTRODUCED BILLS GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION With the passing last month of the first anniversary of the… Continue Reading

Raleigh Report – February 26, 2019

February 26
George Reed, Former Executive Director

Raleigh Report – February 26, 2019

INTRODUCED BILLS ECONOMIC JUSTICE HB 46 – Economic Security Act of 2019HB 46 is a collection… Continue Reading

Council Calls for Redistricting Reform

Dec 20, 2018
North Carolina Council of Churches

Council Calls for Redistricting Reform

At its most recent meeting the Council Governing Board unanimously endorsed Fair Districts NC’s Five Principles… Continue Reading

Elections Oversight: No Place for Secrecy

Dec 18, 2018
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Elections Oversight: No Place for Secrecy

Update: After this article was written, Gov. Cooper did veto House Bill 1029, as he was urged… Continue Reading

Vetting the Vote

Sep 13, 2018
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Vetting the Vote

Most people pay attention during presidential election cycles and many of them come out to vote.… Continue Reading

Improving the State of North Carolina

Jul 3, 2018
Sandy Irving, Volunteer Program Associate

Improving the State of North Carolina

“Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees”~Isaiah 10:1 The North Carolina… Continue Reading

Governor Faces a Squeeze

Jun 28, 2018
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Governor Faces a Squeeze

Depending on the context, it could be called poor sportsmanship. Or bullying. Or a flouting of… Continue Reading

A Prayer for the North Carolina General Assembly

May 22, 2018
Andrew Hudgins, Program Associate for Operations

A Prayer for the North Carolina General Assembly

This morning marked a historic day as the Council hosted their first legislative prayer breakfast at… Continue Reading

On the Hot Seat, Where She Belongs

Mar 19, 2018
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

On the Hot Seat, Where She Belongs

Ordinary Americans – those of us not allowed to know the secrets of high-level espionage work… Continue Reading

Words Make a World

Jan 13, 2018
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Words Make a World

The words we hear form what we think. The words we say form what we do.… Continue Reading

Democracy Under the Reign of God

Nov 1, 2017
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Democracy Under the Reign of God

As I continue to follow court cases addressing Gerrymandering at both the federal level (Gill v.… Continue Reading

Defenders of Rights; Defenders of Privilege

Sep 30, 2017
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Defenders of Rights; Defenders of Privilege

At many levels, Americans are confronting issues of race relations and racial justice with an intensity… Continue Reading

The Affordable Care Act Today

Sep 22, 2017
Chris Pernell, Program Coordinator, Partners in Health and Wholeness

The Affordable Care Act Today

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues to be one of the most divisive laws passed in… Continue Reading

Regaining our Faith in Democracy

Sep 11, 2017
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Regaining our Faith in Democracy

In surveys conducted during the months leading up to the 2016 election, large numbers of Americans… Continue Reading

Blessed Are the Dreamers

Sep 7, 2017
Jennie Belle, Former Immigration and Farmworkers Director

Blessed Are the Dreamers

This week, the Trump administration announced it will end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), an… Continue Reading

Marching Orders for New Maps

Aug 10, 2017
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Marching Orders for New Maps

The three federal judges could have just come right out and said it: The Republicans who… Continue Reading

Supporting Young Immigrants’ Dreams

Aug 5, 2017
Jennie Belle, Former Immigration and Farmworkers Director

Supporting Young Immigrants’ Dreams

Five years ago, President Obama created the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program to enable… Continue Reading

Rights Advocacy At Risk

Aug 3, 2017
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Rights Advocacy At Risk

The optics, as they say, are terrible. But in a state whose motto is “To Be… Continue Reading

Police Brutality is not a Joking Matter

Aug 3, 2017
Andrew Hudgins, Program Associate for Operations

Police Brutality is not a Joking Matter

By Andrew Hudgins, NCCC Program Associate for Operations, for The Resistance Prays News: In a speech… Continue Reading

Thankful and Ever Vigilant When it Comes to Health Care

Jul 28, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Thankful and Ever Vigilant When it Comes to Health Care

We find ourselves in a better place than we might have been when it comes to… Continue Reading

Uh-Oh – It’s the Legislature, Again

Jul 27, 2017
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Uh-Oh – It’s the Legislature, Again

Better get used to it. The N.C. General Assembly, after an all-too-brief adjournment during July, is… Continue Reading

Anti-LGBTQ Policies Impact Us All

Jul 27, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Anti-LGBTQ Policies Impact Us All

Wednesday’s federal-policy-by-tweet announcement that children of God who are transgender could no longer serve in the… Continue Reading

What the Senate’s Motion to Proceed Vote Means for Health Care

Jul 25, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

What the Senate’s Motion to Proceed Vote Means for Health Care

The U.S. Senate’s vote this afternoon moves the debate forward to potentially repeal and replace the… Continue Reading

July 25 Update — Senate Health Care Vote Appears Likely Today

Jul 25, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

July 25 Update — Senate Health Care Vote Appears Likely Today

It appears that the U.S. Senate will vote today on some sort of health care action.… Continue Reading

Gov. Cooper Speaks Up for Protecting NC’s Coast

Jul 24, 2017
Susannah Tuttle, NCIPL Director

Gov. Cooper Speaks Up for Protecting NC’s Coast

Governor Roy Cooper has announced his strong opposition to offshore drilling and seismic blasting along North… Continue Reading

Honor Workers with a Labor Day Sabbath

Jul 24, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Honor Workers with a Labor Day Sabbath

