{"id":14,"date":"2025-02-03T20:54:16","date_gmt":"2025-02-03T20:54:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/progressncaction.org\/testing\/?page_id=14"},"modified":"2025-02-03T22:04:54","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T22:04:54","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/abetternc.com\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"14\" class=\"elementor elementor-14\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-bf78da6 elementor-section-height-full elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-items-middle\" data-id=\"bf78da6\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-9c6beb8\" data-id=\"9c6beb8\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7cf0433 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"7cf0433\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/abetternc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/abetterncwhite2.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-21\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/abetternc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/abetterncwhite2.png 720w, https:\/\/abetternc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/abetterncwhite2-300x208.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5ca4535 elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"5ca4535\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"#about\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-arrow-alt-circle-down\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">LEARN MORE<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9fa5d50 elementor-section-height-min-height elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-items-middle\" data-id=\"9fa5d50\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-112a734\" data-id=\"112a734\" data-element_type=\"column\" id=\"about\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3cd63ea elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3cd63ea\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">A BETTER NC<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6d50662 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6d50662\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>For a decade, politicians in Raleigh have favored corporate special interests and ideological zeal over what\u2019s best for the people of North Carolina. While a majority of North Carolinians favor expanding access to health care, more funding for public education and protections for our environment from corporate polluters, the politicians have rigged the system to keep power for themselves and the special interests. Along the way, they\u2019ve distorting our democracy by chipping away at voting rights, attacking the independence of the judiciary, and drawing district lines to favor one party over another.<\/p><p>Attacks on our democratic principles of self-government should concern people of all political stripes. Our right to vote and right to fair hearings in a court of law should be sacred, protected, and free from partisan meddling. Any attempt to undermine the vote, reduce public confidence in the courts and gerrymander our districts diminishes our democracy and threatens the rights of all people.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9fa2176 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"9fa2176\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"> A Better NC will continue to stand for:<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-824d2ff elementor-icon-list--layout-traditional elementor-list-item-link-full_width elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon-list\" data-id=\"824d2ff\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"icon-list.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"elementor-icon-list-items\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-vote-yea\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Free, fair and accessible elections<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-gavel\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">An independent judiciary and judges removed from partisan politics<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-map\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Fair maps that ensure the will of the people is heard<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-users\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Holding politicians and elected officials accountable at all levels of our democracy<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9140b2b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9140b2b\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-35b1439\" data-id=\"35b1439\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8110b89 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8110b89\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"> Fair and Independent Judges<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aee2788 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"aee2788\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>An independent judiciary is required by North Carolina\u2019s constitutional system of checks and balances. Independence from party and impartiality in judicial decisions are vital to protecting the integrity of the courts. Yet over the past decade, the Republican leadership in the General Assembly has tried to inject partisanship in the courts and to install a rubber stamp state Supreme Court.<\/p><p>They began by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entry\/nc-campaign-finance_b_3660472\">ending a public financing option<\/a>\u00a0for judicial elections, a national model for limiting political fundraising by judicial candidates, and then started\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsobserver.com\/news\/politics-government\/state-politics\/article140327188.html\">adding partisan labels to previously non-partisan judicial elections<\/a>. And, after losing their majority on the Supreme Court in 2016,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/slate.com\/news-and-politics\/2018\/07\/north-carolina-republicans-plan-to-steal-a-state-supreme-court-seat-from-anita-earls-is-backfiring.html\">the Republican legislature attempted to change laws governing state Supreme Court elections<\/a>\u00a0five different times, even after candidate filing opened. Their last-ditch attempt to ensure partisan control of state courts was to place<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facingsouth.org\/2018\/07\/ballot-changes-cap-nc-legislatures-series-power-grabs\">\u00a0two misleading constitutional amendments<\/a>\u00a0on the state ballot in 2018 with the objective of giving the legislature control over all judicial appointments. Fortunately, their power grab was overwhelmingly defeated by North Carolina voters.<\/p><p>It\u2019s clear that Paul Newby\u2019s campaign for Chief Justice and his partisan team of judicial candidates is just one more attempt to rid the courts of their historic and constitutional role as a check on the power of the state legislature.