More Info on actions below... 
Get busy to re-elect Kay Hagan! On-going Phone Banking and Canvassing in Durham is organized by region Contact the Field Organizer in your area to volunteer: East Durham: LaTwyla Mathias (919) 903-3985, lmathias@forwardnc.com West Durham : Jaakov Schulman (919) 928-3559, jschulman@forwardnc.com Central Durham: William Hopkins (919) 928-3559, whopkins@gmail.com North Durham : Andrea Epstein (919) 590-7106 aepstein@forwardnc.com For general questions and info contact the Regional Field Director for Durham, Erin Morris, at (919) 593-5718, emorris@forwardnc.com The Durham field office is located at 119 Orange Street (a pedestrian avenue off Parrish St., just west of Mangum), third floor. Commit
Want to do something besides being mad?
Many have expressed a desire to do “something” about the NC General Assembly: not all counties are as lucky as Durham with a solid Democratic Delegation. DDW has developed a plan, which has been adopted by Democratic Women of NC. This plan provides a road map to retake the General Assembly by 2020. To do this all Democrats will have to be working together towards the common goal: this will take a lot of work. Help us Turn NC Blue! To sign up, click for commitment form and return to us: email to: turnNCblue@gmail.com or mail to: Durham Democratic Women, P. O. Box 377, Durham, NC 27702 
Our very successful letter writing campaign, Women Vote, is getting a new name! It is now called “Power of the Pen,” and is expanding to include men writing to men as well as women writing to women. This is a county by county Get Out The Vote (GOTV) effort to reach infrequent and new voters who are likely to vote Democratic if they vote.
Studies show that the single biggest reason that people do not vote is that they think that their vote doesn’t matter. Our purpose is to reach out to them through personal letters written by Democratics who are frequent voters. Help Recruit Volunteer Letter Writers! Click to print handouts explaining Power of the Pen and all the info they need to sign up! Click to volunteer! Sign Up here PowerofthePen.net --more coming soon! 
New!!
We've started a blog for Turn NC Blue! And we want to hear from YOU! We know you've had some great experiences already--registering voters, coming to meetings, walking with those door hangers, and letter writing. We are collecting short pieces of a few paragraphs about recent experiences our members have had working with Durham Democratic Women, including letter writing in past years. This is your chance to tell people how important and empowering it is to become involved--especially now. Send submissions to durhamdemwomen@gmail.com or through the contact tab on this site. Go to Turn NC Blue! Blog 
Join the Durham Votes coalition for important community training and registration!
Voter Education and Registration: Please join us to educate people on changes to the voting law and to register voters ! All You Can Vote Events You Can Vote Website 
Want to vote them out? voter education! Which means printing handouts of information. Help us fund this effort Thank You So Much! We are putting it to good use. 
Throughout the summer, County Boards of Elections will be meeting to choose the hours and locations for Early Voting.
Should they open sites on the weekend, in the evening, on a campus, near where you live, etc.? We can win good Early Voting plans - if you agree to attend one of these meetings or make a phone call to a board member. Sign up today to help advocate for strong early voting in your county! A Democracy NC organizer will be in touch with you about next steps. We are gathering information about when county boards are meeting and posting it here: http://ourncelections.tumblr.com. As we learn more, we will send you an email with information about your local situation, including the minimum number of hours that must be offered. 
THERE’S NO TIME TO WAIT!
Kay is not going to stand idly by while Washington obstructionists push North Carolina families to the wayside. But special interest groups are pouring money against her race for reelection — and she needs us to help her fight back. Volunteer or Contribute Here Speak Out!
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Welcome to our new President Cathy Moore!
