On the first day of the General Assembly’s short session, Rep. Darren Jackson (D-Wake), Rep. Grier Martin (D-Wake), Rep. Graig Mayer (D-Orange), and Rep. Susi Hamilton (D-New Hanover) officially filed HB 976, which would fully repeal HB 2. In a press conference afterwards, Jackson said that North Carolina was at a “critical mass.” “North Carolina […]
Paul Blest
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The Morning Roundup: What Will They Screw Up Next?
Morning, y’all.1. Your esteemed government is back in session today, and will have some visitors. Considering how reviled all across the world that Governor Pat McCrory and the North Carolina General Assembly have become, and that we saw two special sessions in February and March, it’s easy to forget that the legislature hasn’t actually been […]
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Etsy CEO, a North Carolina Native, Speaks Out Against HB 2
This morning, Chad Dickerson, the chief executive officer, president, and chairman of the online marketplace website Etsy, penned an blog post on Medium about HB 2. Dickerson “spent the first twenty-three years” of his life in North Carolina, growing up in Greenville and later working at the News & Observer in Raleigh. Dickerson says that […]
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The Morning Roundup: R.I.P Prince
Morning y’all, it’s Friday. Hopefully we don’t lose any more icons today. 1. Prince passed away at the age of 57 yesterday. Prince, one of the best musicians to ever pick up a guitar, died yesterday at his Paisley Park estate and studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota. First reported by TMZ, the singer and guitarist told […]
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Mike Robinson Thinks Pat McCrory Is a Jellyfish
We here at the INDY have been glad to constantly call out Pat McCrory and the legislators who voted for HB 2 for both their bigotry and idiocy, but, sometimes, a song says more than we ever could. Local musician Mike Robinson of First Persons and suspected member of the ultra-secretive rock legends The Dinwiddies […]
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Donald Trump Isn’t a Fan of HB 2
In an appearance on the Today Show, cartoon rich guy and Republican presidential frontrunner came out against HB 2. From ABC campaign reporter Candace Smith: Trump was then asked by Matt Lauer if he would allow Caitlyn Jenner to use the bathroom of her gender identity in Trump Tower, to which he responded, “That is […]
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Meet the Democratic Socialist Challenging Phil Berger in Greensboro
When Elon law professor Eric Fink realized that Senator Phil Berger had no Democratic challenger in November, he was flabbergasted. “I’m not a registered Democrat, so I didn’t realize they had no candidate, because they usually do,” Fink tells the INDY. “It was just after the primary that I learned that there wasn’t one.” “When […]
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Trans Crisis Hotline’s Calls Have Doubled Since HB 2 Was Passed
A suicide hotline that bills itself as the only transgender crisis hotline in the US says that the number of calls it has received has doubled since the passage of HB 2. Executive director Greta Martela of Trans Lifeline, a Chicago-based, California-registered non-profit staffed entirely by transpeople, also tells the INDY that according to records, […]
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NC Family Policy Council Asks Legislators To “Keep NC Safe”
Representative Darren Jackson, D-Wake, a leading voice in the legislature against HB 2 who is introducing his own bill to repeal it, posted a “pledge” last night that was sent to him by the North Carolina Family Policy Council, the NC Values Coalition, and the Christian Action League, three religious right organizations who wield heavy […]
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The Legislature’s Back in Session. Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid.
After one special session to fix their own screw-up (gerrymandering) and another to screw up everything else (House Bill 2), the state’s lawmakers will reconvene for their short session Monday. The short session is, in theory, a way for legislators to pass local bills and adjust the previous year’s budget. As we’ve seen in past […]