VOLUME 5 ISSUE 3
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WWW.NSJONLINE.COM |
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2020
the Wednesday
NEWS BRIEFING
North Carolina Marines identified as those slain in Iraq The U.S. Department of Defense identified two service members killed in Iraq on Sunday as members of a Marine special forces unit based in North Carolina. A Defense Department news release said the Marines died while assisting Iraqi security forces in the north-central part of Iraq. The latest release did not elaborate on the circumstances. Earlier, a news release said two service members were killed by enemy forces during a mission to eliminate a stronghold for the Islamic State group in a mountainous area of Iraq. The slain Marines were identified as Gunnery Sgt. Diego D. Pongo, 34, of Simi Valley, California; and Capt. Moises A. Navas, 34, of Germantown, Maryland. They were both assigned to the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Census Bureau site goes live as counting begins in earnest The 2020 census is off and running for much of America. The U.S. Census Bureau made a soft launch of the 2020 census website this week, making its form available online. On Thursday, the Census Bureau will begin mailing out notices. For the bureau, the once-adecade head count is akin to running a sprint and marathon at the same time. It takes awhile, but there’s plenty of action. “It is that intense... counting up to 330 million people in a very diverse, very mobile population, and over 140 million housing units,” Stephen Buckner, a senior Census Bureau executive. There has been a U.S. census every decade since 1790. The results determine how many congressional seats each state gets and how $1.5 trillion in federal spending is distributed. The 2020 census is the first in which most people are being encouraged to answer the questions online, though people can still answer the questionnaire by telephone or by mailing back a paper form. About 80% of households will get notices about how to answer the questions online, and about 20% of households automatically will receive a paper ballot if there are large numbers of seniors in their neighborhood or levels of internet connectivity are low. This week also poses the first true test of the Census Bureau’s new IT systems for capturing online responses. Last month, the bureau decided to use a backup data-collection system after officials grew concerned that the primary system would not be able to handle excessive traffic. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Vidant Health is laying off workers, citing budget shortfall Vidant Health is laying off nearly 200 workers across eastern North Carolina to address a budget shortfall, the health system’s CEO said. Dr. Michael Waldrum wrote in an email that the first steps to eliminate the $18 million budget shortfall was “to reduce costs, implement operational efficiencies and to discontinue recruitment and hiring for certain non-patient care positions.” Vidant Health includes eight community hospitals that provide services for 1.4 million people across 29 counties in eastern North Carolina. NSJ STAFF
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PHOTO COURTESY ROY COOPER OFFICIAL TWITTER ACCOUNT
Gov. Roy Cooper declares State of Emergency Cooper declared a state of emergency on Tuesday following a seventh presumptive positive case of coronavirus in the state. The order is similar to those enacted during a natural disaster. The order helps with the cost burdens and supplies that may be difficult to access due to increased demand and coordination with local health departments.
NORTH
STATE
JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION
Grassroots effort drives Mark Robinson to shock win in GOP Lt. Gov. primary a tour of the state, intending to hit all 100 counties — ultimately visiting 97 before election day. RALEIGH — With a win in He said this allowed him to build a Republican lieutenant gover- the grassroots support that made nor primary packed full of expe- his win possible. Learning from rienced, well-known politicians, the online success of Trump, the Mark Robinson, an African Amer- campaign also focused on achievican gun rights advocate from ing a “great digital media game.” Greensboro, was likely the biggest Robinson said, “Our social media news coming out of Super Tuesday was head and shoulders, 10 times, above our closest oppoin North Carolina. nent.” Former U.S. ConThe straight-talking gresswoman Renee Ellstyle in which Robinmers, state superintenson delivers his mesdent of public instruction “Our sage gained him a soMark Johnson, state Sen. message cial media following Andy Wells of Catawba even before he decidCounty, former state Rep. was to the ed to run for office. Scott Stone of Mecklen- point; it was He is arguably best burg County, and Greg known for a viral 2018 Gebhardt — a West Point simple; it grad and top staffer to was common speech where he tells the Greensboro City state House leadership — sense. I Council not to interfere are just a few of the canwith residents’ Second didates that ran and lost think that’s to Robinson in this race. what people Amendment rights. That video was seen, “We knew we were according to his webgoing to be in first, but embrace site, an estimated 150 we just weren’t sure if these days.” million times. Despite we were going to break being pigeon-holed 30,” Conrad Pogorzelsearly as “the guy from ki III, Robinson’s cam- Mark