Politics

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NEWS 9/22/23 4:26pm

State fiscal budget released after monthslong delay

By Joseph Navin

The North Carolina General Assembly passed House Bill 259 on Sept. 22 in a 70-40 midnight vote by the state House of Representatives and a 26-17 vote in the state Senate later in the morning. Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper issued a statement following passage of HB259 on Sept. 22, explaining that while he will not sign the bill into law, he also won’t veto it — allowing HB259 to become law in 10 days.

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NEWS 9/17/23 9:44pm

NC Democrats rally for gun regulations in wake of UNC shooting, lockdowns

By Joseph Navin

Roughly 300 people met at the Halifax Mall in Raleigh beside the North Carolina Legislative Complex to protest gun violence and promote gun control legislation. The “People > Guns” rally was organized by the Young Democrats of North Carolina and comes weeks after University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill professor Zijie Yan was shot and killed on campus Aug. 28. Yet, it only comes four days after UNC's second lockdown of the school year on Sept. 13, where an individual was reported waiving a firearm inside a cafe in the middle of campus.  

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NEWS 8/1/23 6:14pm

Lawsuit settled against Alamance County sheriff

By Avery Sloan

Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson settled a lawsuit for $430,000 on July 28. Two parties, Aris Hines and Brandi Thomason, filed their suit against Johnson in 2019 after being arrested in 2016 for falsifying documents to enroll a student at Eastern Alamance High School. The student played basketball and football for the school — causing the school to be stripped of 28 football and basketball wins. Hines and Thomason alleged offenses of Felony Common Law Obstruction of Justice and Felony Obtaining Property by False Pretenses.

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NEWS 7/22/23 8:01am

Alamance Board of Elections candidates

By Madison Powers

The deadline for Alamance Board of Elections candidates was July 20, leaving a finalized list of candidates for primary elections this fall. City of Burlington elections will be held Oct. 10, while a primary for other municipalities in Alamance County will be held Nov. 7. Here is a brief list of candidates running for Elon Town Council, City of Burlington positions and Town of Gibsonville positions.

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NEWS 6/13/23 11:31pm

Town council hears Elon University’s petition for new Hillel Center pavilion

By Avery Sloan

Elon Town Council hears Elon University’s petition for new Hillel Center pavilion during its June 13 meeting. The pavilion will have a 1,766 square-foot open structure with a storage shed in the back and will be used for student gatherings. Council also held a public hearing for conditional rezoning, in which they reviewed a residential project request, Parc East, containing 44 single-family homes and 85 townhomes. The area is at the northeast intersection of University Drive and Shallowford Church Road.

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NEWS 6/11/23 12:52pm

Republicans visit Greensboro for NC GOP Convention, attempt to unify party for presidential election

By Joseph Navin

Former President Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis visited Greensboro for the North Carolina GOP Convention on June 9 and 10. Over 24 hours after being indicted with 37 felony charges,  Trump spoke about his innocence following his federal charges, as well as his 2024 presidential campaign. Pence spoke about supporting The Constitution over Trump during the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection riots, while DeSantis spoke about passing legislation that would further restrict transgender athletes.

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NEWS 5/18/23 4:42pm

Town of Elon council member announces bid for reelection

By Kyra O'Connor

Town of Elon council member Quinn Ray announces bid for and is one of three council members up for reelection in the fall. Ray is the first to announce his candidacy and was first elected to Elon Town Council in 2019. He is a native of Alamance County and said his main goals if elected are to make Elon an example of what a successful college town can be for both students and residents. 

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NEWS 5/16/23 11:22pm

North Carolina General Assembly overrides Gov. Cooper’s veto on Senate Bill 20

By Joseph Navin

The North Carolina General Assembly overrode Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto on Senate Bill 20 – making abortion now illegal in North Carolina after 12 weeks. The North Carolina Senate convened on May 16 to vote on the “Care for Women, Children and Families Act,” otherwise known as SB20. After the bill passed by a margin of 30-20, it then moved to the House floor in the evening where it passed with a margin of 72-48. 

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NEWS 5/13/23 9:05pm

Gov. Roy Cooper vetoes abortion bill at rally in Raleigh

By Joseph Navin

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper vetoes Senate Bill 20 at a rally in Raleigh May 13. The bill would limit abortions from 20 weeks to 12 weeks. Cooper said opposed SB20 because he said it was reckless that both Republican-dominated houses of the General Assembly passed the bill within 48 hours. SB20 would also place further restrictions on reproductive rights if it were to become a law.

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NEWS 5/13/23 12:47am

Gov. Roy Cooper to veto abortion bill at Raleigh rally

By Abigail Hobbs

Gov. Roy Cooper is scheduled to veto SB20, an abortion bill that would limit abortions from 20 weeks to 12 weeks, at a Raleigh rally May 13. The bill is titled "Care for Women, Children, and Families Act." This rally follows Cooper's "abortion roundtables" in Mecklenburg County on May 9 and New Haven County on May 10 to encourage legislators to uphold his veto.

