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Decade of Dangerous Vouchers

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

July 23, 2015, was a dark day for an enterprise central to North Carolina’s civic well-being: the education of the state’s schoolchildren. Sadly, the path down which the state Supreme Court blundered 10 years ago has grown only more treacherous and contrary to the overall public interest. The occasion was a 4-3 ruling by the […]

Decade of Dangerous Vouchers

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

July 23, 2015, was a dark day for an enterprise central to North Carolina’s civic well-being: the education of the state’s schoolchildren. Sadly, the path down which the state Supreme Court blundered 10 years ago has grown only more treacherous and contrary to the overall public interest. The occasion was a 4-3 ruling by the […]

Risky turn for N.C. elections

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Our democracy, with free and fair elections at the cornerstone, can be warped in favor of those who manipulate the election process to their advantage – who gets to vote, when and where, and which votes are included when they’re finally counted. Call that a cornerstone of autocracy. For the past 15 years in North […]

Risky turn for N.C. elections

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Our democracy, with free and fair elections at the cornerstone, can be warped in favor of those who manipulate the election process to their advantage – who gets to vote, when and where, and which votes are included when they’re finally counted. Call that a cornerstone of autocracy. For the past 15 years in North […]

Charlotte Immigration Press Conference

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

I greet you on behalf of the North Carolina Council of Churches, representing 19 denominations in this state with congregations in big cities like Charlotte and crossroads most of us have never heard of. At the Council, we don’t pretend to be objective; we don’t pretend to represent a variety of opinions. We refract the […]

Charlotte Immigration Press Conference

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

I greet you on behalf of the North Carolina Council of Churches, representing 19 denominations in this state with congregations in big cities like Charlotte and crossroads most of us have never heard of. At the Council, we don’t pretend to be objective; we don’t pretend to represent a variety of opinions. We refract the […]

Workers Memorial Day, 2025

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

For several years now, the North Carolina Council of Churches has gathered with our colleagues and friends to stand with the families and friends of those who died on the job. It’s one of the most important events we attend, standing with those separated forever from their loved ones and sometimes shouting at the injustice […]

Workers Memorial Day, 2025

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

For several years now, the North Carolina Council of Churches has gathered with our colleagues and friends to stand with the families and friends of those who died on the job. It’s one of the most important events we attend, standing with those separated forever from their loved ones and sometimes shouting at the injustice […]

High Court Race, High Stakes

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Has the N.C. Supreme Court – deeply polarized in recent years under conservative Republican control – finally signaled that the prospect of throwing out thousands of votes in an election to fill one of its own seats might be more than it wants to swallow? Even if the beneficiary would be another Republican who wants […]

High Court Race, High Stakes

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Has the N.C. Supreme Court – deeply polarized in recent years under conservative Republican control – finally signaled that the prospect of throwing out thousands of votes in an election to fill one of its own seats might be more than it wants to swallow? Even if the beneficiary would be another Republican who wants […]

Masks, money mean a mess

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

There’s the civics-class version of how laws are enacted in North Carolina – rooted in the state constitution and rules of the General Assembly, and embodying ideals of orderly, even-handed decision-making. Then there’s the version encompassing the kind of shenanigans all too typical of the legislative process in real life. Especially so, during the late […]

Masks, money mean a mess

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

There’s the civics-class version of how laws are enacted in North Carolina – rooted in the state constitution and rules of the General Assembly, and embodying ideals of orderly, even-handed decision-making. Then there’s the version encompassing the kind of shenanigans all too typical of the legislative process in real life. Especially so, during the late […]

They ‘stand’ against a gerrymander

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

North Carolina’s new voting district maps were hatched in a way that brings to mind Macbeth’s calculation as he ponders murder: “If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well / It were done quickly: …”  In other words, it’s a nasty piece of business but if it’ll solve the problem then just get […]

They ‘stand’ against a gerrymander

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

North Carolina’s new voting district maps were hatched in a way that brings to mind Macbeth’s calculation as he ponders murder: “If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well / It were done quickly: …”  In other words, it’s a nasty piece of business but if it’ll solve the problem then just get […]

Veto Showdowns and Voter ID

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The N.C. General Assembly gathered on Jan. 11 amid trappings of ceremony and good cheer to kick off its 2023 session. Then reality reared its head: At least in the state House, the majority party apparently intends to play rough. Democrats in the minority are left to wonder if their Republican counterparts see them not […]

Veto Showdowns and Voter ID

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The N.C. General Assembly gathered on Jan. 11 amid trappings of ceremony and good cheer to kick off its 2023 session. Then reality reared its head: At least in the state House, the majority party apparently intends to play rough. Democrats in the minority are left to wonder if their Republican counterparts see them not […]

Fair Courts Press Conference

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

The N.C. Council of Churches includes 18 denominations with churches large and small, urban and rural, black, brown, and white all across the state. One of the things we all have in common is the doctrine in Christianity known as the Holy Trinity. It claims that God is three in one. It can sometimes be […]

Fair Courts Press Conference

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

The N.C. Council of Churches includes 18 denominations with churches large and small, urban and rural, black, brown, and white all across the state. One of the things we all have in common is the doctrine in Christianity known as the Holy Trinity. It claims that God is three in one. It can sometimes be […]

Fair, Safe and Secure Elections

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Prior to the 2020 elections, a representative from the Carter Center’s Conflict Resolution team reached out to the North Carolina Council of Churches. For the first time in its 40-year history of resolving international conflicts, their research showed the conflicts might come home. North Carolina, along with a few of other states, showed a high […]

Fair, Safe and Secure Elections

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Prior to the 2020 elections, a representative from the Carter Center’s Conflict Resolution team reached out to the North Carolina Council of Churches. For the first time in its 40-year history of resolving international conflicts, their research showed the conflicts might come home. North Carolina, along with a few of other states, showed a high […]

Supreme Court ruling on West Virginia vs. The EPA

By Hannah Klein, Eco-Justice Youth Leadership Fellow

What it is, why it happened, and what it means for clean energy. The Supreme Court finished its session by ruling against the EPA in a case against West Virginia, delimiting the agency’s power to regulate carbon emissions on power plants.  Writing for the 6-3 conservative majority opinion, Justice John Roberts argued “that under what […]

Supreme Court ruling on West Virginia vs. The EPA

by Hannah Klein, Eco-Justice Youth Leadership Fellow

What it is, why it happened, and what it means for clean energy. The Supreme Court finished its session by ruling against the EPA in a case against West Virginia, delimiting the agency’s power to regulate carbon emissions on power plants.  Writing for the 6-3 conservative majority opinion, Justice John Roberts argued “that under what […]

‘Independent’ legislature: Fair elections at risk

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The U.S. Supreme Court, as if rushing to settle old grievances, in recent weeks has thrashed about in a virtual frenzy of “originalism” – never mind the consequences for America’s civic well-being. Our federal Constitution neglects to confer a woman’s explicit right to have an abortion? Then states must be free to impose abortion bans […]

‘Independent’ legislature: Fair elections at risk

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The U.S. Supreme Court, as if rushing to settle old grievances, in recent weeks has thrashed about in a virtual frenzy of “originalism” – never mind the consequences for America’s civic well-being. Our federal Constitution neglects to confer a woman’s explicit right to have an abortion? Then states must be free to impose abortion bans […]