The Council is partnering with Raise the Wage NC to encourage faith communities to hold a… Continue Reading

Wood Pellet Plant Would Be Environmental Injustice

Jul 22, 2017
Michelle Peedin, Program Associate for PHW and NCIPL

Wood Pellet Plant Would Be Environmental Injustice

More than 10,000 individuals and 50 organizations have signed a petition asking Governor Cooper to revoke… Continue Reading

Senate May Still Vote on Health Care; Please Keep Calling

Jul 21, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Senate May Still Vote on Health Care; Please Keep Calling

No one seems completely clear on whether the Senate will vote next week on health care… Continue Reading

Wages of War

Jul 20, 2017
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Wages of War

Wartime profits are a thing — from the people who make the machines we use to… Continue Reading

Revised Health Care Bill, Same Devastating Effects

Jul 14, 2017
Andrew Hudgins, Program Associate for Operations

Revised Health Care Bill, Same Devastating Effects

Yesterday, the Senate unveiled a revised version of the Better Care Reconciliation Act. According to a… Continue Reading

America’s Role in Torture — Beginning the Path to Forgiveness

Jul 9, 2017
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

America’s Role in Torture — Beginning the Path to Forgiveness

With so many issues confronting us, our nation’s involvement in acts of torture is fading from… Continue Reading

Healing Miracles

Jul 7, 2017
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Healing Miracles

Just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years.… Continue Reading

More Wind Energy, Not Less

Jul 3, 2017
Susannah Tuttle, NCIPL Director

More Wind Energy, Not Less

It is becoming a national trend for politicians to “divide and conquer” by attacking the wind industry… Continue Reading

Rising Up with Richmond County

Jul 1, 2017
Susannah Tuttle, NCIPL Director

Rising Up with Richmond County

“Biomass” may sound like a clean idea, but it actually means cutting down and turning trees… Continue Reading

Doomed Veto Spotlights Budget Flaws

Jun 30, 2017
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Doomed Veto Spotlights Budget Flaws

Presented with a new state budget that, whatever its occasional virtues, is mainly about easing tax… Continue Reading

With Prescription Medication, Verify Before You Buy

Jun 29, 2017
Chris Pernell, Program Coordinator, Partners in Health and Wholeness

With Prescription Medication, Verify Before You Buy

Would you be Surprised to know 97 percent of online pharmacies are illegitimate? The North Carolina… Continue Reading

Health Care CBO Score Proves Potential Harm

Jun 27, 2017
Andrew Hudgins, Program Associate for Operations

Health Care CBO Score Proves Potential Harm

Late yesterday afternoon the Congressional Budget Office released their score of the Senate’s proposed health care… Continue Reading

Senate Health Care Plan Released: Would Make the Most Vulnerable More So

Jun 22, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Senate Health Care Plan Released: Would Make the Most Vulnerable More So

Members of the United States Senate have released their proposed health care plan, all 142 pages… Continue Reading

New Budget with Old Agenda Falls Short

Jun 22, 2017
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

New Budget with Old Agenda Falls Short

By now the strategy is familiar – the strategy used by the N.C. General Assembly’s Republican… Continue Reading

Senate Health Care Plan — Let’s Keep Calling

Jun 21, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Senate Health Care Plan — Let’s Keep Calling

As the Senate continues its secret deliberations on a health care plan that will effect all… Continue Reading

Thursday, June 15 — NC Health Care Call-in Day

Jun 14, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Thursday, June 15 — NC Health Care Call-in Day

The Council’s commitment to health care as a basic justice issue dates back decades. Significant progress… Continue Reading

GA’s Budget Proposals — Harmful not Helpful

Jun 12, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

GA’s Budget Proposals — Harmful not Helpful

The General Assembly leaders meeting to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the… Continue Reading

UPDATE — High Court to NC: Draw Those Districts Fairly

Jun 8, 2017
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

UPDATE — High Court to NC: Draw Those Districts Fairly

UPDATE In separate, party-line votes on June 8, the state House and Senate rejected Gov. Cooper’s… Continue Reading

Rolling Waters

Jun 2, 2017
Andrew Hudgins, Program Associate for Operations

Rolling Waters

A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I headed north for my sister’s graduation. Being… Continue Reading

Now what? Staying Engaged and Grow the Interfaith Climate Movement

Jun 1, 2017
Susannah Tuttle, NCIPL Director

Now what? Staying Engaged and Grow the Interfaith Climate Movement

We were already living in a time of profound consequence. President Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. out of the… Continue Reading

Gun Bill Advances in GA; National Gun Violence Awareness Day is June 2

Jun 1, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Gun Bill Advances in GA; National Gun Violence Awareness Day is June 2

Consider the shame of the North Carolina General Assembly working to rush through a bill that… Continue Reading

Action Alert: May 31, 2017 — GA May Act on Guns

May 30, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Action Alert: May 31, 2017 — GA May Act on Guns

As was feared, some members of the General Assembly may be bringing back legislation that would… Continue Reading

Lines of Influence: Justices Zap Voting Map

May 25, 2017
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Lines of Influence: Justices Zap Voting Map

Following the elections of 2010 – tilted as they were by an intense right-wing pushback against… Continue Reading

Heal the Sick

May 24, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Heal the Sick

For more than two decades, the NC Council of Churches has called for access to health… Continue Reading

2018 Budget Proposal is the Antithesis of our Call

May 23, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

2018 Budget Proposal is the Antithesis of our Call

Plenty of analysis is already happening around the 2018 budget proposal out of the White House.… Continue Reading

