WS Chronicle

Democracy NC calls for veto of Voter ID  measure

To the Editor:

Instead of a waiting for a duly elected N.C. General Assembly to take its time and hear from voters, this week lame duck lawmakers passed enabling legislation for a strict photo ID amendment that will impact eligible North Carolina voters’ access to the ballot. This voting restriction, modeled after a South Carolina Voter ID law that has proven to disproportionately impact on African-American voters, lacked sufficient debate, public input, and funding for such a sweeping change to voting in North Carolina. In theory and practice, Senate Bill 824 will make voting more difficult for eligible North Carolinians, and in doing so especially harm both voters of color and the most vulnerable among us. We’re calling on Gov. Cooper to veto this legislation and send a strong message to lawmakers that they should be doing more to protect voters in this process.”

Tomas Lopez,

Executive Director

Democracy North Carolina

 Durham

Note: On Dec. 6, the N.C. Senate ratified SB824, enabling legislation for North Carolina’s strict photo ID requirement. The bill now heads to Gov. Roy Cooper, who has until Dec. 16 to veto, sign, or allow the legislation to pass into law without his signature.

Democracy North Carolina is a statewide nonpartisan organization that uses research, organizing, and advocacy to increase civic participation, reduce the influence of big money in politics, and remove systemic barriers to voting and serving in elected office.

Response to the 2018 Farm Bill

To the Editor:

The Farm Bill conference report makes no meaningful steps toward fiscal responsibility, but instead lines the pockets of special interests at the expense of American taxpayers and small farmers.

Currently, 60 percent of subsidies flow to the top 10 percent of farms by size. This continually props them up, insulates them from market forces, and prevents smaller farmers from gaining market share and access to land. It is frustrating to see lawmakers tout how much this bill helps farmers, when in reality it holds down so many small farms.

Members of Congress should stop trying to centrally plan America’s agricultural sector, and let farmers thrive on the open market without the thumb of government tipping the scales for rich agri-businesses.

This is merely a continuation, and expansion, of programs that were ushered in during the Great Depression era. This continued government intervention into the economy is counterproductive and wholly unnecessary. Conservatives rightly point out how such intervention stalls economic success in other sectors of the economy. It is nothing but hypocritical to believe the effects will be any different for our nation’s farmers.

Both chambers had substantial opportunities to pass real reform measures, but these measures were either derided by leadership or shut down in backroom deals. Congress should pass a one-year, clean re-authorization, so members can have a full year to substantively debate and vote on these crucial measures, and pass a free market Farm Bill to benefit all Americans.”

Daniel Savickas,

Federal Affairs Manager

FreedomWorks

Washington, D.C.

Note: The mission of FreedomWorks is to build, educate, and mobilize the largest network of activists advocating the principles of smaller government, lower taxes, free markets, personal liberty, and the rule of law.