Hundreds Show Up For Next Three Stops in Common Cause NC’s Tour

HIGH POINT, N.C. (8/8/23) — Last Monday night, more than 120 High Point residents gathered at Turners Chapel AME Church to address their state lawmakers at a #UniteNC Town Hall, followed by 90-plus attendees Wednesday night in Fayetteville, and 65 more in rural Rockingham County.

Concerns over public school funding, gun safety, and reproductive healthcare, along with the ability to vote and have a genuine say in their democracy, dominated North Carolinians’ concerns. Rep. Cecil Brockman (HD-60) 그리고 Sen. Michael Garrett (SD-27) responded to the crowd in High Point, as did Rep. Charles Smith (HD-44), Rep. Frances Jackson (HD-45), 그리고 Sen. Val Applewhite (SD-19) in Fayetteville. Rep. Marvin Lucas (HD-42) 그리고 Rep. Amos Quick, III (HD-58) could not attend due to conflicts. Additional lawmakers from the Cumberland County and Rockingham County delegations did not respond to several invitations.

The High Point, Fayetteville, and Rockingham County #UniteNC Town Halls are among the 20-plus lawmaker accountability events being hosted this summer in competitive voting districts by nonpartisan voting rights group Common Cause NC and the organization’s 주 및 지역 파트너. 각 타운 홀의 중심부는 주민들이 선출된 대표자들에게 질문하고 "노스캐롤라이나의 미래가 어떻게 되기를 원하십니까?"와 같은 질문에 답할 수 있는 기회를 제공합니다.

To date, more than 500 North Carolinians have attended the first five town halls.

The #UniteNC Town Hall Tour continues tonight, August 8th, in Gibsonville at 6:30 p.m. Monday night’s planned town hall in Kannapolis has been rescheduled to Monday, September 18th due to severe weather.

Next week, town halls will take place in Wilmington and Salisbury. Additional stops were announced for Rocky Mount, Hendersonville, Greenville, Scotland Neck, Sylva, Hillsborough, and more. Members of the public and media can RSVP to a town hall in their area by visiting ccnc.me/유닛NC.

Members of the media can find a link to the video for High Point 여기, Fayetteville 여기, and Rockingham County 여기.

Links to photos from the events: High Point | Fayetteville | Rockingham County

Below are quotes from event organizers and town hall attendees:

“일부 주 의원들은 우리의 민주주의를 해체하고, 인기 투표 옵션에 대한 새로운 제한을 서두르고, 당파적 이익을 위해 선거구를 조작하는 등 문제가 있는 제안을 하는 데 급급합니다.”라고 말했습니다. Common Cause North Carolina의 캠페인 관리자 Gino Nuzzolillo. “Every issue before the legislature deserves robust public input, thoughtful debate and full transparency. Lawmakers are conducting ‘the People’s business’ in the People’s House. These #UniteNC Town Halls are meant to remind lawmakers who they work for — and remind the public that we’re putting people over politics ahead of the important elections to come.”

High Point resident Mitzi Turner said: “It is time to get our hands dirty. Go see how our people living. Hold our representatives accountable for what they’re doing and not doing. Our power is at the polls. How our streets look is at the polls. Do you hear me?”

Fayetteville resident Krystal Maddox said: “If you’re going to force people to have children, take care of them. With bills like [SB49], we’ll be making this problem worse for our children.”

Reidsville resident Ann Brady commented: “In conclusion, the result of these vouchers [through HB823], coupled with the bleak outlook for public teacher salary increases in the budget results in legal and subsidized school segregation. Do we value public education as an institution that serves all children in our state, or do we further promote private options for a select few?”

Common Cause NC는 미국 민주주의의 핵심 가치를 옹호하는 데 전념하는 비당파적 풀뿌리 조직입니다. 우리는 공익에 봉사하는 개방적이고 정직하며 책임감 있는 정부를 만들고, 모든 사람을 위한 평등한 권리, 기회 및 대표를 촉진하고, 모든 사람이 정치 과정에서 자신의 목소리를 낼 수 있도록 힘을 실어주기 위해 노력합니다.