Justice on Gerrymandering

May 22, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Justice on Gerrymandering

Today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court affirms what many in North Carolina knew – the… Continue Reading

Budget’s Big Picture: A Crumbling Core

May 19, 2017
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Budget’s Big Picture: A Crumbling Core

So, the question as always comes down to one of vision. The elected chieftains who decide… Continue Reading

2017 Stand Up Sabbath — June 16-18

May 15, 2017
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

2017 Stand Up Sabbath — June 16-18

About this time two years ago, I accepted the offer to become the next Executive Director… Continue Reading

Special Interest Altar Calls

May 11, 2017
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Special Interest Altar Calls

By now, most of us have read “Dark Money” or heard enough about the subject it… Continue Reading

The People’s Climate March — Called to Respond

May 8, 2017
Susannah Tuttle, NCIPL Director

The People’s Climate March — Called to Respond

Multi-faith pilgrims on a moral high road unified to honor God’s creation at the Peoples Climate… Continue Reading

House Passage of AHCA — We are Better Than This

May 4, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

House Passage of AHCA — We are Better Than This

The passage of the American Health Care Act by the House of Representatives reflects a political… Continue Reading

Retiring Judge Stands Tall

Apr 27, 2017
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Retiring Judge Stands Tall

As Shakespeare’s King Lear famously put it, “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to… Continue Reading

Guns on Campus Are a Bad Idea

Apr 25, 2017
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Guns on Campus Are a Bad Idea

Two of the most volatile elements on a college campus are alcohol and hormones. These ingredients… Continue Reading

Efforts to Cut Health Care Continue in Congress

Apr 24, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Efforts to Cut Health Care Continue in Congress

The public is opposed to efforts to replace the Affordable Care Act, but some members of… Continue Reading

Faith Leaders: Make Yourselves Heard on Juvenile Justice

Apr 24, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Faith Leaders: Make Yourselves Heard on Juvenile Justice

A change in New York law earlier this month leaves North Carolina alone in a place… Continue Reading

Science Must Matter to People of Faith

Apr 22, 2017
Susannah Tuttle, NCIPL Director

Science Must Matter to People of Faith

Crowds are gathered on this Earth Day in Washington, D.C. and in cities across the country… Continue Reading

Tax-Cut Fever Threatens Services

Apr 22, 2017
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Tax-Cut Fever Threatens Services

How many times do we have to say it? Well, it’s worth repeating – especially in… Continue Reading

SB 145 Debate Not in Accordance with Matthew 25

Apr 18, 2017
Jennie Belle, Former Immigration and Farmworkers Director

SB 145 Debate Not in Accordance with Matthew 25

Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee of the North Carolina General Assembly discussed SB 145, an… Continue Reading

No More of This

Apr 14, 2017
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

No More of This

In the final hours of the first day of the Triduum, these intense three days when… Continue Reading

Shock Waves from High Court ‘Nuke’

Apr 8, 2017
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Shock Waves from High Court ‘Nuke’

Our national politics are in an ugly place, driven by an accelerating cycle of suspicion, accusation,… Continue Reading

Work for Just and Equitable Health Care is Not Finished

Apr 6, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Work for Just and Equitable Health Care is Not Finished

Every state legislator should be required to listen to the stories shared at a press conference… Continue Reading

Let NC Legislators Know You Care about Creation

Apr 6, 2017
Susannah Tuttle, NCIPL Director

Let NC Legislators Know You Care about Creation

NC Interfaith Power and Light’s lay and faith leader network is at the General Assembly on… Continue Reading

Swallow Hard: H.B. 2’s Less-than-Ideal ‘Repeal’

Apr 1, 2017
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Swallow Hard: H.B. 2’s Less-than-Ideal ‘Repeal’

Call it a head-on collision between politics and principle. Is anyone surprised that politics prevailed? Yet… Continue Reading

Speak Out Against Anti-Climate Executive Order

Mar 29, 2017
Susannah Tuttle, NCIPL Director

Speak Out Against Anti-Climate Executive Order

This week, Donald Trump issued an executive order to turn back the clock on the climate progress… Continue Reading

2017 Legislative Seminar — Thank You plus Worship and Awards Presentation Online

Mar 28, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

2017 Legislative Seminar — Thank You plus Worship and Awards Presentation Online

For those who could not be with us at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Raleigh,… Continue Reading

Action Needed Before Monday Night on Guns in Places of Worship

Mar 27, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Action Needed Before Monday Night on Guns in Places of Worship

Our friends at North Carolinians Against Gun Violence have issued the alert below. Please note that… Continue Reading

Raleigh Report — March 26, 2017

Mar 26, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Raleigh Report — March 26, 2017

By George Reed, Retired Executive Director Newly Introduced Bills BUDGET AND TAXATION H 356, Tax Reduction… Continue Reading

2017 Legislative Seminar Check-In Instructions

Mar 24, 2017
Andrew Hudgins, Program Associate for Operations

2017 Legislative Seminar Check-In Instructions

Thank you to those who have registered for the 2017 Legislative Seminar. We are looking forward… Continue Reading

UPDATE: Trumpcare Just Got Worse — Call Before Today’s Vote

Mar 24, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

UPDATE: Trumpcare Just Got Worse — Call Before Today’s Vote

Thank you for every call, email, and letter to Congressional leaders that led to today’s decision… Continue Reading

GOP Mantra: Party Hearty!

Mar 24, 2017
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

GOP Mantra: Party Hearty!

