Defending our Constitutional Rights
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Keep NC Frack Free
Today I filed legislation to
keep fracking out of our state and prevent the poisoning of our groundwater.
Our water is a precious resource. It is a biblical gift of incredible proportions, a sacred trust for our future generations. We do not need to poison it for a pittance so that some fracker from Oklahoma can get a political payoff.
Our right to clean water is enshrined in our North Carolina Constitution, and I have pledged to defend it.
The value of clean water is priceless, to us and our posterity, and we should never wantonly pollute it.
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Holding Duke Energy Accountable
Earlier this week the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality ordered Duke Energy to
clean up all of its remaining toxic coal ash dumps.
In Western North Carolina, we know the true value of clean water. We won't allow those who pollute it, especially with toxic coal ash, to dodge the costs by charging our citizens for their actions.
Duke Energy should be accountable for its own actions. If you pollute, you pay.
That's why I sponsored House Bill 567, which will prohibit Duke Energy from passing coal ash cleanup costs on to the ratepayers.
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I love joining my friends with Haywood Waterways in their efforts to keep our rivers and streams clean!
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Freedom at the Ballot Box
Last week I co-sponsored House Bills 574 and 586, "Fix Our Democracy" and the "Let NC Vote Act." These bills will
end unconstitutional gerrymandering,
modernize voter registration,
reinstate same-day voter registration on election day,
reinstate voter registration in our high schools
and at public agencies like the DMV, and restore the last Saturday of early voting.
These are common sense fixes to our election system that will give
North Carolinians the freedom to choose their representatives, not the other way around.
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We All Agree, Healthcare Matters!
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Nurses' Day at the Legislature
Last week more than
1,000 nurses
visited Raleigh from across North Carolina, advocating for modernizing our healthcare policy framework. I have co-sponsored several bills this session to lower healthcare costs, increase access, and provide resources for our doctors, nurses, and hospitals to better serve their patients.
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I spoke with a group of nursing students during their day of action at the General Assembly. These young folks are the future of healthcare in our state, and they are great advocates for better access, higher quality, and more affordable healthcare!
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Friends of Residents in Long-Term Care
I met with a group of advocates who were in Raleigh to support legislation that would address the needs of North Carolina's aging population.
By 2036, North Carolina citizens who are 60 and older will make up 50% of our state's population. This year, there are more residents who are older than 65 than there are under 18.
It is a shame that many in North Carolina only get healthcare once they are a senior citizen and qualify for Medicare. We must focus on
forward-thinking policy solutions like Medicaid Expansion
that will ensure our citizens have healthcare for their entire lives. Their health will be better, and our costs lower, if they are already healthy and cared for when they become senior citizens.
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Fred Benson, Priscilla Johnson, Regina Tisdale, Antoinette Mingo, and Deborah Kennedy are Friends of Residents in Long-Term Care who traveled to Raleigh to meet with members of the General Assembly.
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Advocates for Paid Family Leave
The Duke Center for Child and Family Policy hosted a very informative breakfast meeting advocating the importance of family leave. They presented a compelling case that paid family leave can be incredibly helpful to assure families thrive through health adversities, especially the birth of a child.
Cost of a paid family leave program can be as little as $3 per week. They presented a convincing case that the long term return on this investment, through deferring future costs and improving future outcomes, can be incredibly positive for children, for workers, and for entire families.
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Left to right: Kimberly Swanson, Whitney Tucker, Anna Gassman-Pines, Adria Boyd, Mary Bethel, Eliza Salmon, and Alison Stuebe
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I attended a fantastic reception here in Raleigh hosted by Western Carolina University. This year is WCU's largest incoming class in history. According to a University System study, WCU created more than $900 million annually in economic impact for the State of North Carolina. The University was named the "Best College Value" for 2018 in a national review of colleges and universities released by Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine. It is always great to celebrate success with my friends from WNC!
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Left to right: Dr. Brian Kloeppel, Chris McClure, Alison Morrison-Shetlar,
Tom Apodaca, and Dr. Richard Starnes
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Your Rights, My Priority
We have a significant opportunity this year to increase individual rights and freedoms for our citizens in North Carolina.
Every
North Carolinian should have the
right to access affordable, quality healthcare.
Medicaid Expansion will lower costs for everyone, without one penny of new taxes, and the result will be 500,000 more hard working North Carolinians gaining the freedom to visit the doctor and live happier, healthier, more productive lives.
Every
North Carolinian must also have the rights that come with the technology of the 21
st
century.
Where you live should not determine what resources you have.
That is why I am working to ensure that North Carolina will expand broadband internet
everywhere that we have electricity.
Every
citizen is a true democracy should have the right to freely
choose their representatives, not the other way around.
That is why I am working with my colleagues to
end gerrymandering and ensure that all citizens have access to the ballot box.
And finally,
E
very
North Carolinian has the right to enjoy and benefit from our natural resources. Our constitution says that
We Will protect North Carolina's land and water for the benefit of ALL.
We as citizens in this state should not bear the burden of Duke Energy's pollution, and we shouldn't settle for polluted water from coal ash or fracking.
As your representative, I am dedicated to our individual rights as citizens of the state of North Carolina.
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Please share this with your friends!
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P.S. check out our legislative web page at
www.joesamqueennc.com
. You can find all of my previous newsletters and more!
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