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NEWS 5/5/23 4:42pm

Elon University Student Government Association holds final business meeting of 2022-23 academic year

By Sarah T. Moore

During Elon University’s Student Government Association final business meeting of the spring semester, senior Ryan Lockwood asked the senate to pass a resolution expressing SGA’s condolences and sympathies to the Yelle family following  the death of Elon junior Jackson Yelle. 

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NEWS 5/5/23 1:08pm

Elon University Native American Student Association calls for awareness for injustice towards missing and murdered indigenous women

By Michael Leung

Elon University sophomore Aubee Billie is a member of the Seminole Tribe in Florida. She said crimes toward Indigenous women are often overlooked, and this issue affects how they can live their lives. Billie doesn’t wear her traditional clothes in fear that someone may harm her in some way, shape or form. This, however, is a norm for many native women, Billie said.

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NEWS 5/4/23 1:09pm

Elon University Native American Student Association hosts missing and murdered Indigenous women event

By Michael Leung

Elon University will host a fundraising event to spread awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women at 5:30 p.m. May 4 in Medallion Plaza. The Native American Student Association, the Gender & LGBTQIA Center, the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education and the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life have all collaborated to organize the event.

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NEWS 5/3/23 11:32am

Patsy Simpson resigns from the Alamance-Burlington School System Board of Education

By Michael Leung

Patsy Simpson officially resigned from the Alamance-Burlington School System Board of Education, despite a previous announcement that she would not step down until learning how the board would be finding her replacement. Simpson has expressed her plans to retire since March; however, the board’s lack of transparency regarding the selection process of her replacement caused her to rescind her resignation.

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NEWS 4/27/23 9:25am

North Carolina House proposed bill to ban nearly all abortions

By Madison Powers and Anjolina Fantaroni

The Human Life Protection Act of 2023, proposed in the North Carolina House, would ban nearly all abortions, except when a mother’s life is in danger. Republican Rep. Keith Kidwell was joined by Reps. Ben Moss and Ed Goodwin in filing House Bill 533 last month, which prohibits abortion except in cases that would result in a mother’s death or “impairment of a major bodily function.” 

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NEWS 4/26/23 11:48pm

Former Vice President Mike Pence visits University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

By Joseph Navin

Former Vice President Mike Pence spoke Wednesday at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill as protests occurred outside the student union before the event. The event was titled, “Saving America From the Woke Left” and was organized by the Young America’s Foundation. The former vice president touted his Christian faith throughout the speech and his support for bans on abortion. Last month, North Carolina House bill 533, known as the Human Life Protection Act of 2023 was introduced by the North Carolina General Assembly which would restrict abortions except when the life of the mother is in danger. 

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NEWS 4/26/23 10:58am

Elon University earns voter friendly campus distinction

By Ellis Chandler and Avery Sloan

For the second year in a row, Elon was designated a voter friendly campus in a project started in partnership with Fair Election’s Center’s Campus Vote Project and Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Elon was one of 14 North Carolina schools given this designation and one of 258 schools nationwide.Elon Votes announced this designation April 16 and Co-lead Voting Ambassador Ruby Radis said this designation was earned in part due to the work her organization put into making voting easier for students. 

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NEWS 4/24/23 11:42pm

Town of Elon’s fire district tax rate changed at council meeting

By Erin Hroncich

During the April 24 Elon Town Council meeting, the council voted to change the tax rate for the fire district. Discussions continued from the previous meeting on the funding for the fire department, specifically in regard to implementing a revenue-neutral tax rate. The council discussed the fire department needing more resources and firefighters. 

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NEWS 4/22/23 7:46pm

Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson announces 2024 gubernatorial bid

By Avery Sloan

Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson announced his bid in the 2024 race for North Carolina governor April 22 in Alamance County. Robinson is the first Black lieutenant governor in North Carolina, serving since 2021, and hopes to be North Carolina’s first Black governor. He is the second Republican to declare his gubernatorial bid in North Carolina, behind State Treasurer Dale Fowell. Robinson brought up issues of the economy and supporting working class families and protecting teachers. Robinson said he is running to represent average North Carolinians as he understands the struggles working class families face. 

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NEWS 4/21/23 9:35am

Patsy Simpson fights to learn criteria for the selection of her replacement on ABSS Board of Education

By Michael Leung

Patsy Simpson, the longest running member of the Alamance Burlington School System Board of Education, rescinded her resignation after announcing she will step down at the end of the school year. Having served since 2009, Simpson said she will remain on the board until the school system reveals to her the criteria in the selection of her replacement. 

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