They might not care for the image, but Republican members of the N.C. General Assembly act… Continue Reading

Raleigh Report — March 21, 2017

Mar 23, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Raleigh Report — March 21, 2017

By George Reed, Retired Executive Director Newly Introduced Bills BUDGET AND TAXATION HB 329, Home School… Continue Reading

If a Budget is a Moral Document, Then What Does this One Preach?

Mar 17, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

If a Budget is a Moral Document, Then What Does this One Preach?

The budget blueprint for 2018 released by President Trump on Thursday cuts a wide swath through… Continue Reading

Raleigh Report — March 13, 2017

Mar 14, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Raleigh Report — March 13, 2017

By George Reed, Retired Executive Director Newly Introduced Bills CRIMINAL AND JUVENILE JUSTICE H 233, Ban… Continue Reading

Who Would Choose to be Poor or Sick?

Mar 13, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Who Would Choose to be Poor or Sick?

Around the release of the alt-health plan currently making its way through Congress, several elected leaders… Continue Reading

Women and Wages

Mar 8, 2017
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Women and Wages

Remarks delivered by Executive Director Jennifer Copeland at a press conference on fair wages on March… Continue Reading

Taking Away Health Care

Mar 8, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Taking Away Health Care

Despite evidence that the Affordable Care Act is more popular and more needed than ever, some… Continue Reading

Raleigh Report — March 7, 2017

Mar 7, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Raleigh Report — March 7, 2017

By George Reed, Retired Executive Director Newly Introduced Bills BUDGET AND TAXES S 147, Reenact School… Continue Reading

2017 Legislative Seminar: Advocate in NC as well as DC

Mar 6, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

2017 Legislative Seminar: Advocate in NC as well as DC

The political situation at the national level has occupied the time and attention of many faithful… Continue Reading

H.B. 2 ‘Compromise’ Must Protect Rights

Mar 3, 2017
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

H.B. 2 ‘Compromise’ Must Protect Rights

The fight over North Carolina’s House Bill 2 – the law that notoriously stamps the state’s… Continue Reading

Raleigh Report — February 28, 2017

Mar 1, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Raleigh Report — February 28, 2017

By George Reed, Retired Executive Director Newly Introduced Bills ENVIRONMENTAL CARE H 171, Change Exclusion for… Continue Reading

N.C.’s Reckless ‘Party Time’

Feb 25, 2017
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

N.C.’s Reckless ‘Party Time’

Politics, at least in a democracy, is competitive. The analogy to sports may be simplistic but… Continue Reading

Raleigh Report — February 20, 2017

Feb 20, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Raleigh Report — February 20, 2017

By George Reed, Retired Executive Director Newly Introduced Bills BUDGET AND TAXES S 75, Constitutional Amendment… Continue Reading

Governor Fights Power Shortage

Feb 17, 2017
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Governor Fights Power Shortage

North Carolina’s governor gets to live in a mansion whose handsome property occupies a full city… Continue Reading

Johnson Amendment: Name Games and Far-reaching Impact

Feb 17, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Johnson Amendment: Name Games and Far-reaching Impact

By George Reed, Retired Executive Director I came to North Carolina in 1978 to work with… Continue Reading

Answering your Questions about Sanctuary

Feb 16, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Answering your Questions about Sanctuary

President Trump’s recent executive actions impacting refugees and immigrants have faithful people increasingly interested in how… Continue Reading

Repealing the Johnson Amendment Means Pulpits for Sale

Feb 11, 2017
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Repealing the Johnson Amendment Means Pulpits for Sale

Remarks delivered by Executive Director Jennifer Copeland at HKonJ 2017. Picture this on the marquee in… Continue Reading

Whispers and Shouts

Feb 11, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Whispers and Shouts

Sometimes God whispers. Whether through hymns or homilies or kids dancing their way down the aisle… Continue Reading

Refugees Welcomed, Not Banned

Feb 10, 2017
Jennie Belle, Former Immigration and Farmworkers Director

Refugees Welcomed, Not Banned

Last in a series of three blogs. Above all, these strangers bring to us the Christ.… Continue Reading

Big Stakes in High Court Pick

Feb 1, 2017
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Big Stakes in High Court Pick

Compared with some of the provocatively, even outrageously unsuited people whom President Trump has chosen for… Continue Reading

Raleigh Report — January 31, 2017

Jan 31, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Raleigh Report — January 31, 2017

By George Reed, Retired Executive Director The 2017 General Assembly has begun its work. Elected in… Continue Reading

Speak Against Vitriol; Stand for Values

Jan 30, 2017
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Speak Against Vitriol; Stand for Values

For more than 80 years the NC Council of Churches has stood for essential human rights… Continue Reading

Blessed not Blocked or Banned

Jan 30, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Blessed not Blocked or Banned

This Sunday’s Gospel reading was the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:1-12. Jesus says blessed nine times, but he… Continue Reading

Keeping With Community

Jan 29, 2017
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Keeping With Community

Enabling good health is a community restoration project. It’s really not about prescription plans, deductibles, out-of-pocket… Continue Reading

The Threat is not from Immigrants and Refugees

Jan 28, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

The Threat is not from Immigrants and Refugees

The Council has had a busy weekend. Much of the staff was helping with the Beyond… Continue Reading

Getting Back to Our Normal: Some Suggestions for the Long Haul

Jan 27, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Getting Back to Our Normal: Some Suggestions for the Long Haul

Our friend Rob Schofield over at Policy Watch wrote a column on Tuesday that was as… Continue Reading

