TCB Jan. 11, 2024 by Triad City Beat

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER JAN. 11 - 24, 2024

What our local reps accomplished this session

BY BRIAN CLAREY AND SAYAKA MATSUOKA | PG. 5

STEAMROLLED The 2023 Legislative Issue

AN UNLIKELY FANDOM PG. 11

STRESSIN’ PG. 4

ELECTIONS VS. LEGISLATION PG. 10

UP FRONT | JANUARY 11 - 24, 2024

CITY LIFE THURSDAY

JAN. 11 - 16 as “one magnificent tapestry of roots music.” Head to Scuppernong for a performance by Cutler and readings of passages from O’Connor’s stories by Greensboro songwriter Abigail Dowd and UNCG professor and poet Terry Kennedy. Learn more at scuppernongbooks.com.

MLK Celebration Weekend @ Various Locations (HP) 7 p.m.

Beach Glass Wind Chimes @ Radar Brewing Co. (W-S) 6 p.m. Resin Flow Art is hosting a workshop to create your own beach-glass wind chime topped with real starfish. Reserve your space at resinflowart.com.

Acoustic Artist Thursdays @ Bitters Social House (GSO) 7 p.m. Stop by Bitters every second Thursday for live, acoustic music by local artists. On this day, enjoy guitar and vocals by Kris Ferris and seasonal cocktail specials. Visit Bitters’ Facebook page for updates.

Celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with the city of High Point at several events. Enjoy a blackand-white ball, parade and inauguration celebration, prayer service and MLK breakfast and service. Visit highpointnc.gov for more information about the events.

Bocanegra with Solemn Shapes, IIOIOIOII & DJ Radio Priest @ Monstercade (W-S) 8 p.m.

Monstercade is hosting a rocking evening of live music by Bocanegra, Solemn Shapes, IIOIOIOII and DJ Radio Priest. Visit the event page on Facebook to learn more about each performer.

Scan the QR code to find more events at triad-citybeat.com/local-events Purchase tickets at fullthrottlemagazine.com/custombike-show.

SonCaribe Latin Dancing Nights @ Art for Art’s Sake (W-S) 7 p.m.

Stop by Art for Art’s Sake every second Saturday for a salsa lesson followed by social dancing in a variety of styles including merengue, cumbia and bachata. Visit the event page on Facebook for more information.

Bordeaux Wine Tasting @ The Brewer’s Kettle (HP) 7 p.m.

The Brewer’s Kettle invites you to explore the world of Bordeaux wines during this exclusive tasting. Enjoy mineral and fruit notes in red and white wines that lead into “prickly, savory, mouth-drying tannins.” Purchase tickets at the-brewers-kettle.mybigcommerce.com.

SUNDAY

SATURDAY

FRIDAY All Pets Considered @ Brown Truck Brewery (HP) 2 p.m.

Talking about Tarwater: Discussion, Reading and Performance @ Scuppernong Books (GSO) 6 p.m. Colin Cutler’s folk Americana album of songs based on short stories by Flannery O’Connor has been described

Full Throttle Magazine Custom Bike Show @ Greensboro Coliseum (GSO) 10 a.m. Full Throttle Magazine is hosting a custom bike show for biking aficionados. Listen to the roaring engines of chopper, softail and sidecar motorcycles, live music from Mojo Stomp & Them and compete for cash prizes.

THE TRIAD’S LOCAL EVENT TICKETING PLATFORM 2

All Pets Considered will be at Brown Truck Brewery with free swag, samples and toys and treats for sale for your furry bestie. Visit the event page on Facebook for more information.

TUESDAY Greensboro Youth Chorus Spring

TCBTix is the local ticketing platform created exclusively for Triad-area community events. It’s free, easy to use, and fully customizable with all-access ticketing features to meet your event’s unique needs. For more information, scan the QR code or email chris@triad-city-beat.com.

Registration/Rehearsal @ Greensboro Cultural Center (GSO) Times Vary by Group

JAN. 17 - 19

THURSDAY

The Greensboro Youth Chorus is excited to announce spring registration is open through Jan. 23. This open rehearsal is for young community singers to learn more about the organization. Music Explorers rehearse from 4:15-5 p.m., Apprentice Choir from 5:15-6:15 p.m. and Concert Choir from 5:30-6:45 p.m. Find more information and register at choralartscollective.com/greensboroyouth-chorus-home.

strange and disorienting settings led by SECCA executive director Bill Carpenter. The first installment will discuss Whalefall by Daniel Kraus in which “a grieving son is swallowed by a sixty-ton sperm whale and must escape before his oxygen runs out.” Registration at secca.org is encouraged.

FRIDAY

UP FRONT | JANUARY 11 - 24, 2024

CITY LIFE

Scan the QR code to find more events at triad-citybeat.com/local-events

Collaboration, Connections & Coffee with High Point Women’s Organizations WEDNESDAY @ Carolina Core Wellness (HP) 8:30 TCB Talks: Navigating the First a.m. Drop in between 8:30 and 10 a.m. for coffee and building Amendment @ The Nussbaum Center connections with Women in Motion, YWCA of High Point, The Snowy Day: A Sensory Friendly for Entrepreneurship (GSO) 6 p.m. Junior League of High Point, Sister Circle, and Brown Girl Show @ High Point Arts Council (HP) 10 Join Triad City Beat for the first learning session of 2024, Collective. Free, but visit the event page on Facebook to a.m. Navigating the First Amendment with Constitutional RSVP.

lawyer Kevin Goldberg of the Freedom Forum. This discussion surrounds the Founding Fathers belief in the five freedoms of the First Amendment and how the First Amendment applies to hot button news topics today. Visit the event page on Facebook for more information.

