Friends,

In November of 2018, courts ruled that four house districts in Wake County were redrawn in violation of North Carolina's constitution; House District 36 was among them. As I work to make sure citizens of my district are properly represented in the future, I want to continue to educate the public about gerrymandering and redistricting reform.

On Thursday March 28th, please join me, Rep. Sydney Batch, and Jane Pinsky (Director of the NC Coalition for Lobbying & Government Reform) for a Town Hall on Redistricting.

  • Event - Ending The Redistricting Game
  • Date - Thursday, March 28th
  • Time - 6:30PM - 8:30PM
  • Location - Wake Tech's Student Services Building (room 214)
  • 9101 Fayetteville Rd, Raleigh, NC 27603

We will discuss the history of gerrymandering in North Carolina and current legislative efforts to enact redistricting reform. If you plan to attend and have questions you'd like answered, please follow the link below.
I hope you all will take the time to submit any questions you might have, and that you will join me at our Town Hall on March 28th.

Sincerely,

Representative Julie von Haefen
P.S.

Redrawing district maps is complicated, and it can be tough to understand how it works sometimes. So, I want to link you all to an interactive game designed to educate about redistricting and redistricting reform. I hope this helps you gain a fuller understanding of what we're facing in North Carolina!
Legislative Updates
I promise...

To review all pertinent information when I make decisions that affect citizens of North Carolina.

To bring your input and your stories to the floor.

To advocate on your behalf.
Primary Sponsorships:
  • HB 183 - A bill to allow local boards of education to determine the opening and closing dates of their schools (applies only to Wake County).

Co-Sponsorships:
  • HB 185 - A bill to allow Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to provide care to patients with the oversight of the state Medical Board, dissolving the prior requirement that APRNs must have a collaborative agreement with a managing physician.
  • HB 140 - A bill to establish nonpartisan redistricting criteria by amending North Carolina's constitution. As proposed, the state will vote on establishing a nonpartisan redistricting process in the 2020 general election.
  • HB 126 - A bill that amends current law to include tissue donation as part of the drivers license donor authorization program.
  • HB 124 - A bill to appropriate $20,000,000 each year to NC's Smart Start Funds through 2021.

Upcoming Legislation:
  • Tuesday, March 5th, I will join Representatives Cunningham, Fisher, and Terry as a primary sponsor on a bill to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Please stay tuned for more information about this bill.
I Support School Bonds
  • Schools from kindergarten through high school need at least $8 billion in new construction. The last school bond was more than two decades ago in 1996.
  • Skimming money for teacher pay and health care to pay for school construction is like buying a car using all of your gas money – it's irresponsible and won't work in North Carolina.
  • School construction bonds are fiscally responsible, offering stability for school districts planning their budgets and allowing people to decide whether to fix old schools and build new ones, without causing harmful cuts elsewhere.
Updates From Our Governors
The State of Our State
On February 25th, Governor Cooper addressed North Carolina's House and Senate to speak about the state of our state.

I was honored to sit on the floor with fellow Democratic women lawmakers as Governor Cooper discussed expanding Medicaid and investing in our schools with school bonds.

I agree with Governor Cooper, and my colleagues and I are ready to expand Medicaid coverage for 500,000 North Carolinians.
NC's Early Childhood Summit
On February 27th, I attended the Early Childhood Summit and had the opportunity to hear our former education Governor, Jim Hunt, deliver the keynote address.

The summit addressed NC's Early Childhood Action plan to ensure that all students across North Carolina are healthy, grow up safe and nurtured, and are well-supported to be learning and ready to succeed.
Office Hours
Every First Friday & Third Thursday
Stop by my office hours to talk about your district needs.
There will be no set agenda. RSVPs are not required, but they do help me plan ahead.
District News
Wake County Teacher of the Year
Toiya Dunbar, a teacher at East Garner Middle School has been named a semi-finalist for Wake County's teacher of the year!

I am proud to know that Toiya is representing House District 36 as one of the top 20 teachers in Wake County.
NCDOT Wants Your Input!
Through April 15 th of this year, the Department of Transportation's State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) is accepting public comments on their construction plan for 2020-2029 . The STIP identifies the construction funding and schedule for state transportation projects over a 10-year period.
Please note that this comment period is not for maintenance-related projects, such as patching potholes, resurfacing, or ditches. Follow this link for more information about submitting a maintenance request.
Education Spotlight:
Voyager Academy Middle School
I am grateful for the opportunity to visit Voyager Academy Middle School.
Voyager Academy Middle School
On February 22 nd , I visited Voyager Academy, a charter school in Durham.

I was invited to visit Voyager Academy by Douglas Price, NC's Charter School Teacher of the Year, and I accepted the invitation because it is important to me that I continue to educate myself about the similarities and differences between public and charter schools.

Having firsthand conversations with educators and students is the best way to understand education issues and to take that information back to the General Assembly to share with others. 
I observed Mr. Price's sixth grade class and spoke with students.
Community Education & Organization
Reproductive Rights
The ACLU of North Carolina and Planned Parenthood Votes South Atlantic invited me to speak at the Reproductive Rights Summit on February 23 rd at Shaw University. 

Four bills have already been filed in the NC House this session which would restrict a woman’s legal right to obtain an abortion. Now is the time to speak up and show up to make sure all North Carolinians have equal access to quality healthcare, and that women’s reproductive healthcare is provided with dignity and respect. 
Precincts Keep us Organized
On February 16th, I attended four precinct organizing meetings in House District 36.

I am so proud to know that across District 36, Democrats are getting ready for municipal elections in 2019 and our national, state, and county elections in 2020. Thank you for spending a rainy, cold Saturday getting organized!