Taking Stock of Democracy

Legislative News by Nelda Holder –

I suspect that a lot of you are doing the same thing I’m doing these days—wondering what on earth has happened to this country.

It’s been difficult to focus on state politics while watching things held sacred in the capital of the United States being disfigured or destroyed. And that includes the physical side of things as much as the moral fortitude you might have thought was built into this once shining Democracy.

And although this deed was achieved seven long months ago, does anyone else feel the same disorientation when considering that the current president of this country had the entire East Wing of the historic White House torn down on a personal whim? Frankly, I have been speechless ever since over such a blow to the owners of that house (us) and the famous short-term tenants who have made such history there.

Try these names on for size: Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford, Rosalyn Carter, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama.

In particular, I could not understand why President Donald Trump could command such an arrogant, imperial, wasteful, and hurtful action when the White House does not belong to him. I have since seen the light: Whatever Donald wants, Donald gets.

As for objections, the White House issued a statement characterizing such as “manufactured outrage.” Well, my response to that is my outrage has lasted seven months now, and I don’t see the level coming down any. So I decided I’d just mention it here to see if y’all might have the same ongoing hangover.

There’s More on My Mind

It really isn’t a particularly cheery time to write about politics in general. But let’s go ahead now and take a peek at the North Carolina General Assembly. They’ve been particularly busy churning out vetoes in order to overrule the governor.

One of my favorite things about the NC Legislature is, to be honest, the web site that reports all this information: ncleg.gov. I’ve encouraged this before, but I’ll remind you again. This site makes so many things easily accessible if you have the slightest interest in what your legislature is doing. That includes easy access to communication with your representative or her/his office, easy tracking of current bills in progress, a streaming service, lists of committees, and of course the bills and laws are all listed.

And—in preparation for the upcoming celebration of this country’s semi-quincentennial (that equals 250 on July 4—get your dogs ready for extra fireworks), there’s a dedicated site for that.

But back to the General Assembly’s business this season. So far, Gov. Josh Stein has vetoed 15 pieces of legislation with the following results. (Bear in mind, of course, that the title of each bill could fool you.)

• H318: The Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act. Overridden
• S50: Freedom to Carry NC. Overridden by Senate; awaiting action in House
• S153: NC Border Protection. Overridden by Senate; awaiting action in House
• H402: Limit Rules w/Substantial Financial Costs. Overridden
• S254: Charter School Changes. Overridden
• S266: Power Bill Reduction Act. Overridden
• H549: Clarify Powers of State. Overridden
• H805: Prevent Sexual Exploitation/Women and Minors. Overridden
• H171: Equality in State Agencies/Prohibition on DEI. On the House calendar for 4/21
• S227: Eliminating “DEI” in Public Education. Overridden by Senate; placed on House Education calendar for 4/21
• S558: Eliminating “DEI” in Public Higher Ed. On House calendar for 4/21
• S416: Personal Privacy Protection Act. Overridden
• H96: Expedited Removal of Unauthorized Persons. Re-referred to the Committee on Rules, Unauthorized Persons calendar, and Operations of the Senate
• H193: Firearm Law Revisions. Overridden

The governor had his own reasons for vetoing these bills, and his website (governor.nc.gov) offers explanations that are often quite interesting reading.

I admit to being puzzled by what can only be characterized as “attitude” in the wording of some of these bills. You might agree. Take, for example, the title of H805: Prevent Sexual Exploitation/Women and Minors. The introduction to this bill states that it is an act to “officially recognize two sexes in North Carolina, to prevent the sexual exploitation of women and minors….” I strongly suggest you read the entire introduction—indeed, the entire bill—but it was that first sentence that scrambled my brain.

According to this new law, the state is prepared to recognize two sexes, but it seems to be willing to only protect one of them from sexual exploitation unless the party is a minor. That’s for starters. But I suggest you read the full language of this tasteless bill and see if it creates some of the same questions for you as it does for me.

First of all, the bill (via its writers) assumes that all bodies are born in set forms with very specific biological attributes. Here is the precise definition of biological sex in the new law:

The biological indication of male and female in the context of reproductive potential or capacity, such as sex chromosomes, naturally occurring sex hormones, gonads, and nonambiguous internal and external genitalia present at birth, without regard to an individual’s psychological, chosen, or subjective experience of gender.

If you haven’t lived on a farm, maybe you could actually believe that “nonambiguous” is the normal and appropriate term. I, on the other hand, ain’t buying it.

Another piece of this new law that raised both my eyebrows is Article 51A, “Prevent Sexual Exploitation of Women and Minors.”

Read that title again and see what’s missing: “Prevent Sexual Exploitation of Women and Minors.” This section is referring to protectin from “coerced consent” and “Intimate visual depiction” (specifically, engaging in sexual acts, or exposure of specific bodily parts). Missing from the title is the term “Men.” I’m not sure why. What do you think?

But enough raised eyebrow material for now. It is the month of June, and we all know what follows.

The 2026 Fourth of July: AMERICA250

A year or two ago, or three, or more, I wrote about the formation of the America250 organization in preparation for our upcoming 2026 celebration of 250 years as the United States of America.

Well, here is the final result of that organization’s loyalty and planning: America250. This gives you a national overview in case you’re traveling or just curious. For the link to America250’s North Carolina map of activities, go to www.america250.nc.gov/places.

From the Freedom Fest on the Capitol grounds in Raleigh, to the NC Fourth of July Festival in Southport’s Waterfront Park, to the Blue Ridge Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution at the Asheville Tourists Color Guard in HomeTrust Park, celebrations are happening across the state. A panoply of other events in big and little cities and towns will also offer a chance to recognize 250 years of striving to live up to the ideals of a new system of government that, despite its omissions and errors, calls on us to pursue liberty and justice for all.

Let’s do it! (And be kind to your fireworks-averse pooches.)

Nelda Holder is the author of The Thirteenth Juror – Ferguson: A Personal Look at the Grand Jury Transcripts.