Back to the future in North Carolina

Democrats controlled the N.C. Legislature for 140 years. Less than two years after Republicans took control of the North Carolina General Assembly, they skillfully managed to get a constitutional amendment passed, voiding all civil unions as well as guaranteeing [that] gay men and women in North Carolina have no equal protection under the law and remain second-class citizens indefinitely.

The Democratic governor has vetoed over 20 regressive laws passed by this Assembly since 2010, but looking at the other states Republicans took over in 2010, the future GOP agenda here is clear: voter-suppression laws, end of collective bargaining and unions, repealing equal-pay laws, gutting child labor laws, cutting social programs and education budgets and passing draconian restrictions on women’s health — but few jobs bills.

North Carolina has taken a big step backward and sadly joined its neighbors. It starts here but this is only the beginning.

— Richard Yurko
Tryon

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