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Moral Mondays

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Moral Mondays
FormationApril 2013
TypeGrassroots
PurposeA grassroots movement against politics of North Carolina Republican Party and governor Pat McCrory in regards of voting rights, cutting social programs, changes in tax legislation, the repel of the Racial Justice Act and restrictions to abortion rights.
Location
Remarksmethods include

Moral Mondays are protests in North Carolina, United States of America. The protests are in response to several actions by the newly Republican government of North Carolina. The protests are characterized by engaging in civil disobedience by entering the state legislature building and then being peacefully arrested.

Background

In 2012, North Carolina elected a Republican governor, Pat McCrory, and Republicans took both state houses, giving them control of both the legislative and executive branch for the first time since 1870. Since taking office, McCrory has signed into law a number of bills promoting conservative governance, and the legislature has passed or considered a number of other laws which have generated controversy.[1] The bills signed into law by McCrory and proposed legislation have been the target of ongoing "Moral Mondays" civil disobedience protests, organized in part by local religious leaders including William Barber, head of the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP.[2][3]

Moral Monday protests in Raleigh, NC on July 15th, 2013

Members of the protest movement meet every Monday to protest an action by the North Carolina legislature and then enter the legislature building. Once they enter, a number are peacefully arrested each Monday.[4] The protestors are a wide range of mostly North Carolina citizens, with many religious progressive movements represented.[5]

Issues

Voting rights

Redistricting and proposed voting rights changes have been a focus of the ongoing protests.[6] North Carolina Republicans benefited from a round of redistricting which took place in 2011, and was used in the 2012 election. The redistricting process was upheld by a three-member panel of state judges in early July 2013, and is expected to be appealed.[7] 51% of North Carolina voters chose a Democrat for their US house representative, but Republicans won 9 of the 13 seats up for election.[8]

The state House has also passed legislation which would require voters to present government-issued photo identification in order to vote, and is considering legislation which would repeal same-day voter registration and limit early voting.[1] Legislators are considering "Equalize Voter Rights", a bill which would revoke the tax credit given to parents if their dependent college student registers to vote at their college/university address. This bill would also require all voters to register their vehicles at the same address as their voter registration.[9]

McCrory has stated he will sign a revised version of the bill which also includes provisions which end same-day voter registration, reduce early voting, and ends a program which allowed high school students to register to vote prior to their 18th birthdays. The bill also changes regulations for registration, requiring voters to appear in person or mail in a form 25 days in advance of the election. When asked how preventing students from registering in advance of their 18th birthdays would prevent voter fraud, McCrory stated "I don't know enough, I'm sorry, I haven't seen that part of the bill."[10]

Cuts to social programs

McCrory signed legislation which made North Carolina the 8th state to cut unemployment benefits since the start of the current recession. In addition to cutting maximum weekly unemployment benefits by 35%, and has reduced the maximum number of weeks of assistance to between 12 and 20, down from 26. This prevents 170,000 North Carolinians from benefiting from federal emergency extended benefits, which require a minimum of 26 weeks of state support. This allows the state's unemployment fund, which became bankrupt over the course of the recession, to become solvent three years sooner. This move was criticized for weakening the safety net when the state had the nation's 5th highest unemployment, and for passing up federal support.[11][12]

In March 2013, McCrory signed a bill which opts the state out of the expanded Medicaid program of the Affordable Care Act of 2009, which would have provided health care coverage to 500,000 North Carolinians, citing concerns about the sustainability of the program.[13][14] He has also proposed managing Medicaid accounts, by enrolling patients in managed care programs run by private companies.[15]

Tax changes

Legislators are also considering legislation which remove or lower income taxes, and making up for the lost revenue with an increased sales tax. McCrory distanced himself from this proposal, which was criticized by Art Pope, his deputy budget director, as being regressive.[16] The reform passed will result in some families, retirees and small business owners seeing a tax hike under provisions in the bill and all taxpayers will have to pay some additional sales taxes. The largest tax breaks will go to higher-income earners.[17]

Racial Justice Act

McCrory signed into law a bill which repealed the state's Racial Justice Act of 2009, which allowed inmates facing the death penalty to challenge their sentences on the basis of racial discrimination. His predecessor, Bev Purdue, had previously vetoed similar legislation.[18]

