The painstakingly poor decisions of North Carolina Republicans did not end when students left Raleigh this May. In the past month, Republicans have taken action on all sorts of right-wing checklist items that do little to help their constituents. While there are many mind-numbing decisions to comb through, here are the major actions Republicans have pushed through in the past month.
Abortion Bans
Despite abortion bans’ continually terrible polling and the issue’s effect on the GOP’s dismal electoral performances in 2022, the GOP has pushed forward a new abortion ban. Purported by Senate President Pro Tempore, Phil Berger, as a reasonable and moderate compromise, the ban has garnered intense criticism from Democrats and the medical community. A group of maternity doctors from Duke Health warned of rising maternal mortality rates.
The 12-week ban has major ramifications for maternal health both in the state and in the South at large. But the real issue with SB 20 is the hurdles patients and doctors must clear to receive care.
Increased paperwork, stringent doctor appointments and harsh restrictions on medication abortions will dissuade would-be patients from receiving care. The rate could be even worse for Black patients, who already face nearly three times more pregnancy-related deaths compared to white women.
North Carolina is already above the abnormally-high national average in its maternal mortality rate. This bill is scientifically and evidentially unsound and will put the South ever closer to becoming a reproductive healthcare desert.
Election Restrictions
In an effort to re-secure elections that were never in danger to begin with, Republicans have pushed through new and pointless voting restrictions. Such changes include rigid voter ID requirements with no plan in place to make IDs streamlined or affordable, vague mail-in ballot verification requirements and weakened same-day registration ballots.
Worse yet, the Republican-majority State Supreme Court recently ruled on a case that restricted released felons’ right to vote. Many of those affected are minorities due to a history of racial profiling and over policing.
Something the Republicans voted not to do was join a multi-state coalition intended to maintain a clean voter roll. Nor did they decide to address the egregious gerrymandering that has marred the state for decades.
Simply said, we shouldn’t outlaw voting practices solely because they are unfavorable to a certain party.
Queer Hatred
It’s no secret that the GOP has been blatantly homophobic and transphobic. The recent outcry at Bud Light for hiring a transgender spokesperson and Target for providing Pride merchandise during Pride month–something they have been doing for years—are just the most recent examples.
In the last month, Republicans have targeted transgender individuals specifically under the guise of protecting children — something straight out of the homophobic Nixon-Reagan playbook.
Notwithstanding the fact that children can be queer, the fear that exposure to queer identities somehow makes children queer is wholly unfounded and scientifically inaccurate. That has not stopped the North Carolina GOP from attempting to ban gender-affirming care for minors, something which has been shown to reduce rates of self-harm and suicide in queer youth.
Additionally, they have proposed legislation banning drag performances done in the presence of minors by classifying it as obscenity. This could ban anything from Drag Queen Story Hour to Pride Parades. The North Carolina Bar association canceled a drag trivia night over fears of political backlash.
Let’s get one thing straight — Drag is not inherently sexual. Queer identities are not singularly sexual. To simplify queer expression as such conflates and denies the complexities of hetero-divergent love, self-expression and identity.
Racism
I can’t go through this recap without mentioning the blatant racism from Republican members of the General Assembly both in their legislation and their words.
We have already mentioned that the abortion ban will disproportionately harm Black women and that the North Carolina Supreme Court’s anti-felon ruling will diminish the influence of Black voters; however, even in debate, the GOP cannot stop itself from showing its true racist colors.
The party is already facing intense public scrutiny for tweeting racial epithets toward civil rights activist Rev. William Barber—he was titled a “poverty pimp” for campaigning to raise the minimum wage with Sen. Bernie Sanders.
They recently had to remove two of their members from their roles as deputy whips in the House.
Rep. Jeff McNeely questioned whether Black Rep. Abe Jones got accepted to Harvard for being a Black athlete. He later apologized and has been censured from debate.
During Rep. Diamond Staton-Williams’ speech about her Christian faith justifying protecting abortions, Rep. Keith Kidwell claimed Staton-William attends the Church of Satan. He has not apologized to her personally.
All is not well in North Carolina, and the GOP has made sure it stays that way. Racism, homophobia and transphobia run rampant in the marble hallways and the golden chamber doors. It is clear that this party does not have North Carolinians’ best interests at heart.