Strange Locales: Whalefall @ SECCA (W-S) 6 p.m. Strange Locales is a book discussion series surrounding

Children’s book A Snowy Day is brought to life in this sensory-friendly show perfect for kids up to age 10 who need to move their bodies, make noise and whatever else their hearts desire. Purchase tickets and see other showtimes at https://highpointarts.org/event/thesnowy-day-a-sensory-friendly-show/.

“

I had the perfect canvas. I am an adult Thomas the Tank Engine fan. I know other adult Thomas the Tank Engine fans. What if I told our story without making us a joke or feeling too praise-y? — Brannon Carty, pg. 11

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

“

UP FRONT | JANUARY 11 - 24, 2024

OPINION

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

I’m hella stressed

ately, I ’ v e b e e n waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom (a side effect of having an by Sayaka Matsuoka emotional-support water bottle) and then staying up for an hour or two scrolling on my phone, contemplating the next year of my life. Really, a lot of that time in the wee hours of the morning goes by as I think about all of the stories that need to be told. Being a part of such a small newsroom means that everyone who works for Triad City Beat wears too many hats. And our heads really aren’t big enough to support them. Despite this being her first job out of school, Gale Melcher — our CityBeat reporter — has really hit the ground running, taking to the position like her life depends on it. She drives from Winston-Salem to Greensboro and back and forth all the time, putting hundreds of miles on her car so she can attend most city council meetings. I bet she even has a favorite chair in the chamber. And Brian, our publisher and founder, is constantly running around, scheduling meetings, talking up TCB and our mission to funders and anything else that needs to get done on the business side so we can keep the lights on.

As for me, I’m up at night thinking about stories for the next week, month, year. This year is an election year and a presidential one at that. And this is the most understaffed we’ve ever been. So yeah, I’m hella stressed. I’ve been feeling jittery since the new year started. Like I have slight heart palpitations that come and go. I swing back and forth between emboldened hopefulness and deep despair and nihilism. I try to lose myself in binge-watching TV, playing video games or hitting the tennis court. And when I’m not doing those things, I’m thinking about this paper. Because even if I can’t recall the exact moment, this paper has seared its mark into me like a tattoo that I don’t remember getting. The ink is darker now, the wound fully healed and it’s just become a part of my skin, a part of my body. And it will forever be thus. So, I keep going. I keep reporting. I keep writing. Because so long as there needs stories to be told, we have a mission to accomplish. So I mark things off of my list, little by little. And that’s what gets me through every night.

I’ve been feeling jittery since the new year started.

1451 S. Elm-Eugene St. Box 24, Greensboro, NC 27406 Office: 336.681.0704 BUSINESS PUBLISHER/EXECUTIVE EDITOR

KEY ACCOUNTS

SALES

Brian Clarey

Chris Rudd

PUBLISHER EMERITUS

AD MANAGER

allen@triad-city-beat.com

heather@triad-city-beat.com

OF COUNSEL

TCBTIX

brian@triad-city-beat.com

Allen Broach

Jonathan Jones

EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR

Sayaka Matsuoka

sayaka@triad-city-beat.com

CITYBEAT REPORTER Gale Melcher

gale@triad-city-beat.com

WEBMASTER Sam LeBlanc

chris@triad-city-beat.com

Heather Schutz

ART DIRECTOR

ART

Aiden Siobhan

aiden@triad-city-beat.com

Nathaniel Thomas

nathaniel@triad-city-beat.com

CONTRIBUTORS Carolyn de Berry, John Cole, Owens Daniels, James Douglas, Michelle Everette, Luis H. Garay, Destiniee Jaram, Kaitlynn Havens, Jordan Howse, Matt Jones, Autumn Karen, Michaela Ratliff, Jen Sorensen, Todd Turner

TCB IN A FLASH @ triad-city-beat.com

COVER:

To suggest story ideas or send tips to TCB, email sayaka@triad-city-beat.com

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Design by Aiden Siobhan

Receive weekly updates on breaking News stories with Monday Mix, stay in the loop with our curated events calendar The Weekender, and view our headlining stories with TCB This Week.

NEWS | JANUARY 11 - 24, 2024

NEWS

ILLUSTRATION BY AIDEN SIOBHAN

The 2023 Legislative Session

The good, the bad and the bizarre bills that were introduced in 2023 by Brian Clarey and Sayaka Matsuoka

t was quite a year on Jones Street, where drama colored the actions of the North Carolina Legislature, even more so than the laws they passed. Medicaid expansion came, finally, at a steep price that included budget amendments that brought a voucher program that threatens the funding of our public schools, an exemption for legislators from public-records laws and jacked-up Congressional districts. The year also saw Rep. Tricia Cotham (R-Mecklenberg) switch parties to give the Republicans a veto-proof supermajority, which they employed with abandon. In the Triad, Guilford and Forsyth reps played their part, sponsoring hundreds of bills, some of which actually got through. For this issue, we combed through the pieces of legislation they backed to bring you the “greatest hits” of the 2023 legislative year, some less great than others. Find out what they did for us this term and how effective they were, and remember to vote in the March primary and November general election!

