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As the legislative short session draws near, Common Cause's agenda to protect our democracy appears to be gaining steam.
There are good reasons to be worried about Tar Heel democracy, such as the Supreme Court's recent decision to unleash corporate campaign cash in our elections and the pervasive "pay-to-play" culture on display in the now-disgraced Easley Administration.
But the good news is that there is an alternative to unlimited corporate influence. Statewide, nearly three in four North Carolinians see the need to reform campaign finance amongst our statewide executive branch officials. This "Council of State" is made up of people we trust to protect the public, and it is essential that they have campaign funding that is not donated by the very corporations they are sworn to regulate.
On the local front, five of our largest communities (Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Greenville, and Wilmington) have passed resolutions indicating their support for voter-owned elections at the local level. We believe that the time has come for state legislators to remove the ban on cities--our laboratories of democracy--experimenting with reform.
Call your legislator today, and tell him or her to support Common Cause's Protect Democracy Agenda in 2010!
Durham's City Council has agreed to move forward, with unanimous consent, on a resolution asking the state for local public financing authority, following a brief discussion Thursday at City Hall.
The Bull City would be the fourth city to pass such a resolution this year, joining Raleigh, Wilmington, and Greenville.
Common Cause remains dedicated to the principle that the state should not prohibit cities from considering reform options, including publicly-financed campaigns (aka voter-owned elections), as a way to protect and promote local democracy.
Legislation is expected in the General Assembly this May to remove that prohibition--check this space regularly for legislative updates and field reports!
Monday, the City of Greenville became the third city in North Carolina to take a major step for reform this winter. The city joined Raleigh and Wilmington in requesting the authority to conduct voter-owned elections. Click here to watch video of the debate, which begins around the 2 hour, 55 minute mark. Many thanks to Mayor Pat Dunn, and Councilors Calvin Mercer, Marion Blackburn, and Kandie Smith for their leadership on this issue!
The North Carolina legislature currently prevents cities from experimenting with campaign reform options, including publicly-financed campaigns envisioned in the voter-owned model. However, pending legislation would permit such reforms for cities of more than 50,000 people.
Stay tuned this spring, as more cities are expected to make similar requests for reform authority!
As the North Carolina General Assembly prepares for its upcoming short session in May, municipalities across the state are considering which policies they would like to include on their legislative wish-lists. In January, the City of Raleighasked that the state grant North Carolina cities the right to conduct voter-owned elections, and last week, the City of Wilmington followed suit. Such a measure, H120, passed the NC House last spring, and awaits action in a Senate committee. If passed, cities of more than 50,000 people would not be mandated to reform the local campaign finance process, but would be allowed to do so if they so chose. With the recent Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC, there has never been a more important time to create a public option for candidates seeking a refuge from the endless pursuit of corporate campaign cash.
Both the Greenville Daily Reflector and the Raleigh News and Observer have editorialized in favor of the proposed legislation, with the Reflector describing it as a key step to ensuring the integrity of our elections and the News and Observer describing the Raleigh council's stance as "admirable" and "wise".
Stay tuned this spring, as other cities are expected to join the chorus for reform! In its recent Citizens United decision, the US Supreme Court has struck down more than a century of law banning corporate and union money from political campaigns. Such limitations, first put in place by President Teddy Roosevelt and subsequently expanded by Republican and Democratic leaders alike, were designed to ensure that American democracy lived up to the ideal of "one person, one vote." Now, without meaningful restrictions on such spending, we expect to see this ideal withered by the relentless flow of big money into our elections.
Common Cause is working at the state level to ensure that there are tight disclosure rules on such spending, and that a "voter-owned" program is put in place, so that candidates have a meaningful alternative to the barrage of corporate campaign cash. Common Cause NC honored Elizabeth Edwards on Saturday for her work to make health care reform a reality. Mrs. Edwards received the Plott Hound Award, for her strength, tenacity, and courage in defending democracy and living up to the Common Cause motto, "Holding Power Accountable". The crowd of more than 100 also heard from Mrs. Edwards on the moral and economic imperative for reform, in spite of the onslaught of special interest lobbying to kill overhaul efforts in Congress.
Special thanks to Campbell Law School, newly relocated to Downtown Raleigh, for hosting the event. Special thanks also to Mrs. Barbara Goodmon, President of the AJ Fletcher Foundation, for her major gift in support of the event!
Chapel Hill’s first-in-the-state voter-owned election program got off to a strong start this year, with both voter-owned candidates winning seats in yesterday’s election.