Sanctuary, Not Deportation

Jan 27, 2017
Jennie Belle, Former Immigration and Farmworkers Director

Sanctuary, Not Deportation

First in a series of three blogs. God calls people of faith to remember that they… Continue Reading

Let’s Keep Marching

Jan 23, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Let’s Keep Marching

At another time in my life, I would not have spent most of Saturday occupying my… Continue Reading

Moving Beyond Gun Violence

Jan 21, 2017
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Moving Beyond Gun Violence

Two weeks ago I flew to Florida for a national gathering of state ecumenical leaders and… Continue Reading

A Letter to President Trump

Jan 20, 2017
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

A Letter to President Trump

Dear Mr. Trump, You ARE my president. I did not vote for you, but you were… Continue Reading

Remembering the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Jan 15, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Remembering the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Excerpts from Dr. King’s remarks delivered on May 14, 1963 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Cleveland… Continue Reading

Speak Out on Cabinet Nominees

Jan 10, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Speak Out on Cabinet Nominees

Groups at the state and national level continue to mobilize around concerns about President-Elect Donald Trump’s… Continue Reading

Update: Save Our Health Care Rallies Statewide on January 15

Jan 10, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Update: Save Our Health Care Rallies Statewide on January 15

On Friday, the House of Representatives voted to continue the process that could ultimately repeal the… Continue Reading

Join us to Pray for Justice and Reconciliation and to Share Dinner Together

Jan 3, 2017
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Join us to Pray for Justice and Reconciliation and to Share Dinner Together

St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Durham and the NC Council of Churches invite you to join… Continue Reading

Seeds of Change in a Momentous Year

Dec 31, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Seeds of Change in a Momentous Year

As we watched the egregiously unqualified Donald Trump campaign for and win election to the White… Continue Reading

Beyond Gun Violence: A Conference for People of Faith and Conscience About Ending America’s Deadly Epidemic

Dec 27, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Beyond Gun Violence: A Conference for People of Faith and Conscience About Ending America’s Deadly Epidemic

Join us one month from today for a weekend of preaching and teaching about the cost… Continue Reading

The Council Welcomes Your End-of-Year Gift

Dec 26, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

The Council Welcomes Your End-of-Year Gift

Looking ahead to 2017, there is much more work for the Council to do than we… Continue Reading

UPDATE: Raleigh Report — Special GA Session on HB2

Dec 20, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

UPDATE: Raleigh Report — Special GA Session on HB2

By George Reed, Retired Executive Director Updated December 21, 9:50 p.m. Special Session #5 of the… Continue Reading

Support North Carolina’s Faithful Voice for Justice, Unity, and Peace

Dec 18, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Support North Carolina’s Faithful Voice for Justice, Unity, and Peace

We are living in unsettling times. Progress we once thought inviolable now feels threatened. One constant… Continue Reading

Join in the Support of Belhaven’s Pungo Hospital

Dec 16, 2016
Jessica Stokes, PHW Regional Coordinator

Join in the Support of Belhaven’s Pungo Hospital

Community leaders continue to work endlessly to save the Pungo Hospital in Belhaven. Please join clergy… Continue Reading

Post-Election Travesty Targets the Governor

Dec 15, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Post-Election Travesty Targets the Governor

The ugly truth can’t be evaded or denied: North Carolina’s General Assembly, in the grip of… Continue Reading

Wise Leaders Would Answer the Call for Justice and Righteousness

Dec 15, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Wise Leaders Would Answer the Call for Justice and Righteousness

Remarks delivered by Jennifer Copeland at a December 15 press conference in Raleigh on the General… Continue Reading

Possible Surprises in Upcoming Special Session

Dec 10, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Possible Surprises in Upcoming Special Session

By George Reed, Retired Executive Director The General Assembly returns to town this coming Tuesday, December… Continue Reading

Video — #LoveOneAnother

Dec 8, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Video — #LoveOneAnother

The response to our sign-on ad was overwhelming and inspired the staff of the Council to… Continue Reading

Maps Again Key to Power, Rights

Dec 5, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Maps Again Key to Power, Rights

No one reading this post is likely to pull a brain muscle describing ways in which… Continue Reading

Plots Thicken in Election’s Aftermath — UPDATED

Nov 18, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Plots Thicken in Election’s Aftermath — UPDATED

Donald Trump’s campaign for the presidency was a waste-pit wallow through a sludge of fear and… Continue Reading

A Troubling Choice, Yet Glimmers of Hope

Nov 11, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

A Troubling Choice, Yet Glimmers of Hope

Those of us aligned with the Council of Churches share a political outlook whose priorities include… Continue Reading

Advent Guide Focuses on Peace

Nov 10, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Advent Guide Focuses on Peace

The NC Council of Churches has never taken peace for granted. Indeed, along with our work… Continue Reading

Separating Church and Hate Since 1935

Nov 9, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Separating Church and Hate Since 1935

We work toward a church that is all-loving. That’s what we’ve always done and that’s what… Continue Reading

NC Family Featured in Video on Need for Medicaid Expansion

Nov 7, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

NC Family Featured in Video on Need for Medicaid Expansion

By Nina Voli, Duke Divinity School Intern Although the Affordable Care Act expanded health care coverage to… Continue Reading

Voting — Finish Strong

Nov 3, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Voting — Finish Strong

For decades, the NC Council of Churches has encouraged full and unfettered access to the polls… Continue Reading

Local Measures Also Matter

Nov 1, 2016
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Local Measures Also Matter