FORSYTH HOUSE Rep. Kanika Brown (D) District 71

•

• Terms: 1 • About the district: District 71 carves out the center bottom of the county, picking up parts of Jonestown to the west and Hootstown and Swaimtown in the south. Southeastern and southern Winston-Salem are also represented. Committee chairs: None

• Primary sponsor: 7 (0 signed into law), 1 resolution (1 adopted) Highlights: • HB 416 — Environmental Justice Considerations (with Harrison): Requires the consideration of the impact of proposed environmental permitting decisions on minority or low-income communities and requires public participation for impacted communities. • Status: Died in committee • HB 589 — Protect Whistleblower LEOs from Retaliation (with Zenger, Hardister): Protects law enforcement officers who report improper or unlawful activity — including the unauthorized use of excessive force — from retaliation. • Status: Died on committee • HB 731 — Police Reform for 2023 (with Brockman): Limits no-knock warrants, the use of chokeholds by officers and strengthens the training and education of law enforcement. • Status: Died in committee

Rep. Amber Baker (D) District 72 • Terms: 2 • About the district: The district covers the central portion of Forsyth County, including Oak Crest and much of WinstonSalem. • Committee chairs: None • Primary sponsor: 13 (0 signed into law) 1 resolution (1 adopted) 5

NEWS | JANUARY 11 - 24, 2024

Highlights: • HB 260 — Diversity in Pickleball Pilot Program: Provides $10,112 to a pilot program in Wake County to diversify pickleball in the area. • Status: Died in committee • HB 143 — North Carolina Crown Act: This is the latest version of the bill that would make it illegal to “refuse employment to any person or discharge any person from employment because of traits historically associated with race or on account of the person’s hair texture or protective hairstyles.” • Status: Died in committee • HB 789 — Eviction Record Expunction Act: Would seal certain eviction records from public records and make denying rental applications based on certain sealed records illegal under the Fair Housing Act. • Status: Died in committee

Rep. Jeff Zenger (R) District 74 • Terms: 2 • About the district: District 74 covers almost the entire western portion of Forsyth County including most of Lewisville and Clemmons. • Committee chairs: Finance (vice chair), Regulatory Reform (chair) • Primary sponsor: 29 (2 signed into law)

Highlights: • HB 185 — Clarifying Sex Ed Time Frame: This act clarifies that reproductive health and safety education starts in seventh grade and not before. • Status: Died in committee. • HB 442 — UI Drug Testing Requirements/Funds: This act disqualifies employees from receiving unemployment insurance benefits if they fail a drug test. • Status: Died in committee. • HB 673 — Clarify Regulations on Adult Entertainment (with Lambeth): In an effort to target drag performers, this act clarifies adult live entertainment to mean “a performance featuring topless dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, or male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest, regardless of whether or not performed for consideration.” • Status: Died in committee • HB 816 — Poll Observers: This act authorizes certified poll observers to observe opening procedures at early one-stop voting sites and on Election Day. This bill failed, but a different election law — SB 747 — enabling the same thing passed and goes into effect this year. • Status: Died in committee.

Rep. Donny Lambeth (R) District 75

• Terms: 6 • About the district: Covers most of the eastern portion of Forsyth County including the eastern half of Winston-Salem and western portion of Kernersville. • Committee chairs: Appropriations (senior chair), Appropriations, Health and Human Services (vice chair), Health (chair) • Primary sponsor: 43 (6 signed into law) Highlights: • HB 35 — Expand Definition of Opioid Antagonist: This bipartisan bill expands definition of opioid antagonist to include all opioid antagonists approved by the FDA for the treatment of a drug overdose and allows the use of all FDA antagonists in needle and hypodermic syringe exchange programs. • Status: Died in committee • HB 76 — Access to Healthcare Options: This bill expands Medicaid. • Status: Signed into law March 27 • HB 98 — Medical Freedom Act: A leftover bill from the height of the pandemic, this piece of legislation would prohibit state agencies, local governments and other political entities from discrimination against people who refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccination or who refuse to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination unless the

vaccine is required by the federal government or state agencies. • Status: Died in committee • HB 140 — Civilian Traffic Investigators (with Faircloth, Hardister): This bipartisan bill allows cities to employ and allow civilian personnel to investigate traffic crashes. • Status: Signed into law June 23 • HB 334 — Establish At-Large Seat/W-S City Council: This act increases the size of Winston-Salem’s city council to include an at-large seat, bringing the total number of members up from 8 to 9. • Status: Died in committee • HB 433 — Hand Hygiene Pilot Program: This act appropriates $2 million to establish a two-year pilot program that would evaluate the effectiveness of increasing hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers before and after patient contact. • Status: Died in committee.

Rep. Kyle Hall (R) District 91

• Terms: 4.5 • About the district: The district covers all of Stokes County and the upper third of Forsyth County. • Committee chairs: Appropriations (chair), Appropriations, Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources (vice chair), Appropriations, Information Technology (vice chair), Energy and Public Utilities (chair) • Primary sponsor: 26 (2 signed into law)

Highlights: • HB 422 — Prohibition of Unfair Real Estate Service Agreements: This bipartisan state House bill aims to prohibit the use of predatory real estate service agreements. • Status: Signed into law Aug. 24 • HB 456 — Repeal Vehicle Emissions Inspection Rqmt’s: Removes all counties except Mecklenburg County from motor vehicle emissions testing requirements. • Status: Died in committee • HB 551 — Landlord-Tenant and HOA Changes: Would make it so that landlords can refuse to rent to tenants whose income comes from federal housing assistance programs, regulate support animals in residences, expand litigation costs in eviction proceedings, and adjust HOA rules for homeowners. • Status: Died in committee • HB 644 — Social Media Algorithmic Control in IT Act: A bipartisan act “to combat social media addiction by requiring that social media platforms respect the privacy of North Carolina users’ data and not use a North Carolina minor’s data for advertising or algorithmic recommendations and to make willful violations of data user privacy” illegal. • Status: Died in committee

