As you may know, the Short Session ended July 1st, and the NC General Assembly passed a revised state budget. The budget became law on Monday, July 11th and many state employees and public school educators are not too happy about it. The last few months have been bittersweet, however we celebrated with our reproductive justice partners on the Abortion Access and Protection Executive Order by the Governor and the passage of the Proclamation of Affirming Reproductive Freedoms in Asheville, NC. LPNC surely knows how to turn lemons into lemonade 🍋. 

We are less than 30 days out from the return of our National Convening, August 4-6, in Denver, Colorado. I am really excited for us to be together again!

American Rescue Plan Cohort

The NC American Rescue Plan (ARP) Cohort is a group of LPNC members that share best practices amongst the state network and receive reporting assistance from Local Progress staff. We are still accepting members interested in joining our ARP Cohort in partnership with the NC Budget and Tax Center, the NC Black Alliance and Stacey Abram’s Southern Economic Advancement Project (SEAP).

Existing Resources:

• [Memo] Emergency Rental Assistance Memo
• [Webinar Notes] ARP Data Democracy and Evaluation: Using Data for Better Project Outcomes, Civic Power and Government Transparency

What Have We Been Up To

Member Shakeyla Ingram hosted our very first LPNC Film Screening in Fayetteville, NC. We viewed Robeson Rises and the American Black Film Festival winning animated short film MINE.

As the fight continues for Medicaid Expansion we have been active in the NC Medicaid Expansion Coalition. One of our labor partners, UE 150, held a press conference during their Political Action Day and secured the support from a few key legislators.

Member Spotlight

Sally Greene, Orange County Commissioner At-Large
A native of Gilmer, Texas, Sally Greene has called Orange County home for three decades. Prior to her election to the Board of County Commissioners in 2018, during three terms on the Chapel Hill Town Council, she demonstrated policy expertise in housing and community development, homeless support, criminal justice reform, and public and cultural arts. She was instrumental in the creation of the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness. She is a member of the board of directors of the Community Home Trust.

Let’s Grow Together!

Share our network with your colleagues! We are excited to recruit new members across every region of the state.

Have any interesting news you would like to see in the newsletter? Please email dnewsome@localprogress.org.