Updates as of November 3

Good news--NC Attorney General Jeff Jackson with other state attorney generals successfully sued Trump's agriculture department for failing to use their billion dollar emergency fund to fund SNAP during the government shutdown. 

Unfortunately, the situation has already interrupted SNAP support, and the USDA has said it will pay only half the benefits and there may be many delays before those can be delivered. Increasing suffering appears to be a goal of the Trump administration.

Upcoming Events

Tuesday, November 4th is election day for many municipalities in North Carolina, including Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and Seven Devils. If you haven't yet voted, you can still vote in your precinct on Tuesday between 6:30 am and 7:30 pm. Find your precinct at the Watauga County Board of Elections website 

Tuesday, November 4th

Watauga County Board of Commissioners Meeting 

5:30 pm in the Community Room of the Watauga County Recreation Center 

Update on the lawsuit to stop the Hise gerrymandering

Lawyers working on behalf of the citizens of Watauga County and Common Cause NC shared updates this week on the lawsuit to stop State Sen. Hise and the Republican legislature from deciding who represents us on our own county commission. (For more background, see the end of this email). Unfortunately, our local board of elections (now led by Republicans) will be fighting the lawsuit. 

While the local lawsuit on behalf of the actual people of Watauga County is funded solely by donations, the Republican legislature and state board of elections eagerly offered to pay to fight this lawsuit using statewide taxpayer funds. So not only is the state legislature trying to control our county, but also they are making everyone else in the state pay for their reckless and unprecedented power grab. WATAUGA is the ONLY county to be targeted in this way. In response to Hise's gerrymandering legislation, a local referendum opposing this legislation won 71% of the vote AND won the majority of votes in every single precinct. 

That's why we don't have to guess how our county feels on this issue: the referendum vote is solid evidence that this is not a town versus county concern, this is not a Democrat versus Republican concern: this is our entire county versus the reckless overreach of people like Hise and others in our legislature. By choosing to oppose this lawsuit, the local commissioners and board of elections are disregarding the will of the people.  Shame on every one of them.

The lawyers have recently filed for a preliminary injunction that would be an easy win in court systems that honor the law and the foundational principles of our democracy. You can support the lawsuit by making a tax-deductible donation to Common Cause. Checks can be made to Common Cause Educational Fund--be sure to note in the memo the words Watauga Litigation (otherwise, the money will only go to general funds, not the lawsuit). Mail checks to Common Cause Educational Fund, 805 15th Street N.W. Suite 800, Washington DC 20005-2207. If you prefer to donate online, here's the Common Cause link. 

Worth Reading

Check out the Watauga Democrat's report on people speaking out against the gerrymandering of our county

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Make time to read Propublica's insightful coverage of NC Chief Justice Paul Newby's naked grabs for power, which have undermined the integrity of our state court systems and diminished the ability of voters to determine who will represent them. Many of the worst actions of our legislature can be tied to Newby.

1 million North Carolinians are at risk because Republicans continue to insist on the elimination of tax credits that made it possible for low-income Americans to afford healthcare (the root cause of the current government shutdown). Read NC Newsline's short report on the impending healthcare crisis. Join us in rolling our eyes at the ridiculous Republican logic, imagining the free market will somehow provide affordable healthcare to low-income people.

Learn the background of the lawsuit on behalf of Watauga County voters against the Hise gerrymandering: https://carolinapublicpress.org/73009/watauga-wages-own-redistricting-battle-with-legislators/ and https://www.commoncause.org/north-carolina/press/watauga-lawsuit/