There’s more to pay attention to when voting down the ballot than just the Governor’s race,… Continue Reading

Faith and Equality Sunday — October 30

Oct 28, 2016
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Faith and Equality Sunday — October 30

Early voting in North Carolina is on pace with some of the best years on record. In… Continue Reading

At Campaign Trail’s End, Voters Rule

Oct 27, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

At Campaign Trail’s End, Voters Rule

As the 2016 campaign season grinds along the final stretch toward Election Day on Nov. 8… Continue Reading

Stand Up and Vote

Oct 25, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Stand Up and Vote

So far, our family of five has stood in line, collectively, for five hours and 15… Continue Reading

USDA Approves Emergency Food Benefits for Matthew Victims Through 10/26

Oct 24, 2016
Chris Pernell, Program Coordinator, Partners in Health and Wholeness

USDA Approves Emergency Food Benefits for Matthew Victims Through 10/26

Residents in 18 counties impacted by Hurricane Matthew are eligible for emergency food benefits through a… Continue Reading

Early Voting has Begun — Now is the Time to Head to the Polls

Oct 21, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Early Voting has Begun — Now is the Time to Head to the Polls

Early voting has started across North Carolina. Going to the polls now reduces the chance of delays and complications… Continue Reading

Information for Voting in Eastern NC

Oct 20, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Information for Voting in Eastern NC

Those impacted by Hurricane Matthew in the eastern part of the state still want to vote,… Continue Reading

Vote Your Values and Take a Friend

Oct 13, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Vote Your Values and Take a Friend

Remarks delivered by Executive Director Jennifer Copeland at a press conference with the NC NAACP in… Continue Reading

Voting 2016 – What You Need to Know to Be Sure Your Ballot Counts

Oct 11, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Voting 2016 – What You Need to Know to Be Sure Your Ballot Counts

By George Reed, Retired Executive Director of the NC Council of Churches There has been a… Continue Reading

Prayers for Those Impacted by Matthew

Oct 10, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Prayers for Those Impacted by Matthew

We pray for all those impacted by Hurricane Matthew’s devastation. May we be faithful in our commitment… Continue Reading

Keeping Sacred Spaces Sacred: A Recap of the Week

Oct 4, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Keeping Sacred Spaces Sacred: A Recap of the Week

In September, the Council had the opportunity to partner with Americans United for Separation of Church… Continue Reading

Trump, Business Values and H.B. 2

Oct 1, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Trump, Business Values and H.B. 2

Donald Trump may strike a populist, anti-big business note a la Bernie Sanders from time to… Continue Reading

Ways to Encourage Faithful Voters in This Election Season

Sep 27, 2016
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Ways to Encourage Faithful Voters in This Election Season

As the election approaches, many people of faith are turning to clergy for advice and assistance… Continue Reading

Sore Afraid

Sep 23, 2016
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Sore Afraid

We are “sore afraid.” But not like the shepherds in the hills around Bethlehem on the… Continue Reading

Proposed H.B. 2 Deal Falls Short

Sep 19, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Proposed H.B. 2 Deal Falls Short

Who can blame North Carolina’s restaurant and hotel operators for wishing the whole House Bill 2… Continue Reading

Bad Law vs. Big Games

Sep 17, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Bad Law vs. Big Games

When ultra-visible organizations with major economic leverage press for political change, sometimes the right thing to… Continue Reading

Early Voting Draws Support

Sep 9, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Early Voting Draws Support

The folks in North Carolina who want to make it harder rather than easier for people… Continue Reading

Keeping Sacred Spaces Sacred

Sep 8, 2016
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Keeping Sacred Spaces Sacred

Early in my tenure as the Executive Director of the NC Council of Churches, I needed… Continue Reading

Faith & Immigration Summit Workshops Highlight Importance of Immigration In Upcoming Elections

Aug 28, 2016
Jennie Belle, Former Immigration and Farmworkers Director

Faith & Immigration Summit Workshops Highlight Importance of Immigration In Upcoming Elections

Immigration is one of the most important issues in the 2016 presidential race, as it has… Continue Reading

Election Maps Under Scrutiny

Aug 12, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Election Maps Under Scrutiny

The Republican Party developed a national strategy to seize and hold legislative power, and in North… Continue Reading

Voting Rights, Redeemed

Aug 5, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Voting Rights, Redeemed

Even for ardent voting rights advocates, there’s little comfort to be gained from a federal appeals… Continue Reading

Two Steps Forward

Jul 30, 2016
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Two Steps Forward

If you’ve ever wondered how it feels to live the adage, “two steps forward, one step… Continue Reading

Scrambled Session’s Lows and Highs

Jul 10, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Scrambled Session’s Lows and Highs

The N.C. General Assembly’s 2016 regular session, which drew to a sudden close on July 1,… Continue Reading

Payday Lending is Opposite Biblical Teaching

Jun 27, 2016
Sandy Irving, Volunteer Program Associate

Payday Lending is Opposite Biblical Teaching

“Don’t charge interest when you lend money to any of my people who are in need.”… Continue Reading

Crying Aloud in the Wake of the DAPA/DACA Supreme Court Decision

Jun 27, 2016
Jennie Belle, Former Immigration and Farmworkers Director

Crying Aloud in the Wake of the DAPA/DACA Supreme Court Decision

This past week has been filled with what feels like a continuous barrage of tragic news:… Continue Reading

Immigrants as Scapegoats — Again

Jun 26, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Immigrants as Scapegoats — Again

There wasn’t a lot to like about what occurred the other day in a state Senate… Continue Reading

Stand with Refugees on World Refugee Day

Jun 20, 2016
Jennie Belle, Former Immigration and Farmworkers Director

Stand with Refugees on World Refugee Day

Today, June 20, is World Refugee Day, a day when people all over the world celebrate the… Continue Reading

Five Questions Answered on Medicaid Expansion

Jun 16, 2016
Liz Millar, Medicaid Expansion Project Coordinator

Five Questions Answered on Medicaid Expansion

Why are health care premiums steadily going up? Gallup polls at the end of 2015 found… Continue Reading

How Do We Respond?