FORSYTH SENATE Sen. Joyce Krawiec (R) District 31 • Terms: 5 (+1 in House) — Sen. Krawiec announced her retirement in December 2023 and will not be running for reelection this year. • About the district: The district contains Forsyth’s rural tracts outside Winston-Salem, the eastern part of the city and the entirety of Davie County. • Committee chairs: Appropriations on Health and Human Services (chair), Health Care (chair), Pensions and Retirement and Aging (chair) • Primary sponsor: 60 (7 signed into law) Highlights: • SB 45 — CADC Supervision Requirements: Increases certification and training requirements for certified alcohol and drug counselors and certified criminal justice addictions professionals. • Status: Signed into law July 7 • SB 722 — Child Care Flexibilities: “[T]he Department of Health and Human

Sen. Paul Lowe (D) District 32 • Terms: 4 • About the district: District 32 contains the southwest corner of Forsyth County including Lewisville, Clemmons and the western half of Winston-Salem. • Committee chairs: None • Primary sponsor: 22 (0 signed into law) Highlights: • SB 3 — NC Compassionate Care Act: A strict cannabis bill allowing for medical marijuana in NC. • Status: Passed the Senate, died in House committee • SB 77 — Cities/Civilian Traffic Investigators: An act to create a civilian corps of traffic investigators to investigate incidents with property damage, alleviating police from the duty. • Status: Dies in committee • SB 104 — Booking Photograph Privacy Act: Prohibits the release of mugshots to the public and media. • Status: Died in committee • SB 532 — Restore State Emp/Teacher Retiree Med Benefit: An act to prevent the elimination of retiree medical benefits for members first earning service under the teachers’ and state employees’ retirement system, the consolidated judicial retirement system, the legislative retirement system or the optional retirement programs.” • Status: Died in committee

GUILFORD HOUSE Rep. Ashton Clemmons (D) District 57 • Terms: 3 • About the district: District 57 cuts a large portion out of Guilford County’s northwestern area covering most of Summerfield and parts of Oak Ridge and Stokesdale. • Committee chairs: None • Primary sponsor: 41 (2 signed into law) Highlights:

• HB 321 — Reduce Maternal Morbidity/Mortality/Medicaid: This act would reduce maternal morbidity and mortality by increasing Medicaid rates for obstetric care providers. • Status: Died in committee. • HB 355 — Ensure Same-Sex Domestic Violence Prot. Order: This act ensures domestic violence protective orders for same-sex couples. • Status: Died in committee. • HB 362 — Fix Our Democracy: This omnibus bill ensures strong voting protections by establishing a nonpartisan redistricting process, a nonpartisan method for judicial elections, extends the waiting period for former legislators who become lobbyists, provides online voter registration, automatic voter registration, prohibits voter roll purging and makes changes to campaign finance laws for increased transparency among other changes. • Status: Died in committee. • HB 494 — Strong Minds Pilot Program: This act would use $280,000 in government funds to • establish a pilot program that supports the mental health of caregivers of children birth through 5 years of age in Wake and Richmond counties. • Status: Died in committee. • HB 562 — Addressing the Workforce Housing Crisis (with Zenger): This act addresses critical housing shortages for firefighters, law enforcement officers, teachers, nurses and other vital workers as well as first-time homebuyers by creating housing developments. • Status: Died in committee. • HB 729 — Add Segregation Score to School Report Cards (with Brockman): This act incorporates measures of racial and ethnic proportionality scores as well as measures of equality of access to school report cards. • Status: Died in committee.

NEWS | JANUARY 11 - 24, 2024

Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education… shall develop and implement criteria that incorporates the child development associate credential for birth through 3 years of age and the CDA credential for 3 to 5 years of age to count toward satisfying the requirements for the star rating system for child care.” • Status: Signed into law July 10 • SB — The SAVE Act: “An act to deliver safe, accessible, value-directed, and excellent (save) health care throughout North Carolina by modernizing nursing regulations.” • Status: Died in committee • SB 321 — Medical Debt De-Weaponization Act: “An act to adopt the pro-family, pro-consumer medical debt protection act to limit the ability of large medical facilities to charge unreasonable interest rates and employ unfair tactics in debt collection and to limit the ability of non-hospital health care facilities to charge facility fees.” • Status: Died in committee • SB 631 — Minor Gender Trans. Proc./Public Providers: From the bill: “It shall be unlawful for a public healthcare facility, or a health care provider employed by or under contract with a public healthcare facility, to perform a surgical gender transition procedure on a minor or to provide or dispense puberty-blocking drugs or cross-sex hormones to a minor.” • Status: Passed the House, died in Senate committee. • SB 535 — Pension Forfeiture Due to Criminal Acts: “An act to cause the forfeiture of benefits under the teachers’ and state employees’ retirement system, the local government employees’ retirement system, the consolidated judicial retirement system, and the legislative retirement system for committing certain criminal offenses while in office….” • Status: Died in committee