    
Today @NCCapitol WRAL (7/31):
The deal apparently is a deal ...Here's what's going on at the legislature and around state government today. THE BUDGET: Formal drafts of the state budget bill and accompanying money report were published online Wednesday night. The state Senate is scheduled to vote on the measure today and Friday. The state House is poised to vote on the bill Friday and Saturday. TEACHER PAY: Even before the budget bill came out, a document outlining how the proposed teacher pay raises would work circulated through the legislative building Wednesday. Document outlines teacher pay raises in budget deal Backers of the plan say it represents a big teacher pay raise and restructures the teacher pay system into six broad bands rather than 47 steps. Some teachers and the N.C. Association of Educators were skeptical of the plan, saying it counted what has been "longevity pay" as part of the raise. And some teachers, they said, would have fared better under the old system than the new. read more 
Judge: School vouchers can go out ahead of ruling By MICHAEL BIESECKER, Associated Press WRAL July 30, 2014 A North Carolina judge won't block a state agency from distributing taxpayer money to cover private school tuition in advance of a hearing to determine whether the program championed by Republican lawmakers is legal. Wake County Superior Court Judge Robert Hobgood said Wednesday he won't issue an injunction blocking the State Educational Assistance Authority from paying out $10 million in government-funded scholarships to students who won a lottery for tuition assistance to attend private or religious schools. The state moved the distribution date to Aug. 15, about a month earlier than originally planned. That's four days ahead of an Aug. 19 hearing where Hobgood will hear arguments from lawyers representing a group of taxpayers, teachers and the state's 115 public school boards, who contend the voucher program violates the state constitution. Hobgood issued an order in February that blocked the program from taking effect until two lawsuits over the issue could proceed to trial. The North Carolina Supreme Court then ruled in May to unfreeze the program, which at the time wasn't set to send out money until after the August hearing. read more Go To Our Education Page 
Federal Court: Virginia Marriage Is for All
Jul 29, 2014 By MICHAEL FELBERBAUM Associated Press CBS news An appeals courts' decision to strike down Virginia's same-sex marriage ban adds to the growing list of decrees on a hot-button issue that will likely end up being decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, is the second federal appellate court to overturn gay marriage bans, after the Denver circuit, and is the first to affect the South, a region where the rising tide of rulings favoring marriage equality is testing concepts of states' rights and traditional, conservative moral values that have long held sway... The 2-1 ruling applies throughout the circuit that also includes West Virginia, Maryland, and the Carolinas... North Carolina's top lawman, Roy Cooper, quickly announced that he will stop defending his state's ban... read article Also see WRAL: NC to stop defending marriage amendment 
Election Watch
2014 Go to our Voting Info Page for:
to keep tabs on election happenings Last Day to Register is Oct. 10th 
click above for info on these fair judges
Supreme Court: Justice Robin Hudson, Justice Cheri Beasley, Judge Sam J. Ervin Court of Appeals: Judge Mark Davis, Judge Lucy Inman 
Move to Center Divides G.O.P. in North Carolina
By RICHARD FAUSSET JULY 25, 2014 New York Times The objective of the Republican Party here last year was clear: Unleash the pent-up conservative revolution in a state where the party had not controlled the state legislature and governor’s office for more than a century... But this summer is a different story. One of the leaders of the revolution, Speaker Thom Tillis of the House, is trying to win a United States Senate seat. Another, Gov. Pat McCrory, is eyeing a tough challenge in 2016, and the legislature is unpopular. That dynamic helps explain why the Republicans this week found themselves stuck in the sweltering capital, locked in an intraparty budget battle over teacher salaries, at loggerheads over how best to manage the state Medicaid system and riven by emerging personal, political and ideological agendas... “They’re trying to do something about it,” said Senator Josh Stein, a Democrat. “But they’ve painted themselves into a corner.” read article 
The value of young voters Letter by Montravias King and Lee Storrow July 25, 2014 North Carolina’s cities and towns benefit when young people are engaged in civic life, and we respectfully disagree with Jay DeLancy’s July 20 Point of View piece “ How young voters can be a destabilizing force in college towns.” ...There is longstanding Supreme Court precedent that college students have a right to vote in the towns where they are attending school. In 1979, the court ruled in Symm v. United States (with only one justice dissenting) that discrimination against college students seeking to vote at their college addresses is a violation of the 26th Amendment... Even if this legal precedent didn’t exist, young people and college students provide value to college towns... College towns witness tensions between students and community members in neighborhoods near campus... Student input is key to tackling challenges in our communities, and as young council members we’ve been able to be a bridge between students and other residents... read letter Go to our Voter Protection Page 