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0837844 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0837844\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Consolidating power through gerrymandering<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-56f3ad9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"56f3ad9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The Republican state legislature\u2019s zeal for rigging the system through gerrymandering has been well-documented and litigated. In an attempt to subjugate the will of the people of North Carolina, Republican map-makers packed Black voters into specific districts, diluting their voting power across the state. For example, after the 2016 election Democrats won nearly\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politifact.com\/factchecks\/2017\/aug\/09\/roy-cooper\/cooper-says-dems-won-nearly-half-2016-vote-hold-on\/\">50% of the vote statewide<\/a>, but Republicans held a supermajority in both chambers\u201462% of seats in the House and 70% of the Senate.<\/p><p>On the state Supreme Court, Paul Newby played an integral part in defending his party\u2019s power grab. Newby sided with the majority in a 4-3 decision in favor of the Republican\u2019s racial gerrymander in Dickson v Rucho I (2014). Later, Newby authored the majority opinion in Dickson v Rucho II (2015), which rubber-stamped the legislature\u2019s racial gerrymanders.\u00a0<\/p><p>Later, federal courts ruled the districts that Newby defended unconstitutional. According to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsobserver.com\/opinion\/editorials\/article58911173.html\">News &amp; Observer<\/a>, federal courts ruled \u201cthe redistricting was based on the illegal use of racial quotas that violated the constitutional rights of black voters.\u201d After the 2020 Census, North Carolina must go through the redistricting process again. The Republican leadership is desperate to get Paul Newby in the Chief Justice seat to protect their maps once again.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f7bbd76 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f7bbd76\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Enabling the Legislature\u2019s Extreme Agenda<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-536816b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"536816b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The courts should be a check on the power of the state legislature, but by supporting the legislature\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsobserver.com\/opinion\/editorials\/article58911173.html\">gerrymandering schemes<\/a>\u00a0and rigging the rules of the game to help create a Republican supermajority, Justice Newby is helping to enact their\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/pulse.ncpolicywatch.org\/2013\/01\/16\/senator-berger-outlines-the-far-right-plan\/\">extreme agenda<\/a>:<\/p><ul><li>More than\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/journalnow.com\/business\/wording-loosening-film-grant-rules-inserted-into-controversial-bill-to-cut-n-c-franchise-tax\/article_32ee7df0-1e1b-5b3f-8c38-b71882ba98f9.html\">$1 billion<\/a>\u00a0in corporate tax breaks.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.newsobserver.com\/news\/politics-government\/politics-columns-blogs\/rob-christensen\/article158020594.html\">Underfunding<\/a>\u00a0our public schools,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsobserver.com\/news\/politics-government\/article228752794.html\">classrooms<\/a>,\u00a0and teachers, while\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wunc.org\/post\/north-carolina-s-school-voucher-system-continues-grow-how-did-we-get-here#stream\/0\">shifting taxpayer money<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsobserver.com\/opinion\/editorials\/article213016279.html\">unaccountable for-profit schools<\/a>.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wral.com\/industry-gets-requested-changes-on-genx-bill\/17594159\/\">Helping<\/a>\u00a0polluters avoid responsibility when they threaten our health and well-being, especially from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsobserver.com\/news\/politics-government\/article213914154.html\">hog farms<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wunc.org\/post\/lawmakers-compromise-coal-ash-regulation#stream\/0\">coal ash<\/a>,\u00a0and other dangerous\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsobserver.com\/news\/business\/article197854754.html\">chemicals that leak into our lakes and rivers<\/a>.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.northcarolinahealthnews.org\/2019\/06\/26\/no-medicaid-expansion-in-ncga-budget\/\">Failing to expand Medicaid<\/a>, protect our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bizjournals.com\/triangle\/news\/2019\/09\/05\/column-medicaid-expansion-right-treatment-for.html\">rural<\/a>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wral.com\/editorial-want-to-save-n-c-s-rural-hospitals-expand-medicaid-now\/18975117\/\">hospitals<\/a>, lower\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.journalnow.com\/news\/elections\/local\/n-c-senate-bill-dealing-with-involuntary-commitments-telehealth-cancer\/article_117caa5f-da27-55e8-a90a-17516da1cd03.html\">drug prices<\/a>, and expand health care access to more people with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.northcarolinahealthnews.org\/2019\/02\/25\/legislature-makes-another-attempt-at-creating-association-health-plans\/\">preexisting conditions<\/a>.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/how-north-carolina-transformed-itself-into-the-worst-state-to-be-unemployed\">Slashing our unemployment insurance program<\/a>, leaving hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians worse off in the middle of a pandemic.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-32332f2 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"32332f2\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-dee7d66\" data-id=\"dee7d66\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cb6d848 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cb6d848\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"text-align: center;\">PAID FOR BY\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/abetternc.com\/\">A BETTER NC<\/a>.<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY POLITICAL PARTY, CANDIDATE, OR COMMITTEE.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>LEARN MORE A BETTER NC For a decade, politicians in Raleigh have favored corporate special interests and ideological zeal over what\u2019s best for the people of North Carolina. While a majority of North Carolinians favor expanding access to health care, more funding for public education and protections for our environment from corporate polluters, the politicians [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-14","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abetternc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abetternc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abetternc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abetternc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abetternc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/abetternc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44,"href":"https:\/\/abetternc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14\/revisions\/44"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abetternc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}