Rep. Amos Quick (D) District 58 • Terms: 4 • About the district: District 58 covers the southern portion of Guilford County, including the southern parts of Greensboro, down Randleman Rd. • Committee chairs: None • Primary sponsor: 13 (0 signed into law) Highlights: • HB 156 — Funds for Establishing Safe Cultures (with Clemmons, Hardister, Harrison): This act creates a community-based program that provides young people with constructive actions to lessen gun violence rather than lecture them on their negative behaviors • Status: Died in committee • HB 584 — Mobile Home Park Act (with Harrison): This act provides protections for mobile homeowners and mobile home park management • Status: Died in committee • HB 686 — Civil Rights Education (with Hardister): This act ensures that a comprehensive civil rights education — including “the philosophy that hatred on the basis of immutable characteristics leads to profound injustice” — will be provided to every student in the state. • Status: Died in committee. • HB 843 — Community Violence Intervention Funding: This act would award grants to local governments, law enforcement agencies and nonprofit organizations for the development of community violence intervention programs. • Status: Died in committee. • HB 857 — Cities/Chronic Violators of Ordinances (with Clemmons, Faircloth, Hardister): This act ensures that cities notify chronic violators of public nuisance and overgrown vegetation ordinances on a rolling twelve-month basis instead of in a calendar year. • Status: Died in committee.

NEWS | JANUARY 11 - 24, 2024

Rep. Jon Hardister (R) District 59 • Terms: 6 — Rep. Hardister will run for labor commissioner in 2024 and is not seeking re-election to the House. • About the district: District 59 covers all of the eastern half of Guilford County including much of Greensboro and into Gibsonville. • Committee chairs: Appropriations (vice chair), Appropriations, Education (chair), Education - Universities (chair), UNC Board of Governors Nominations (vice chair) • Primary sponsor: 59 (6 signed into law) Highlights: • HB 88 — Omnibus Local Elections (with Faircloth): This omnibus bill included a number of changes to the way local elections work in various counties, most notably allowing for vacancies on the Guilford County Board of Education to be filled in a more clear manner. The bill was introduced and passed after a monthslong controversy between two Republican candidates to fill the empty seat left by former school board member Pat Tillman earlier this year. • Status: Became law March 16 • HB 282 — Trade Schools Study (with Zenger): This act compiles information regarding the trades workforce and future training including in plumbing, heating and air conditioning, electricity and welding. • Status: Died in committee. • HB 322 — Tri-Share Child Care Pilot Funds (with Clemmons): This act would establish a child care pilot program between three state agencies to increase access to high-quality, affordable child care. • Status: Died in committee. • HB 468 — Camera Enforcement of Greensboro School Zones (with Clemmons, Faircloth, Quick): This act authorizes the city of Greensboro to establish a pilot program to use electronic speed-measuring systems to detect speed limit violations in school zones. • Status: Died in committee. • HB 826 — Protect Law Enforcement/Judges Personal Info: This act would require the removal of law enforcement personnel, prosecutor, public defenders and judicial officers’ personal information from city and county websites if requested. • b: Died in committee. • HR 897 — Support for Israel: This resolution urged Congress to support the nation of Israel. • Status: Adopted Oct. 10

Rep. Pricey Harrison (D) District 61

• Terms: 10 • About the district: District 61 covers most of central Greensboro stretching from West Wendover Ave. to Huffine Mill Rd. in the east. • Committee chairs: Environment (vice chair) • Primary sponsor: 47 (0 signed into law) Highlights: • HB 165 — Make Corporations Pay Their Fair Share: This act would repeal the corporate income tax phaseout. • Status: Died in committee. • HB 279 — Break Free from Plastics & Forever Chemicals: This act puts onus on producers of packaging materials to move away from producing plastics and bans certain toxic substances in packaging materials. • Status: Died in committee. • HB 519 — Mental Health Protection Act: This act would protect minors and adults who have disabilities from gay or sexual orientation conversion therapy. • Status: Died in committee. • HB 625 — The Pollinator Protection Act: This act broadens the ban against certain pesticides that have been found to be detrimental to pollinators. • Status: Died in committee. • HB 626 — Cannabis Legalization & Regulation: This act would legalize and regulate the sale, possession and use of cannabis in NC.

• Status: Died in committee. • HB 638 — Repeal Death Penalty: This act would repeal the death penalty in NC. • Status: Died in committee. • HB 653 — Plant-Based Lunch Options: This act would require public schools to offer a plant-based meal option at each school meal. • Status: Died in committee.

Rep. John Faircloth (R) District 62 •

Terms: 7 — Rep. Faircloth has announced he will not run for

re-election in 2024 • About the district: District 62 covers the western portion of Guilford County from Stokesdale down through Kernersville. • Committee chairs: Appropriations (chair), Appropriations, Justice and Public Safety (vice chair) • Primary sponsor: 16 (3 signed into law)

Highlights: • HB 237 — Criminal Law Revisions: This bill criminalizes money laundering and doles out harsher sentences if the convicted wears a hood, mask or other clothing that conceals their identity. • Status: Died in committee. • HB 405 — Funds for Ready for School, Ready for Life (with Clemmons, Hardister, Brockman): This bill uses $4.8 million of state funds for a nonprofit organization that provides a system of care for children aged 0-5 years old to improve outcomes and school readiness. • Status: Died in committee. • HB 877 — NCIOM Study/Medical Aid in Dying (with Harrison, Lambeth): This bill would direct the NC Institute of Medicine to study the legalization of medical aid in dying in NC. • Status: Died in committee.