If Judges Campaign Like Ordinary Politicians, Can We Have Impartial Courts? By DOROTHY J. SAMUELS JULY 23, 2014 New York Times ...Another election season, another round of expensive state judicial elections destined to undermine the core American principle of fair and impartial courts. Things got started in earnest at the beginning of May with North Carolina’s judicial primary. Attack ads underwritten largely by out-of-state Republican interest groups charged that a sitting state Supreme Court justice, Robin Hudson, coddled child molesters and “sided with predators” in a dissent while on the bench. Somehow she prevailed despite the negative publicity. ...no one should feel good about judges having to grovel for money and campaign like ordinary politicians... For judges to campaign based on their decisions in criminal cases is a dicey business even when provoked. Still, those who care about judicial independence and integrity should be rooting for the three well-qualified judges. Their ouster would only accelerate the politicization of state justice and send an intimidating message to elected judges nationwide, who may hesitate to render correct but controversial rulings, especially near an election. read column 
Kay Hagan boasts 7-point lead in latest Senate poll John Frank July 22, 2014 N&O Democrat Kay Hagan continues to hold a solid lead against her Republican challenger in the U.S. Senate race, another possible sign the of how the legislative session is dragging on the Thom Tillis campaign. A Public Policy Polling survey released Tuesday gives Hagan a 7 point lead against Tillis, which is a slight increase from June and represents second straight month with a solid advantage in a race many expect to be close. Hagan gets 41 percent, Tillis 34 percent and Libertarian candidate Sean Haugh 8 percent, the Democratic firm found. Another 16 percent are undecided in a survey with a margin or error of plus-or-minus 3 percent. Two polls in June – one from PPP and another from a conservative group – gave Hagan a lead outside the margins. PPP pollster Tom Jensen suggested voters discontent with the legislature may be hurting Tillis as a prolonged session keeps him from a full-time campaign message and fundraising. But it could turn. “Kay Hagan’s lead just continues to rise as the legislature spends longer and longer and longer in session,” added Dean Debnam, the polling company’s president... read 
Hagan, Tillis agree to two debate dates
July 20, 2014 WRAL U.S. Senator Kay Hagan, D-N.C., and Speaker of the House Thom Tillis, R-Mecklenburg, who is challenging Hagan for her Senate seat, have agreed to dates for two debates sponsored by the N.C. Association of Broadcasters. The debates will take place on Sept. 3 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. WRAL-TV and WRAL.com will carry both debates live. Tillis has said he would like to debate Hagan up to 10 times, but Hagan said she would only agree to three debates. Both campaigns have also agreed to a debate co-hosted by the N.C. League of Women Voters and WECT-TV (Wilmington). That date has not been set. read article 
How to mobilize reluctant voters
By Melissa Michelson July 15 Washington Post ...Personal contacting works to persuade people to vote regularly even though the interactions do not increase voters’ resources and have little or no impact on their underlying attitudes about public issues. It is the social interaction itself that seems to matter. These interactions appear to change reluctant citizens’ entrenched understandings of themselves as disengaged from the polity. For most Americans – and especially for low-income citizens of color – it is very rare to be contacted for the sole purpose of being urged to vote. When such an unexpected interaction occurs, it can be very meaningful. Personal contact to encourage voting can be enough to cause many low-income minority people to see themselves anew, as the sorts of people who regularly go to the polls on Election Day. In turn, voting even once can become habit forming, reinforcing self-identification as “a voter” long after the initial conversation with a canvasser. What is more, voter contacts have strong spillover effects within households, boosting participation by others as much as 60 percent. read article from the book Mobilizing Inclusion North Carolina
Go To Our
Turn NC Blue! Page As we continue our work to turn NC blue, keep an eye on what's happening during this year's General Assembly "short session" below, and by going to our "North Carolina" page. Also see NAACP/Moral Mondays Page 
Remember In November!