Mark Kleinschmidt won in a tight race for mayor, despite being outraised by his main opponent by a nearly 2-to-1 margin. Though Kleinschmidt’s fundraising was identical to his 2007 race for city council, the $13,000 in public funds enabled him to compete on a more level playing field with fellow Councilor Matt Czajkowski, who funded his campaign with private donations.
In light of the result, Kleinschmidt said, “The voter-owned fund played a crucial role in making sure that I could get my message out to voters. This was one of the most substantive campaigns I’ve ever been a part of, and a lot of that is because participating in the public financing program took the focus off of money and put it on issues.”
Councilor-elect Penny Rich also benefited from the public fund. Rich had run for council in 2007, but finished sixth. This year, however, she was the leading vote-getter in a crowded field of 8 candidates.
Noting the importance of the program to her campaign, Rich said, “The voter-owned elections program really required me to get out into the community and talk with voters early in the campaign. Asking people to invest $5 in my campaign felt good—and really helped strengthen my relationships and my understanding of issues facing Chapel Hill. I would not have made the leap from sixth to first without the voter-owned election program.”
Legislation pending in the state legislature would expand public financing options to more than a dozen larger cities across the state. Josh Glasser, Director of Local Campaign Finance Reform for Common Cause, said, “The Chapel Hill example proves that voter-owned elections can work at the local level in North Carolina. It’s time for the legislature to afford other cities the same opportunity to conduct reform and strengthen democracy.”
The program, which was devised by the Chapel Hill Town Council and implemented by the NC State Board of Elections, was strongly supported by an array of democracy reform organizations, including Common Cause, Democracy NC, the NC Center for Voter Education, NC Voters for Clean Elections, and the League of Women Voters. The 2009 campaign was the first year of the pilot; the 2011 elections will offer another opportunity to see how the program works to change the dynamics of local campaigns. With Chapel Hill's first-in-the-state Voter-Owned Election campaign winding to a close, and Election Day right around the corner, all 11 candidates for Town Council and Mayor will gather on Wednesday, October 21, for a public forum sponsored by Common Cause. The forum will be moderated by UNC Law professor Gene Nichol. Rather than the usual questions about neighborhoods and development, however, candidates will be facing queries about social justice issues, such as democracy and civil rights, homelessness and affordable housing, welcoming new immigrant communities, and environmental justice. The event begins promptly at 7 PM at University United Methodist Church, 150 E. Franklin St. Parking will NOT be available in the church lot, so be sure to leave time to park on Franklin St or on the UNC campus. See you there!
Chapel Hill’s first-in-the-state voter-owned election program got off to a strong start this year, with both voter-owned candidates winning seats in yesterday’s election.
Mark Kleinschmidt won in a tight race for mayor, despite being outraised by his main opponent by a nearly 2-to-1 margin. Though Kleinschmidt’s fundraising was identical to his 2007 race for city council, the $13,000 in public funds enabled him to compete on a more level playing field with fellow Councilor Matt Czajkowski, who funded his campaign with private donations.
In light of the result, Kleinschmidt said, “The voter-owned fund played a crucial role in making sure that I could get my message out to voters. This was one of the most substantive campaigns I’ve ever been a part of, and a lot of that is because participating in the public financing program took the focus off of money and put it on issues.”
Councilor-elect Penny Rich also benefited from the public fund. Rich had run for council in 2007, but finished sixth. This year, however, she was the leading vote-getter in a crowded field of 8 candidates.
Noting the importance of the program to her campaign, Rich said, “The voter-owned elections program really required me to get out into the community and talk with voters early in the campaign. Asking people to invest $5 in my campaign felt good—and really helped strengthen my relationships and my understanding of issues facing Chapel Hill. I would not have made the leap from sixth to first without the voter-owned election program.”
Legislation pending in the state legislature would expand public financing options to more than a dozen larger cities across the state. Josh Glasser, Director of Local Campaign Finance Reform for Common Cause, said, “The Chapel Hill example proves that voter-owned elections can work at the local level in North Carolina. It’s time for the legislature to afford other cities the same opportunity to conduct reform and strengthen democracy.”
The program, which was devised by the Chapel Hill Town Council and implemented by the NC State Board of Elections, was strongly supported by an array of democracy reform organizations, including Common Cause, Democracy NC, the NC Center for Voter Education, NC Voters for Clean Elections, and the League of Women Voters. The 2009 campaign was the first year of the pilot; the 2011 elections will offer another opportunity to see how the program works to change the dynamics of local campaigns. On Saturday, September 12, the Greensboro Neighborhood Congress offered citizens of Greensboro a rare opportunity to hear a debate on clean elections at the local level. Josh Glasser of Common Cause was joined by several members of the Greensboro Citizens for Clean Elections, who explained how the high cost of campaigns had hurt both democracy and the quality of life in many Gate City neigborhoods. On the other side of the coin, the John Locke Foundation offered their view that clean elections were not a legitimate funciton of government.