GUILFORD SENATE Rep. Michael Garrett (D) District 27 • Terms: 3 • About the district: District 27 includes the southwest corner of Guilford County including High Point, Jamestown and Pleasant Garden, excluding Greensboro • Committee chairs: None • Primary sponsor: 51 bills (0 signed into law) Highlights: • SB 73 — Parents and Students Bill of Rights: A 14-item Bill of Rights, the list includes access to information about education and school records, curriculum, mental health services, and more; a non-discriminatory environment and other safety issues; breakfast and lunch; representation in the decision-making process and several other amendments. Worth a read. • Status: Died in committee • SB 210 — Gun Violence Prevention Act: Instills new permitting regulations and waiting periods for long guns, enforces an expiration date on pistol purchases, prohibits bump stocks and trigger cranks, makes illegal the possession of a firearm by a minor, requires liability insurance for firearms and several other items. • Status: Died in committee • SB 224 — East Greensboro NOW Nonprofit Support (with Robinson): Appropriated $3.175 million for economic development and community-building in East Greensboro, including $1.35 million in support for minority-owned businesses in the district. • Status: Died in Committee • SB 421 — State Employees/Paid Parental Leave: Gives eight weeks of paid parental leave to all state employees. • Status: Died in committee • SB 424 — Restore the American Dream Act: Restores investment in the state Housing Trust Fund with a $6.50 fee at the registrar of deeds and a statewide

NEWS | JANUARY 11 - 24, 2024

2-cent property tax hike. • Status: Died in committee • SB 520 — Commuter Rail Study/Piedmont Triad (with Lowe and Robinson): An act to study the feasibility of commuter rail connecting Greensboro, WinstonSalem and High Point. • Status: Died in committee • SB 705 — Equity in Justice Act for 2023: An omnibus crime bill that makes certain chokeholds used by law enforcement illegal, requires medical assistance for people in custody, codifies data collection at crime scenes, regulates noknock warrants, decriminalizes marijuana possession, regulates school resource officers and more than a dozen other things. • Status: Died in committee

Rep. Gladys Robinson (D) District 28 • Terms: 7 • About the district: District 28 is now most of the city of Greensboro, with a bit in the east ceded to District 26. • Committee chairs: None • Primary sponsor: 26 bills (1 signed into law) Highlights: • SB 214 — Inspections/Immediate Threat to Occupants (with Garrett): “An act authorizing cities to conduct inspections where there exists a safety hazard that poses an immediate threat to occupants of a dwelling unit.” • Status: Died in committee • SB 371 — Opioid Overdose Prevention Act (with Garrett): Appropriated $30 million over two years for Narcan and other overdose-reversal drugs at local health facilities. • Status: Died in committee • SB 433 — NBCU/HMSI Appropriations Omnibus: Splits $6 million among eight HBCUs and HMSIs, along with $1.5 million for Bennett College and more than $10.6 million for NC A&T State University. • Status: Died in committee.

Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R) District 26 • Terms: 12 • About the district: The most powerful man in the Senate also represents District 26, which marries eastern and northern Guilford County, including a slice of east Greensboro, with all of Rockingham County • Committee chairs: Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations (co-chair), • Primary sponsor: 4 bills (1 signed into law), 3 resolutions (3 adopted) Highlights: • SB 512 — Greater Accountability for Boards/Commissions: Realigns key state boards, how they are organized and how their members are appointed, including Utilities Commission, the UNC Board of Governors and the Department of Transportation. • Status: Veto overridden on Oct. 10 • SB 680 — Revise Higher Ed Accreditation: “An act to revise the accreditation process for constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina and community colleges, to create a cause of action for postsecondary institutions damaged by false statements made to accrediting agencies, to establish a commission to study accreditation, and to make certain conforming changes.” • Status: Died in committee • SB 651 — Tax Relief for All (with Krawiec): Reduces personal income tax from 4.99 percent down to 2.49 percent by 2026 • Status: Died in committee

OPINION | JANUARY 11 - 24, 2024

OPINION

Jen Sorensen jensorensen.com

EDITORIAL

The connection between elections and legislation

e dropped our annual Legislative Guide this week, a few weeks after the 2023 NC Legislative Session by Brian Clarey ended, sure. But we were once able to plot the end of these sessions fairly easily — June or July, usually, and sometimes as late as August. This year the session ended in late October amid a flurry of controversy over the budget and other items on the agenda, so we didn’t have time to prepare the issue until now, with apologies. We love this issue, in which we chronicle the actions of Triad reps in the House and Senate, highlighting the bills they sponsored and which ones became law. It’s the only way, besides combing through the NC General Assembly website, to see all of this information in one place. And, with an election on the horizon, it gives us a good sense of what these people actually did in our names. One cannot legislate without first getting elected, a truism we often recite to first-time candidates who have more ideas than strategy. And running for

office is not the same thing as being in office, something we remind the more aggressive campaigners about if they make it through the gambit. This year was a tough one for Democrats in Raleigh. A defection in the House by Rep. Tricia Cotham gave Republicans a veto-proof supermajority, ushering in a slate of oppressive laws on healthcare, elections, education and other pillars of our infrastructure. For her efforts, Cotham got a new, Republican-heavy district carved for her around Charlotte, District 105. But as we pointed out, she’ll still have to win the election, and the district itself is rated R+2. And while no other Republicans are running, so she won’t have to survive a primary, three Democrats have thrown their hats into the ring, which means she’ll have to do some pretty fast talking to win the general election in November. Of the officials we profiled, most are running for re-election again this year. Keep that in mind as you read this issue, and use their actions as criteria when you vote in the primary in March. Because they can’t rule if they don’t win. And that part is up to us.