A stark reminder of misplaced priorities
7/24/2014 by Chris Fitzsimon NC Policy Watch ...a new national report provided a stark reminder of just how out of touch the negotiators in the corner rooms of the Legislative Building are with many of the people they represent. The 2014 Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation released this week ranks North Carolina 34th in the overall well-being of its children and 38th in their economic well-being, with 26 percent of kids living in poverty in the state in 2012. It’s a startling number— more than one in four children in North Carolina live in families who can’t make ends meet—and it should have shaken the walls of the General Assembly, but it didn’t even prompt a comment from the folks running the House and Senate... news that 26 percent of children are living in poverty several years into the alleged economic recovery in North Carolina and well into what Governor McCrory calls the “Carolina Comeback” should have caused at least a reassessment of the priorities at the General Assembly, but nobody blinked an eye. Instead, the question now is how much the final budget will slash from education funding to give teachers a raise, how many vulnerable seniors will lose Medicaid coverage, and how long the waiting list will be for pre-kindergarten programs and day care subsidies. And the folks currently running things in Raleigh are not only standing still while children and families suffer, they are making things worse... It’s too bad that no one publishes a comparison of how legislative leaders treat the low-income children in their state. That would be a ranking that the folks currently in charge in Raleigh would probably not circulate too widely, but it would speak volumes. read article Go to our North Carolina Page  click above to enlarge
“Fracking” Map in NC
Where Could Hydraulic Fracturing (“Fracking”) Occur in North Carolina? The map above shows the potential affected areas and include Sanford, Lee, and Chatham counties in North Carolina. read more 
NC Conservation Network The state legislature passed the fast-track fracking bill (SB786). The bill will likely be signed by the Governor soon. We need your help to tell Speaker Tillis how disappointed you are that they broke the legislature's promise. 
"You are not alone" BY CAP ACTION WAR ROOM JUNE 24, 2014 The Quotes That Capture The White House Summit On Working Families... The President, Vice President, First Lady, and Dr. Biden all came together to participate in the White House Summit on Working Families, the first public event they have all taken part in since the second Inauguration. The Summit, co-sponsored by the Center for American Progress and the Department of Labor, was focused on elevating the ongoing national conversation about making workplaces work for everyone and ensuring that women have a fair shot to help their families succeed. Here are some of the quotes that capture the ideas, discussion, and takeaways from the summit: read 
Bill Moyers:
Is the Supreme Court Out of Order? July 11, 2014 The latest session of the US Supreme Court was especially contentious, with important decisions on the separation of church and state, organized labor, campaign finance reform, birth control and women’s health, among others, splitting the court along its 5-4 conservative-liberal divide... in some instances, conservative justices went along but expressed their wish that the court had gone even further to the right, and many believe that some of the decisions might simply be a preliminary step toward a more significant breaking of legal precedent in years to come. This week Bill speaks with Linda Greenhouse, a New York Times columnist and Dahlia Lithwick, a senior editor at Slate, about the latest rulings from the Supreme Court, a beat they’ve both covered for years. “You can’t look at the Roberts court and say that they’ve done anything other than systematically unravel voting rights, women’s rights, workers’ rights [and] environmental progress,” Lithwick tells Moyers. Greenhouse adds: “I think it’s hard for anybody looking at this court objectively to come away not thinking that it’s a court in pursuit of an agenda.” read/watch video  93-year-old Rosanell Eaton heading into federal court
North Carolina Will Determine the Future of the Voting Rights Act Ari Berman on July 10, 2014 ... [Rosanell] Eaton testified in federal court in Winston-Salem this week against North Carolina’s voting law, as part of a challenge brought by the Justice Department and civil rights groups to enjoin key provisions before the 2014 election under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. “Voting should be free and accessible to everyone,” she told Judge Thomas Schroeder of the Middle District Court of North Carolina... Eleven witnesses—a mixture of civil rights activists, legislators and election experts—testified against the law, known as House Bill 589, over the course of four days... Here are my ten takeaways from the hearing This is just the beginning of the legal battle. ... “I’m not here to decide the ultimate merits of the case,” [Judge] Schroeder said. “The question is the urgency of the injunction…. What is the irreparable harm before November?” It’s very possible the plaintiffs could lose the preliminary injunction hearing and win the trial in July 2015, when they’ll have more time, more expertise and more evidence, like voter ID, to draw on... He asked the plaintiffs a lot of questions about the standard he should use to examine the evidence and the harms to prospective voters in 2014...He’s expected to issue a ruling sometime in the next month. read article Go to our Voter Protection Page 
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Join Us!