Voter-owned elections are being piloted at the municipal level in Chapel Hill this fall, and early indications are that they have dramatically expanded the number of people who participate as donors to local candidates.
In 2010, the NC Senate will have the opportunity to extend the right to clean elections to more North Carolina cities plagued by the high cost of campaigns, including Greensboro. In their resolution, the Congress made it clear that they endorsed the principles set forth in this legislation (HB 120): "The Greensboro Neighborhood Congress supports the concept of local governments being permitted to develop public financing of local elections in a manner that will help empower neighborhoods."
Stay tuned to our webpage for more coverage of the 2009 local campaigns, and their sky-high costs!
On Saturday, September 12, the Greensboro Neighborhood Congress offered citizens of Greensboro a rare opportunity to hear a debate on clean elections at the local level. Josh Glasser of Common Cause was joined by several members of the Greensboro Citizens for Clean Elections, who explained how the high cost of campaigns had hurt both democracy and the quality of life in many Gate City neigborhoods. On the other side of the coin, the John Locke Foundation offered their view that clean elections were not a legitimate funciton of government.
Voter-owned elections are being piloted at the municipal level in Chapel Hill this fall, and early indications are that they have dramatically expanded the number of people who participate as donors to local candidates.
In 2010, the NC Senate will have the opportunity to extend the right to clean elections to more North Carolina cities plagued by the high cost of campaigns, including Greensboro. In their resolution, the Congress made it clear that they endorsed the principles set forth in this legislation (HB 120): "The Greensboro Neighborhood Congress supports the concept of local governments being permitted to develop public financing of local elections in a manner that will help empower neighborhoods."
Stay tuned to our webpage for more coverage of the 2009 local campaigns, and their sky-high costs!
The 2009 Legislative "Long Session" of the General Assembly drew to end this week, with a flurry of activity. Though the GA failed to pass any of Common Cause's 5 main legislative priorities, each bill remains very much alive and well for the "short session", which begins in May 2010. Click here for our legislative wrap-up!
Next Tuesday, June 23, at 7:00 pm, Common Cause and Democracy North Carolina will host a forum about the new program of clean elections in Chapel Hill. UNC Law Professor Gene Nichol will also be present, to offer remarks on the importance of this innovative new system.
In November, the Town of Chapel Hill will become just the third municipality in the country (and the first in the state) to offer public grants to candidates. Those who run will thus be able to spend more time courting voters, and less time pursuing campaign cash. The program will also enable a level playing field, so that candidates are not excluded on the basis of personal wealth.
It's important that the citizens of Chapel Hill get acquainted with the new system. In addition to brief remarks from the panelists, there will be opportunities for the audience to get their questions about the program answered.
So join us Tuesday at 7:00 pm, in the Town Council Chambers at Town Hall! Summer is here, and with it, a chance for Common Cause NC to strengthen democracy and make sure that citizens' voices are heard. In particular, we have a great chance this year to expand North Carolina's clean elections system, for both local and statewide races.
We're working the halls of the legislature hard on these bills--but we can't do it alone. We need your help!
So please join us here in Raleigh for Clean Elections Lobby Day next Wednesday, June 17. The event, sponsored by our coalition group, NC Voters for Clean Elections, will start at 9:30 am and conclude by 2 pm.
In addition to meeting activists from around the state, we will also be joined by State Treasurer Janet Cowell, and Rep. Rick Glazier, one of our legislative champions. In addition, you'll have the opportunity to ask your elected representatives to fix our democracy by supporting clean elections!
If you are planning to attend the event, please click here to register: click here to register. You can also view more event info here.
Also, for those who are interested in coming, but need a ride to Raleigh, please give us a call at 919-836-0027. We have a limited capacity, but we are trying to arrange vans to carry folks from Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Fayetteville, and Greenville.
We look forward to seeing you all next Wednesday here in the Capital City! On May 20-21, Common Cause North Carolina will be joined by Common Cause's National President, Bob Edgar, for a series of events in the Triangle area. President Edgar, an ordained minisiter, a former member of Congress, and a former head of the National Council of Churches, will be in town to talk about the importance of reform, and reform organizations such as Common Cause, to the future of our democracy.
