Chop Wood, Carry North Carolina 2/28

Hi all!

The power lies within each of us. Doing the things to help save North Carolina and our democracy will make you feel better! I know it does for me. Including NOT spending money today 2/28 to support the national economic boycott. If you must spend money, use cash and go to small businesses. We have power! And now, here are more ways to get involved.

So much going on in NC to engage voters! Your choice of easy phone banks to friendly people!

• Both grassroots groups and the Democratic Party continue to reach out to the 65,000 people whose votes have been challenged by Justice Griffin. Many of them are unaware they are on the list. Not surprising, given that less than half of North Carolinians know that the Republicans control the General Assembly. State news does not get through to people. Talking to these voters does a couple of things: it mobilizes some of them to speak out and it also brings them into the political process. Join a phone bank with the Durham Dems here, or with the New Rural Project here.

• The Durham Dems are starting to reach out to former volunteers to bring them back in to action. Join a phone bank!

• Neighbors on Call (now merged with County to County) is holding phone banks to connect with voters in Democratic state legislative districts that helped overcome the GOP supermajority. You can sign up here.

Down Home NC is reaching out to North Carolinians impacted by potential loss of Medicaid. Up to 2.5 million are at risk in NC alone, if Congress cuts this program. Join a phone bank that will prompt folks to call their elected representatives in Congress with a simple message: we need health care, not cuts! Make phone calls every Thursday evening, 6-8 pm. Click here to sign up.

Here is the link if you need it:

https://www.mobilize.us/downhomenc/event/756883/?emci=448d05c8-08f3-ef11-90cb-0022482a94f4&emdi=9404bb34-0df3-ef11-90cb-0022482a94f4&ceid=2846805

In addition to phone banks, there are opportunities for canvassing as well - in Durham County (to invite Dems to attend a precinct meeting), and in other central NC counties (to connect constituents with Democratic state legislators in competitive districts). Check out the possibilities here.

If you live in NC, the calls to action on NC-legislative issues are starting to ratchet up as the NC General Assembly, with its one-less-than-supermajority, starts trying to pass anti-democratic and anti-voting legislation. If you live in NC, please make calls to NC elected officials with scripts created by the "Every Call Counts Team" of Indivisible Charlotte. To get scripts, sign up with Mobilize and click the “Get Scripts” button: https://tinyurl.com/ICLTEveryCallCounts. These are their top five North Carolina Actions for this week:

1. Support NC Attorney General from being prohibited from challenging illegal executive orders issued by Donald Trump

2. Oppose Griffin’s ongoing effort to throw out 65,000 NC ballots.

3. Oppose legislation to disenfranchise NC voters by strangling voter registration drives and reducing options for Early Voting.

4. Support DEI in NC

5. Fight for gun safety: make sure concealed weapons require a permit

For a full list of opportunities, updated weekly, see

Stay strong all!

Jess (and Marilyn Hartman, my NC activist co-author) + Andrea who helps with newsletters. (It takes a village!)