One cannot legislate without first getting elected, a truism we often recite to first-time candidates

An Unlikely Fandom

UNCG alum’s documentary delves into the niche, but deep, Thomas the Tank Engine fandom by Sayaka Matsuoka | sayaka@triad-city-beat.com

A group of fans, including Carty, pose with a life-sized Thomas at Strasburg Rail Road in Pennsylvania. FILM STILL

Learn more about An Unlikely Fandom and follow updates at unlikelyfandom.com and on Facebook and Twitter.

hen Brannon Carty was 4 years old, his parents threw him a Thomas the Tank Engine-themed birthday party. Plates featuring the prominent characters plus cups and a Thomas-themed cake filled out the spread on the family dinner table. That’s around the time the switch flipped. “Our parents gave my brother and I Thomas stuff since we were born,” says Carty, who grew up in Greensboro. “My brother grew out of it, and I inherited all of the Thomas stuff. Then I got to fifth grade and I was like, I still like this. Most people my age don’t like this anymore.” Now, at the age of 27, Carty’s obsession with Thomas is at its peak. In his apartment, he keeps a shelf dedicated to his Thomas collection. Neatly organized rows of DVDs of “Thomas & Friends” — which ran across 24 series from 1984-2021 — line the bottom shelves. Upper shelves are dedicated to VHS tapes, miniatures and model trains. One of his favorite items is a children’s book dedicated to learning about colors. “I had it as a kid and I thought, I’d love to have this again to put on a shrine I had at home,” he says. He found one on eBay for $5 in mint condition. Another prized possession is an electrical-powered Thomas train from the ’90s that had a limited run. He keeps the model safe next to his bed. Soon, he’ll get to add another memorabilia to his collection. In November, Carty’s passion for all things Thomas culminated in a special screening of the documentary An Unlikely Fandom: The impact of Thomas the Tank Engine, a film that he had been making for the last four years. It started as an assignment for his media studies course at UNCG. As part of his independent study in his final semester, Carty was directed to do a project of some kind. His professor, Kevin Wells, suggested he make a documentary. “I had the perfect canvas,” Carty explains. “I am an adult Thomas the Tank Engine fan. I know other adult Thomas the Tank Engine fans. What if I told our story without making us a joke or feeling too praise-y?” For the next four years, Carty spent most of his free time traveling, interviewing and shooting footage for the documentary.

A not-so-niche fandom

CULTURE | JANUARY 11 - 24, 2024

CULTURE

e started with friends he had made online through forums dedicated to Thomas. It was a realm he started exploring in middle and high school. “My parents gave me unrestricted internet access at the age of 11 which is a horrible thing,” he jokes. “I was going on YouTube — this was

around 2006 — and found people reenacting a Thomas episode of making their own. So I made my own YouTube channel and made my own videos. And then I found forums where people would talk about new episodes that were coming out. It just snowballed, and it never stopped.” He had met his online friends a few times in person and at an electric train convention in New Jersey that was started in 2019. That first year, Carty says, there were only about 15 Thomas fans at the event. But as viewers can see in the documentary, the Thomas footprint grows larger, with almost a third of the convention center being dedicated to the fandom in 2023. Beyond his personal circle, Carty posted on Twitter about his plans for making the film. That’s how he got put in touch with a group of fans who were working on recreating scenes from the show in a gymnasium. To capture the footage, Carty flew out to “the middle of nowhere” in Pennsylvania. As more and more people started to get in touch with him for the film, he began to realized just how far-reaching the fandom actually was. “It was getting bigger and bigger,” he says. “I thought, I don’t think this is a niche thing anymore.” As the documentary began to take shape, he realized that he couldn’t make the film without acknowledging Thomas the Tank Engine’s British roots. He started a Kickstarter campaign to help pay for flights to the United Kingdom in March of 2020; they ended up raising $14,000. Then, the pandemic hit. “That’s when the hard stuff happened,” Carty says. “We wanted to interview people from the UK, but we didn’t know when the world would open back up.” But like the group that reached out to him from Pennsylvania, luck offered her hand once again. As Carty pondered how to get footage from the UK, a documentarian with the BBC reached out to him and told Carty about his connection to the Thomas community. He had filmed a documentary about the niche group in the ’90s and still had connections. They hired him immediately. In fall 2021, they got footage back from the UK, which was shot at Talyllyn Railway, a location that inspired a part of the show. By this time, the film was already 90 minutes long. “That’s when I realized that Australia was also a big Thomas location,” Carty says. They hired more filmmakers abroad to fill in the gaps and added more footage to the film. By the time all was said and done, Thomas fans from Maryland, Pennsylvania, California, New Jersey, Nebraska, New York, the UK and Australia were represented in the film. But then another twist happened. 11 “The creator of the show reached out to me,” Carty says.