In particular, be sure to mark your calendars for the evening of May 21. At 5 pm, President Edgar and UNC Public Policy Professor Hodding Carter (himself a member of the Carter Administration) will host a ticketed reception at Professor Carter's home in Chapel Hill. You can make your contribution and register for the reception here.
At 7:30 pm, Edgar, Carter, and UNC Law Professor Gene Nichol will hold a public forum at University Baptist Church, on the corner of Franklin and Columbia Streets in downtown Chapel Hill (the church has parking avaible in their lot, with access on Franklin St). The event is free and open to the public, and is entitled, "Modern American Politics: Progress and Reform in the post-Watergate Era".
We hope you can join us for both of these events! Stay tuned to this website for more details as they become available. Last week, the North Carolina House gave final approval to HB 120, Public Municipal Campaigns. This vote marks the first time that the NC House has passed such legislation. Should the NC Senate concur, North Carolina would continue it's tradition of progressive reform, by becoming the first state in the country to authorize all municipalities larger than 50,000 people to consider clean elections.
HB 120 contains no state money and allows municipalities to experiment with public funding of mayoral and city council races. The program is completely optional for municipalities, and will be administered by the State Board of Elections.
A study by Common Cause North Carolina has shown that 2 of the biggest funders of local races, the Home Builders and the Realtors, contributed nearly $200,000 for local elections across the state in 2007. That's enough to fund more than 60 "clean elections" candidates in a city the size of Chapel Hill! Unsurprisingly, this "sprawl lobby" is staunchly against the bill, as they have publicly admitted that they fear transfer power from wealthy funders of elections to the voters themselves.
Public financing has also been shown to increase voter interest in elections. This is particularly important at the local level, where turnout rarely tops 25%.
The House vote was 60-56, and we expect that the Senate vote will be equally close. Be sure to contact your Senator, and urge him or her to support clean elections, and House Bill 120!
This week is a big one for the future of clean elections in North Carolina, as the State House is considering a bill to expand public financing to municipalities across the state. HB 120 contains no state money and allows municipalities to experiment with public funding of mayoral and city council races. The program is completely optional for all municipalities, and will be administered by the State Board of Elections.
A study by Common Cause North Carolina has shown that 2 of the biggest funders of local races, the Home Builders and the Realtors, contributed nearly $200,000 for local elections across the state in 2007. That's enough to fund more than 60 "clean elections" candidates in a city the size of Chapel Hill! Unsurprisingly, this "sprawl lobby" is staunchly against the bill, as they have publicly admitted that they fear transfer power from wealthy funders of elections to the voters themselves.
Public financing has also been shown to increase voter interest in elections. This is particularly important at the local level, where turnout rarely tops 25%.
The vote on this bill is likely to be extremely close. Be sure to contact your state representative in the NC House, and encourage him or her to vote yes on HB 120!
On March 4, the House Election Law Committee voted in favor of House Bill 120, which grants municipalities the right to publicly-finance elections at the local level (mayor and city council). The legislation now heads to the Judiciary II committee for a vote.
Passage of the legislation was assured thanks to the terrific rhetorical gifts of the bill's sponsors, 10 of whom sit on the committee. Moreover, Common Cause activists, including Nick Divitci of Greensboro and City Councilor Russ Stephenson of Raleigh attended the meeting, to demonstrate local support for the legislation.
Thanks to all those who made this vote a success!
You can read more about the vote here, here and here.
On March 4, Common Cause North Carolina will kick off once-monthly citizen lobbying days, "First Wednesdays for Reform." The days will offer citizens from across the state a chance to come meet their legislators firsthand, and ask for their support of HB 120. The bill, which will be voted on in the House Election Law Committee Wednesday afternoon, would grant municipalities the right to conduct publicly-financed elections--a major step towards more open, honest, and accountable government!
All are welcome to attend the event, and citizens are expected from Wake, Guilford, Franklin, and Lee Counties. To RSVP, please email Josh Glasser, Field Coordinator with Common Cause, at jglasser@commoncause.org. On February 11, 2009, House Bill 120 was introduced at the State Legislature in Raleigh. The measure has 4 prime sponsors: Rep. Rick Glazier (D-Cumberland), Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford), Rep. Melanie Goodwin (D-Montgomery), and Rep. Winkie Wilkins (D-Person). It has also attracted the support of 27 co-sponsors, and we are excited about it's prospects for passage.
Be sure to write or call your lawmakers (you can find their contact information here), and urge them to support HB 120!
