Options for local action May 19-24
- Blowing Rock Persisters
- May 19
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 2
Immigrant Rights Advocacy Week
At last week’s zoom, ACLU NC and other organizations shared 4 primary actions:
If you can make the trip, sign up for Immigrant Rights Advocacy Day at the NC General Assembly this Wednesday, May 21 in Raleigh. Use this link to register. This day of lobbying involves walking between several buildings, so wear comfortable shoes and clothes (business casual is typical).
Email our legislators to vote NO on any anti-immigrant legislation (organizers fear more will be introduced within the budget process). Let them know these bills harm our communities. State Senator Hise ralph.hise@ncleg.gov and Representative Ray Pickett ray.pickett@ncleg.gov.
Contact Governor Josh Stein, asking him to VETO any and all anti-immigrant legislation that reaches him.
Email Sheriff Hagaman len.hagaman@watgov.org and ask him to publicly oppose HB 318. This bill is costly and unnecessary. It undermines the mission of our Sheriff’s department, and forces them to work more often with an agency (ICE) that has lost credibility by engaging in lawless, violent activity.
As the organizers explain, democracy and immigrant rights are interconnected.
Protect public media
If you haven’t yet, sign the petition and sign up for alerts to protest attempts by this President to cut off funding for NPR and Public Broadcasting, funding that is especially critical to rural communities, and at a time when we need trustworthy media sources more than ever before.
Keep pressuring our members of Congress to protect Medicaid and SNAP
I know, I know. We called them before, haven’t we? But the broken record approach sometimes works. Here’s a link to national Indivisible’s latest updates on this issue. In particular, keep the pressure on Senator Tillis (202) 224-6342.
Additional notes:
This Tuesday, May 20, 2025, the Watauga County Commission meeting includes a public hearing on the proposed county budget. Also, our report on the May 6 County Commission meeting can be read here.
We do not plan to send out an email next Monday, May 26, but will be back the following week.
Memorial Day is not simply a holiday but a chance to mourn those who died in armed service. Our thoughts are with those remembering lost loved ones and friends, as well as those who survive but still bear the scars.
