NC Policy Update | neighborsoncall

Neighbors on Call’s NC Policy Update for 03/25/24

Voting Rights

NC State Board of Elections data from the March 5 primary shows that more than 1600 ballots were thrown out during the primary election. This election was the first statewide election with a new mail-in ballot receipt deadline of Election Day (previously ballots only needed to be postmarked by Election Day), resulting in 1124 ballots received after the deadline being thrown out. Additionally, the new voting ID requirement resulted in 473 provisional ballots rejected for lack of voter ID, either because voters did not fill out an exception form (413 voters) or because their request for an exception was denied (60 voters).

Reproductive Rights

On Thursday a group of North Carolina Democrats called on the NCGA and Congress to protect rights to in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. A recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling that found that embryos created through IVF are children led some providers to halt IVF treatment in Alabama, though the Alabama Legislature later passed a law to protect the treatment. NC House Speaker Tim Moore has said he doesn’t think the NCGA will take up the issue in the coming session.

Governance

The short session in the NCGA begins April 24. Republican Speaker of the House Tim Moore indicated that a priority for the NC House would be passing a bill defining antisemitism as a hate crime, suggested that raises for state employees and teachers might be considered when the budget is drafted, and mentioned illegal immigration as a target issue. He also said the NC House would not take up any bills further restricting abortion during this session.

Voting Rights

On Tuesday a three-judge Superior Court panel unanimously ruled that NC Republican legislators’ changes to how elections boards are appointed are unconstitutional. The law, which the NCGA passed along party lines, took appointment power away from the governor and assigned it to the legislature, a change that the judges ruled would infringe on the governor’s constitutional duties. The Republican leaders of the NCGA are appealing the ruling.

On Wednesday a U.S. District judge denied a summary judgment request that would have stopped a trial over the constitutionality of North Carolina’s voter ID law. The trial over the NAACP’s challenge to the law will take place as scheduled beginning May 6. The same judge, Loretta Biggs, had issued a preliminary injunction in 2019 blocking the law from going into effect, but that decision was reversed by an appeals court, and the photo ID requirement went into effect last fall.

Economic Policy

2024 Primary Elections

On a busy Super Tuesday, most NC races went as expected: Upsets in GOP superintendent’s race, handful of legislative races are the exceptions –Staff, NC Newsline