February 18, 2009
HBCU students visited the legislature today, bringing with them the message that change doesn't end after an election. The event, co-sponsored by Common Cause and 6 of North Carolina's HBCUs, afforded students an opportunity to meet with their elected officials, hold a press conference, and better understand the process of lobbying for legislative change. Thank you to all students, faculty, and administrators that made this day possible! January 2009
Our site is temporarily under construction. To see the latest updates from the Tar Heel State, please click here! The North Carolina General Assembly returns to work this month, with a long and difficult session looming for 2009. While much of the media attention is focused on North Carolina's budget deficit, Common Cause North Carolina plans to press ahead with our reform agenda. Now, more than ever, we need a government that is open, accountable, and responsive to its citizens! If you are interested in meeting with your elected officials to push for greater reform and democratic accountability in our state government, please contact Josh Glasser, Field Coordinator for Common Cause NC, at 919-836-0027. December 2008
Above: Common Cause NC staff with Plott Hound Award Winner Dwane Powell
Lots of laughts and inspiration were shared at the 2008 Common Cause North Carolina Democracy Awards Luncheon. Click here to view a photo gallery of the event!
This year's honorees were:
-Reps. Paul Stam (R-Wake) and Rick Glazier (D-Cumberland), members of the North Carolina State House, were co-recipients of the Democracy Award, for their work in defending and strengthening our state's lobbying and ethics laws.
-Greensboro Citizens for Clean Elections, a citizens group out of Greensboro, received the Thomas George
-North Carolina A&T State University's student chapter of Common Cause was presented with the Youth Award for their non-partisan voter engagement work during the fall campaign season.
We thank all our honorees for their work in helping improve our democracy! November 2008
The 2008 General Election in North Carolina was marked by more interest, more excitement and ultimately more voter participation. The State Board of Elections reports a whopping 69% turnout, with well over 4 million citizens casting ballots.
Common Cause North Carolina played an important role this election season: helping young people register to vote, promoting early voting, canvassing neighborhoods to provide voter education and informational materials, providing rides to the polls during early voting, and monitoring polls on Election Day, as part of the election protection efforts.
Imagine helping a senior citizen register and vote for the first time in their lives. The teams of canvassers we assembled in Fayetteville, Durham and Greensboro did just that on multiple occasions.
In contrast to 2004, when North Carolina led the nation in lost votes due to machine malfunction, the 2008 election was largely trouble-free, despite the record turnout. CCNC was proud to play a meaningful role in helping citizens to participate fully, as well as doing our part to ensure this election was fairly administered. November 2008
On three Saturdays during the election season (October 18 and 25, November 1), Common Cause organized a massive, student-led voter canvass in 3 North Carolina cities: Greensboro, Durham, and Fayetteville. Our results:
1. Over 100 students from the universities in our HBCU project volunteered to canvass. 2. We reached over 5,000 unregistered and infrequent voters with face-to-face contact, door hangers, and mailed pledge cards. 3. We took dozens of voters to the polls, including many who were unregistered and were able to take advantage of North Carolina's new "one-stop, no-excuses" register-and-vote law. 4. In Durham, we took a 73-year old, first-time voter to the polls. 5. In Greensboro, we provided a ride to a 53-year-old voter who had never even registered to vote before.
Congratulations to all the canvassing teams on a job well done!
October 2008
Common Cause North Carolina student chapters at North Carolina Central University, North Carolina A&T State University, and Fayetteville State University will be leading neighborhood “Get Out The Vote” canvasses in Durham, Fayetteville and Greensboro on the three Saturdays leading up to the November 4th election.
Our October 18 canvass will be in Greensboro.
Our October 25 canvasses will be in Durham and Fayetteville.
Our November 1 canvasses will be in Fayetteville and Greensboro.
The canvasses will target neighborhoods with unusually high numbers of unregistered citizens and infrequent voters. Residents in these areas will be offered information on where and how to register and vote, along with a voter pledge card and a non-partisan voter guide.
Rides to the polls will also be offered.
To help, please contact the Common Cause state office at 919-836-0027.
CC-NC outreach coordinator Stevie Lawrence trains NCA&T students for upcoming canvasses of Greensboro neighborhoods. |
Protect Democracy Agenda Gains Steam - Hope for reform in short session Durham joins call for reform option - 4th NC city to come on board Greenville 3rd city to endorse local reform option - Eastern NC hub joins Raleigh, Wilmington More voices join chorus for local reform - Muncipals seek voter-owned election authority Supreme Court opens floodgates to corporate money in politcs - Decision to expand corporate power in government |