Robinson the gun speech video,” paign manager, told NSJ. Robinson said his suc“So obviously we were cess in the campaign shows he was thrilled to have that happen.” With 33% of the vote, Robin- able to broaden his message to inson comfortably cleared that 30% clude all issues conservatives care threshold to avoid a runoff. No about. “The more we travel, the more I other candidate broke 15% of the vote. NSJ spoke with Robinson started to meet people who knew and asked him how he achieved me as a candidate for lieutenant governor and not for the city counthis. “I think the thing that put us cil speech,” Robinson said. “There over the top was our strong con- were some other candidates who servative message,” Robinson said. thought we were just one-dimen“Our message was to the point; it sional, but we had several opporwas simple; it was common sense. tunities to show that that was not I think that’s what people em- the case. Our campaign is wellbrace these days... And No. 2 has versed on all the issues, and we’re got to be our volunteer base. We pushing for more than just prohad hundreds of volunteers work- tecting the Second Amendment.” The main issues Robinson said ing polls, knocking doors, doing phone calls. Our volunteers real- he focused on when speaking to ly made the difference in this cam- voters across the state are ending paign.” Robinson told NSJ he went on See ROBINSON page A2 By David Larson North State Journal
Suit seeks to upend law curbing absentee ballot fraud ballots. New penalties were added for intentionally failing to deliver mail-in requests or ballots, copyRALEIGH — The lawyer who ing or retaining identifying inforrepresented former NC-09 con- mation from an application for a gressional candidate Dan Mc- ballot, and for receiving payment Cready over the much-publicized based on a number of returned reabsentee ballot harvesting case in quests. In addition, the list of voters Bladen County has filed a suit to overturn a law put in place to curb who request a mail-in absentee ballot is kept confidential until the absentee ballot fraud. The organization “Democra- polls open on election day. The suit brought by Elias and cy Docket” filed the suit the day after Super Tuesday, on March Democracy Docket focuses on 4. Democracy Docket is an orga- what the suit describes as the disnization founded by Marc Elias, allowance of third parties from asan attorney with Perkins Coie, a sisting in absentee ballot activiWashington D.C.-based law firm. ties as an “Application Organizing Elias was also the lawyer for the Ban.” The complaint says such a 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential ban “severely burdens protected political speech and ascampaign and representsociational rights” and ed N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper “unnecessarily burdens during the 2016 gubernaNorth Carolinians’ right torial election recount. “These to vote.” “These reforms were The complaint also alput into place to protect reforms leges that the law is not North Carolinians’ right were put “appropriately tailored” to vote,” the bill’s spon- into place to prevent fraud. Despite sor, Sen. Warren Daniel Elias’ own involvement (R-Burke), said in a state- to protect in the Bladen County abment. “This is just anoth- North sentee ballot harvesting er lawsuit in a long string case, his organization’s of left-wing attempts to Carolinians’ complaint asserts that influence election out- right to the pre-existing law covcomes. These were comering absentee ballots is mon-sense changes vote.” enough to deter fraud. passed to put an end to The new law, accordorganized groups taking Sen. Warren ing to the complaint, “readvantage of voters for Daniel stricts the constitutionpartisan gain.” ally protected activities Daniel continued, say- (R-Burke) of GOTV organizations ing, “It shouldn’t be conthat assist voters in comtroversial to want to quash election fraud, but far-left pleting and submitting absentee lawyers in D.C. continue to show ballot applications as a means to that they’re more concerned about encourage political participation winning elections than protecting and increase turnout,” and also the right to vote, even if it means “burdens voters who require assisthrowing North Carolina’s Demo- tance to obtain an absentee ballot.” Elias’ “Democracy Docket” filed cratic legislators under the bus.” In March of 2019, former State Board of Elections executive di- See VOTER FRAUD page A2 rector Kim Strach had asked lawmakers to come up with a more secure absentee ballot process. The result was Senate Bill 683, which is the main target of the suit. Senate Bill 683 was signed into law by Cooper last year. The measure had passed the state Senate unanimously and was passed by the house by a vote of 111-1. The lone “no” vote belonged to Rep. Darren Jackson of Wake County, the Democratic House minority leader. The law cuts out any outside third-party assistance for requesting a mail-in absentee ballots and requires the ballot be completed entirely by the requestor or with the aid of a near relative or guardian. Outside help can only be sought if a voter is disabled or illiterate and no near relative/guardian is available to assist. To deter absentee ballot mills like the one identified in Bladen County, the law also enacted harsher penalties and created new criminal penalties for selling completed request forms or completed By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
The ACC Tournament is in full swing