Abortion rights

In early July 2013 the state House unexpectedly attached a number of restrictions on abortion access to a bill described as combating Sharia law. It passed the house less than a day later, but was abandoned after protests and McCrory stated he would not sign it without modifications. An amended version of the restrictions were subsequently added to a motorcycle safety bill.[19][20] This bill was passed by the state Senate, and became a subject of the protests.[21]

In July 2013 McCrory signed into law legislation which requires abortion providers to meet the same standards as surgical centers, allows health-care providers to decline to perform abortions, and prevents any public health insurance policy for paying for abortions. Abortion-rights groups criticized McCrory, who had stated during his campaign that he would not sign new abortion restrictions.[22]

Protests

Since the start of April, more than 800 demonstrators have been arrested in the course of the protests,[23] and police have estimated weekly attendance at over 2,500.[24] Cited reasons for the protests include legislation recently passed or proposed on changes to Medicaid, changes to voting regulations, school vouchers, tax reform, and abortion.[2][3][21] McCrory has criticized the protests as unlawful and a drain on state resources,[23] and has declined to meet with them,[3] later stating "outsiders are coming in and they're going to try to do to us what they did to Scott Walker in Wisconsin."[25] The vast majority of attendees are North Carolina residents.[26]

References

  1. ^ a b Fletcher, Michael A. (2013-05-26). "In North Carolina, unimpeded GOP drives state hard to the right". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  2. ^ a b Laura Oleniacz (2013-06-06). "NC NAACP president promotes demonstration". The Herald-Sun.
  3. ^ a b c "Protests to expand despite objections from Republican leaders :: WRAL.com". WRAL.com. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  4. ^ Kilkenny, Allison. "Sixty-Four Arrested at 'Moral Monday' Abortion Access Protest in North Carolina". The Nation. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  5. ^ Dias, Elizabeth. "Moral Mondays: Religious Progressives Protest North Carolina Policies". Time. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  6. ^ "RALEIGH: Moral Monday demonstrators focus on voter rights, education cuts". Retrieved 2013-07-24.
  7. ^ "RALEIGH: NC three-judge panel lets GOP-drawn voting maps stand". Retrieved 2013-07-24.
  8. ^ Lithwick, Dahlia (2013-07-24). "What's the Matter With North Carolina?". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2013-07-24.
  9. ^ "Senate bill seeks to curb college vote :: WRAL.com". WRAL.com. Retrieved 2013-07-25.
  10. ^ "McCrory not familiar with all of bill he's to sign :: WRAL.com". WRAL.com. Retrieved 2013-07-29.
  11. ^ Brown, Robbie (2013-02-13). "North Carolina Approves Benefit Cuts for Unemployed". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  12. ^ The Associated Press (2013-02-19). "North Carolina: Jobless Benefits Are Cut". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  13. ^ "McCrory signs bill blocking Medicaid expansion". Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  14. ^ "McCrory: Medicaid needs to serve whole patient :: WRAL.com". WRAL.com. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  15. ^ "RALEIGH: McCrory plan would open state's Medicaid business to private companies". Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  16. ^ "CHAPEL HILL: Art Pope says ending state income tax creates more concerns". Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  17. ^ Frank, John. "McCrory signs new tax law". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  18. ^ Severson, Kim (2013-06-05). "Racial Justice Act Repealed in North Carolina". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  19. ^ "Thousands Protest Extreme Anti-Abortion Law in North Carolina". rollingstone.com. Retrieved 2013-07-24.
  20. ^ "'Moral Monday' protest at NC Legislature to focus on women". WCNC.com. Retrieved 2013-07-24.
  21. ^ a b "'Moral Monday' protest bolstered by abortion restriction outrage :: WRAL.com". WRAL.com. Retrieved 2013-07-24.
  22. ^ McCrory signs NC abortion bill as protesters hold vigil outside governor’s mansion | CharlotteObserver.com
  23. ^ a b WRAL (2013-07-14). "Moral Monday crowd rallies for women's rights; 101 arrested". WRAL.com. Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  24. ^ Blythe. "Moral Monday crowds swell in week 8; first protestors appear in court". newsandobserver.com. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
  25. ^ "McCrory blames Moral Monday on outsiders, Goolsby calls it "Moron Monday'' | Under The Dome". Projects.newsobserver.com. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  26. ^ Blythe, Anne. "RALEIGH: 84 more arrested on ‘Moral Monday’ as protesters decry ‘outsiders’ label | State Politics". NewsObserver.com. Retrieved 2013-07-19. {{cite web}}: C1 control character in |title= at position 30 (help)
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