Last Day to Register is October 10
Fill-in Voter Registration Form fill in online, print, sign, and return to BOE Links:
Durham County Board of Elections Democratic Women of NC Durham Co. Democratic Party NC Democratic Party Durham People's Alliance NAACP of NC NC State Board of Elections BarackObama.com 
NORTH CAROLINA VOTER GUIDELINES--Good website to quickly check all the dates and facts about voting now in NC
Upcoming
Events 
“Moral Movies” coming to a screen near you Hosted by the Durham People’s Alliance Inequality For All: Thursday July 31st, 6:30pm Durham County Public Library Auditorium, 300 N Roxboro St. Durham, NC 27701 
ERA:
Alive and Kicking! Saturday, August 2, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. NC Advocates for Justice Center, 1312 Annapolis Drive, Raleigh. Sponsored by RATIFY ERA-NC. Speakers: Former Senator Ellie Kinnaird and 12-year-old activist Madison Kimrey, plus more.free admission, lunch $5. info 
Democratic Women of North Carolina 54th Annual Convention Info Here September 19-21, 2014 New Bern Riverfront Convention Center DemocraticWomenofNC.org DemocraticWomenofNC @gmail.com 
Join or renew your membership to Durham Democratic Women!
Membership covers a full calendar year (January-December) payable in January or at the time you join. Dues are $20, and all of that money goes toward our local and statewide Democratic Women campaigns and events.  click above to enlarge
PRINT SHOP
Handouts to view or print:  click above to enlarge
click above to print cards (4 per sheet) of Important Election Dates for 2014 and Things We Can Do Now (on back).
Other useful printouts:
New Rules For Voting 2014 Wallet Card Monster Law: More Money, Less Voting (provisions of the new voting law) Guide for Getting an ID to Vote 
Democratic Women and a Senator at
the Watts-Hillandale 4th of July Parade! 
Great visit on June 26th from Senator Kay Hagan at Intrepid Life Cafe in Durham. The Senator spoke to Durham women about issues of concern to us, and the importance of getting out the vote in November!
See Photo Gallery Thanks to Sondra Stein and Hagan staff for organizing the event, and special thanks to Matt and Intrepid Life Coffee and Spirits for having us. 
See Photo Gallery
Engaging meeting on June 1 Going for the Win in November! Thank you so much to our special guest speaker Elaine Marshall. She gave a fantastic talk about the realities and possibilities going into this election season. Steve Gheen gave us the hard facts and focus to encourage our work now. Cathy Moore outlined the very effective Power of the Pen letter-writing campaign, launching July 1, the Ask Me campaign, and other actions. Many members offered valuable input from the floor. Thanks to all who came out-- together, we do make a difference! See full gallery of DDW pics here! 
Links -- Groups
Democracy North Carolina NC Policy Watch Protect Our Vote NC Lillian's List of NC NARAL Pro-Choice NC Planned Parenthood Planned Parenthood NC Roe Is Here For Good Orange Co. Democratic Women NAMI (Mental Health) NAMI Durham EqualRightsAmendment.org MomsDemandAction (guns) Food & Water Watch Links
News and Blogs WRAL 2013 N.C. General Assembly Issue Tracker N&O Under The Dome Indy Week Nation of Change Daily Kos Media Matters THIS AND THAT
 click to enlarge... great shot.
Video Selects from North Carolina
About the Project… Story of America is a web series and feature documentary that explores the polarization that exists in America today along political, economic and cultural lines. Makers: Women who Make America
See Trailer The story of the women's movement told through the eyes of the women who were there. A must-see! Watch it online at makers.com 
Robert Reich Explains America's Koch Problem
By Nick Berning. June 26 2014 The Koch brothers are using their tremendous wealth in an anti-democratic bid to impose their views on the rest of us. Robert Reich explains: watch video 
Video: Raise the Minimum Wage to $15 Per Hour Robert Reich Uploaded on Apr 4, 2014 Robert Reich shows why at $15 minimum wage would help lift millions of people out of poverty and help grow the economy. Call your Senator today at (202) 224-3121 and urge them to support raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour. watch video Go to our Economy Page  click to play video
just some inspiration...
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Democratic Women of Durham County (DWDC), PO Box 377, Durham, NC 27702 durhamdemwomen@gmail.com webmaster