Jun 13, 2016
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

How Do We Respond?

After Sunday morning, no one can dispute we are under attack. The real attack, however, is… Continue Reading

Pray for Orlando, Pray for Us All

Jun 12, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Pray for Orlando, Pray for Us All

In the coming days, there will be many questions about the who and why of the… Continue Reading

Budgeting that Tests our Values

Jun 3, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Budgeting that Tests our Values

Let’s assume the worst, which for the moment would mean that the N.C. Senate’s version of… Continue Reading

Raleigh Report: Weekly Update, May 25, 2016

May 25, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Raleigh Report: Weekly Update, May 25, 2016

The update is compiled on a volunteer basis by George Reed, the Council’s retired executive director.… Continue Reading

Raleigh Report Weekly Update: May 17, 2016

May 17, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Raleigh Report Weekly Update: May 17, 2016

The update is compiled on a volunteer basis by George Reed, the Council’s retired executive director.… Continue Reading

Tar Heel Beacon of Tolerance

May 13, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Tar Heel Beacon of Tolerance

Take heart, fair-minded North Carolinians. The state’s not-always-pristine but still vaguely operative image as a place… Continue Reading

Voter Suppression Gets a Pass

Apr 29, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Voter Suppression Gets a Pass

A federal judge’s ruling that upholds changes in North Carolina election laws, despite their effect of… Continue Reading

Safety is Imperative to Worker Justice

Apr 25, 2016
Sandy Irving, Volunteer Program Associate

Safety is Imperative to Worker Justice

Worker Memorial Day is April 28, a day when we remember workers who have lost their… Continue Reading

How Do You Read the Bible?

Apr 24, 2016
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

How Do You Read the Bible?

Remarks from an April 19 press conference in opposition to HB2. There are lots of ways… Continue Reading

Earth Day 2016

Apr 22, 2016
Susannah Tuttle, NCIPL Director

Earth Day 2016

On this Earth Day 2016, let us celebrate that the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management… Continue Reading

Bathroom Drama’s Many Plots

Apr 21, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Bathroom Drama’s Many Plots

Here’s a funny thing about House Bill 2, the “bathroom bill” (now law) that’s causing North… Continue Reading

Beyond Bathrooms: Jobs, Fairness

Apr 13, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Beyond Bathrooms: Jobs, Fairness

North Carolina’s House Bill 2 – rammed through the General Assembly and signed into law in… Continue Reading

NCIPL Joins National Call to Support Green Climate Fund

Apr 12, 2016
Susannah Tuttle, NCIPL Director

NCIPL Joins National Call to Support Green Climate Fund

This week, NC Interfaith Power & Light joined 120 religious traditions and organizations across the nation representing… Continue Reading

Coalition Visits DC to Speak Against Payday Lending

Apr 9, 2016
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Coalition Visits DC to Speak Against Payday Lending

Remarks by Jennifer E. Copeland to Richard Cordray, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, delivered… Continue Reading

2016 Critical Issues Seminar — Register for Workshops

Apr 5, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

2016 Critical Issues Seminar — Register for Workshops

Registration for 2016 Critical Issues Seminar workshops is now available online. If you have not yet… Continue Reading

Reform Medicaid by Expanding It

Apr 4, 2016
Sandy Irving, Volunteer Program Associate

Reform Medicaid by Expanding It

Remarks delivered on March 30 by Volunteer Program Associate Sandy Irving at the Raleigh public hearing… Continue Reading

Hurtful Law Sends Signals

Apr 1, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Hurtful Law Sends Signals

Yes, it was a pretty neat trick — one bill that manages to expose many vulnerable… Continue Reading

Making Discrimination Easier in NC

Mar 24, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Making Discrimination Easier in NC

Almost 24 years ago, leaders of the North Carolina Council of Churches approved a policy statement… Continue Reading

Tell the Truth, Make Amends, Live Better

Mar 13, 2016
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Tell the Truth, Make Amends, Live Better

Remarks offered at the March 9, 2016 Vigil on Breaking the Silence on Torture co-sponsored with… Continue Reading

District Challengers: ‘Oh, No, You Don’t!’ (Updated)

Mar 7, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

District Challengers: ‘Oh, No, You Don’t!’ (Updated)

After a panel of federal judges threw out North Carolina’s congressional district map because it trampled… Continue Reading

NCCC Policy Statement Opposing Offshore Drilling

Mar 3, 2016
Susannah Tuttle, NCIPL Director

NCCC Policy Statement Opposing Offshore Drilling

The following was adopted by the Governing Board of the North Carolina Council of Churches at… Continue Reading

Legislators’ High-Court Switcheroo

Feb 29, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Legislators’ High-Court Switcheroo

After a five-year exercise in seeking to put a lasting stamp on North Carolina government and… Continue Reading

Critical Issues Seminar — Registration Now Open

Feb 9, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Critical Issues Seminar — Registration Now Open