CULTURE | JANUARY 11 - 24, 2024

A special screening with a special guest

e was getting off his shift at the Cheesecake Factory when Britt Allcroft sent Carty an email praising his work, giving him her blessing. “I immediately responded and asked her if she would want to be in the film,” Carty says. Now this was a big ask, partially because Allcroft was all the way in LA, but also because she was monklike in nature, hardly ever doing public appearances or interviews. The last time she had made a public appearance was about 20 years ago, according to Carty. But they had to try. “We went to California, rented an Airbnb and set up a shoot,” he says. “It was like a Star Wars fan interviewing George Lucas.” When Carty asked Allcroft if she’d like to come to the screening in November, she was over the moon about it. And on Nov. 27, the film was shown in a private screening to friends and family… and one other very special guest. “When she came out, people went crazy,” he says. “People were cheering, clapping; it was like the Super Bowl in there. It was great to reintroduce her to the fandom.” After the showing, many of the parents whose kids had been interviewed for the film came up to Carty to thank him for what he had done. “They said, ‘I’m glad you made my child feel validated,’” Carty says. And that’s because many of the biggest Thomas the Tank Engine Fans are on the autism spectrum, Carty explains. “It was something that people would talk publicly about,” he says. “There’s always been a link between Thomas and autism.” Part of the reason, Carty thinks, is that the show is colorful but not flashy. That, and the fact that in the original series, the faces on the engines don’t move. Their eyes move, but not their mouths. “There was some expression in the face, but it wasn’t too much, just enough for someone who might not understand facial cues to say, ‘That engine is happy or that

engine is angry,’” Carty says. Now, after four years of working on the film — and one prescription for anxiety medication later — Carty says he’s working on finding a home for An Unlikely Fandom. He’s currently submitting it to film festivals and is actively looking for a distributor. “If you had told me in 2019 that this is what would happen, I would have said you were crazy,” Carty says. “I would have said, it’s just a silly Thomas thing. It’s crazy; now, looking back on it, I don’t think I could ever reproduce that kind of luck again.”

Brannon Carty poses with Rick Siggelkow, US producer on Thomas, and Britt Alcroft, the creator of the Thomas & Friends TV show at the special screnning of An Unlikely Fandom. COURTESY PHOTO

BY CAROLYN DE BERRY

North Elm Street, Greensboro

SHOT IN THE TRIAD | JANUARY 11 - 24, 2024

SHOT IN THE TRIAD

January morning.

• No experience necessary. • Training and education provided.

• Travel opportunities. • Earn extra cash.

• Advancement available. • Need to pass background check.

Classes begin January 22, 6:30 p.m. at Hanes Hosiery Community Center Contact Katie Thomas at katherinet@cityofws.org for more information. 13

PUZZLES & GAMES CROSSWORD ‘Welcome to the ‘24’ —

by Matt Jones

the year with things in common. Across

SUDOKU

by Matt Jones

1. Roast battle hosts, for short 4. Bumble profile maintainers? 8. Flight seat option 13. “___ y Plata” (Montana motto) 14. Actress Mitra of “The Practice” 16. National prefix 17. Lead character of “24” 19. Feeling regret 20. Early Peruvian 21. Nursery rhyme pie fillers (“four and twenty”, they say) 23. Connect with 25. Barely achieve 26. Rowboat implement 27. George Burns title role 29. Impersonated 30. Spot for a soak 33. Big name in circuses 36. Loads 37. Ratio that’s often 24 for film cameras 42. Like some salad dressings 43. Stracciatella, e.g. 44. 7’7” former NBAer Manute 45. “___ the Walrus” (1967 Beatles tune) 48. Uno plus uno 49. Talk trash about 52. Removes names from pictures, on some social media platforms 54. To the letter 56. Units where 24 = 100% 60. Poodle plaguer 61. Remain patient 62. The NBA sets it at 24 64. Penny-pincher 65. Vietnamese capital 66. Burns downvote? 67. Planetarium display 68. ___ baby (one who’s famous via family connections) 69. Pre-album drops

Down

1. Mint-garnished cocktail 2. They surround brains 3. Goal-oriented item? 4. Royal sphere 5. Obsessive whale hunter of fiction 6. Biffed it 7. Creep around 8. “He’s right. Ain’t no rule that says a dog can’t play basketball” movie 9. Arctic First Nations resident 10. Make Kool-Aid 11. Give for a bit 12. Rowing machine units 15. Took a curved path 18. “WandaVision” actress Dennings 22. Pond fish 24. Fairy tale meanie 28. Come-___ (enticements) 30. Was the odd one out 31. “___ de Replay” (Rihanna’s first single) 32. Joining word 34. Actress Adams 35. Sister of Chris and Stewie 36. Division for “Hamlet” or “Hamilton” 37. Keyless car key 38. Duran Duran hit of 1982 39. Former Viacom chairman Sumner 40. ___-pitch softball 41. Reduce 45. Comic book artists 46. ___ standstill 47. Swampland 50. Polar covering 51. They may never have been higher 52. Part that the ointment Bag Balm was designed for 53. Depeche Mode lead singer David 55. Short-lived gridiron org. revived in 2020 56. Legs, in film noir monologues 57. “In memoriam” piece 58. Simpson who got into crosswords around 2008 59. Word before “Hammer time!” 63. A.F.L. merger partner

YOUR AD GOES HERE ADVERTISE WITH

TRIAD CITY BEAT! CONTACT CHRIS@ TRIAD-CITYBEAT.COM TO PLACE AN AD WITH TCB

Thu 1/11

Yesterdays Clothes

UNCG Spartans Women's Basketball vs. Wofford Lady Terriers Basketball

@ 8pm Anchor Coffee Co., 486 Patterson Ave STE 135, Win‐ ston-Salem

@ 7pm / $10 Fleming Gymnasium, 337 HHP Building 1500 Walker Ave, Greensboro

Down The Mountain Band: Down the Mountain at Four Dollar Jack's