Join us for the Council’s 2016 Critical Issues Seminar, focused on Race, Power, and Privilege, on… Continue Reading

Tenth Annual HKonJ is February 13

Feb 6, 2016
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Tenth Annual HKonJ is February 13

Join the NAACP, NC Council of Churches, and other coalition partners for the Tenth Annual Moral… Continue Reading

Election Changes’ Telltale Timing

Feb 5, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Election Changes’ Telltale Timing

It was just one little comment, perhaps ventured with the flicker of a wry smile. But… Continue Reading

Voter ID on Trial

Jan 29, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Voter ID on Trial

The ongoing legal challenge to North Carolina’s voter ID rule, now playing out before a federal… Continue Reading

The State of Our Union and Climate Justice

Jan 14, 2016
Susannah Tuttle, NCIPL Director

The State of Our Union and Climate Justice

Were you watching? This week President Obama gave his final State of the Union speech. He… Continue Reading

Race, Courts and Twisted Districts

Jan 9, 2016
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Race, Courts and Twisted Districts

Few of the decisions made by the men and women of our General Assembly are so… Continue Reading

Uncomplicating Justice

Jan 5, 2016
Jennie Belle, Former Immigration and Farmworkers Director

Uncomplicating Justice

A lot of times in the work that we do at the Council we preface our… Continue Reading

2015: Our Conservatives Weren’t Kidding

Dec 31, 2015
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

2015: Our Conservatives Weren’t Kidding

For those of us who want to see North Carolina governed with the interests of all… Continue Reading

Advent Guide on Refugees — Christmas

Dec 24, 2015
Jennie Belle, Former Immigration and Farmworkers Director

Advent Guide on Refugees — Christmas

Excerpted from In Those Days and In These, an Advent Devotional Guide from the NC Council… Continue Reading

Advent Guide on Refugees — Fourth Sunday

Dec 19, 2015
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Advent Guide on Refugees — Fourth Sunday

Excerpted from In Those Days and In These, an Advent Devotional Guide from the NC Council… Continue Reading

Trump’s Anti-Muslim Bluster

Dec 14, 2015
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Trump’s Anti-Muslim Bluster

In the game of bridge, when a trump card is played to win a trick, that’s… Continue Reading

Candlelight Vigil Marks Losses to Gun Violence

Dec 11, 2015
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Candlelight Vigil Marks Losses to Gun Violence

Dozens of people gathered at Durham’s Judea Reform Congregation on the evening of December 10 to mark… Continue Reading

Let Us Reason Together — Vigil Against Gun Violence 12/10

Dec 7, 2015
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Let Us Reason Together — Vigil Against Gun Violence 12/10

December 10, 7 p.m. Judea Reform Congregation 1933 West Cornwallis Road, Durham The NC Council of… Continue Reading

Eighty-Day Voter Registration Drive Kicks Off

Dec 1, 2015
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Eighty-Day Voter Registration Drive Kicks Off

The following are remarks offered by Executive Director Jennifer Copeland at a press conference announcing a… Continue Reading

Advent Guide on Refugees — First Sunday

Nov 28, 2015
Susannah Tuttle, NCIPL Director

Advent Guide on Refugees — First Sunday

Excerpted from In Those Days and In These, an Advent Devotional Guide from the NC Council… Continue Reading

A Living Wage in Wake County

Nov 28, 2015
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

A Living Wage in Wake County

By George Reed, Retired Executive Director Last week brought the welcome news that Wake County’s commissioners… Continue Reading

Doing Right by Syria’s Refugees

Nov 21, 2015
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Doing Right by Syria’s Refugees

Photo by I. Prickett, UNHCR Against the toxic brew of fear and political opportunism that has… Continue Reading

Family Values for All God’s Family

Oct 31, 2015
Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Family Values for All God’s Family

By George Reed, Retired Executive Director Here we go again. The intersection between faith and politics… Continue Reading

UNC System’s New Sheriff

Oct 30, 2015
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

UNC System’s New Sheriff

The notably dapper Thom Goolsby, member of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors, made… Continue Reading

The Theology of a Moral Agenda in Pursuit of Justice

Oct 10, 2015
Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

The Theology of a Moral Agenda in Pursuit of Justice

The following was originally presented as part of an NAACP panel discussion on October 8. The… Continue Reading

‘We stand adjourned’ – finally!

Oct 3, 2015
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

‘We stand adjourned’ – finally!

The senators and representatives who make up North Carolina’s General Assembly let their 2015 session run… Continue Reading

Gov. McCrory Should Veto H.B. 318

Oct 3, 2015
Jennie Belle, Former Immigration and Farmworkers Director

Gov. McCrory Should Veto H.B. 318

In the final hours of the 2015 legislative session, the NC House of Representatives passed House… Continue Reading

Clergy Breakfasts Come at a Crucial Time

Sep 27, 2015
Jennie Belle, Former Immigration and Farmworkers Director

Clergy Breakfasts Come at a Crucial Time

Pope Francis has been an outspoken leader about the need to welcome immigrants and refugees in… Continue Reading

Power Plays, Surprises at Session’s End

Sep 25, 2015
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Power Plays, Surprises at Session’s End

These closing weeks, or days, of the General Assembly’s session are sometimes known as the silly… Continue Reading

Budget Struggle’s Bitter End

Sep 17, 2015
Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Budget Struggle’s Bitter End

The proverbial elephant labored and, against all hopeful expectations, brought forth a mouse. The “elephants” who… Continue Reading