Posted by Andy Steude · November 09, 2018 7:03 PM
The Libertarian Party of North Carolina Executive Committee will be meeting at Positano in Asheboro on Saturday, November 17 from 2-4 p.m. Before the meeting (1-2 p.m.) we will have lunch and informal discussion. Libertarians and guests are welcome to attend. There may be a special event before or after the meeting - details will be posted on the event page and the LPNC Facebook page.
The LPNC Executive Committee meets roughly every other week. The meetings are open to the public and are typically virtual presence meetings. This means you can call in by phone or join us online. We endeavor to also make in-person meetings, like this one, accessible via virtual presence. Please RSVP here or contact the LPNC Secretary at [email protected] for instructions.
The LPNC Executive Committee members are looking forward to seeing you!
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Posted by James Doughty · November 06, 2018 11:34 PM
November 6, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: [email protected] or Susan Hogarth 919-906-2106
Libertarian Party of NC makes a statement at the polls
“North Carolina is now a multiparty state”
RALEIGH (November 6) – The Libertarian Party of North Carolina (LPNC) is celebrating strong showings by its candidates for federal, state, and local offices in today’s general election, and the party and its members plan to keep their feet on the gas and continue that momentum.
“North Carolina is no longer strictly the playground of the Republican and Democratic parties,” said LPNC Chair Susan Hogarth. “Tonight’s election results showed that the grip of the two institutional major parties is slipping, the people are looking for better choices, and the direction of the trend is clear.”
In tonight’s election results, based on returns as of 11:00 p.m.:
- In two nationally watched battleground Congressional races, Libertarian candidates Jeff Matemu (NC 2) and Jeff Scott (NC 9) have had a tangible impact on the outcome. Scott’s vote total exceeded the difference between his major-party opponents, and with Wake County results still coming in, Matemu’s totals are similarly significant. In these high-stakes races, thousands of voters chose to support Libertarian principles instead of either of the old parties.
- The Libertarian Party’s vocal opposition contributed to the defeat of a proposed North Carolina constitutional amendment that would have removed the lone independent voice from the state Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement.
- The LPNC’s support contributed to the success of another constitutional amendment that will increase the constitutional cap on the state’s power to tax incomes.
- The LPNC’s first-ever statewide judicial entrant, NC Court of Appeals candidate Michael Monaco, also achieved a strong showing of more than 4 percent, which exceeds the difference between his opponents.
- Libertarian vote percentages in races across North Carolina are many multiples of the party’s approximate 0.5 percent share of registration -- which shows that voters are eager for new choices and that candidates who engage within their communities are in striking distance of making even greater inroads in future races.
- In the race for N.C. House in District 65, representing Rockingham County, LPNC candidate Houston Barrow set a high-water mark of almost 8 percent of the vote, which shows voters are receptive to Libertarian candidates when they have a chance to engage with them on the issues.
In the fast-changing landscape of the state’s politics:
- In the last year, the Libertarian Party of North Carolina’s registered membership has grown more than two-and-a-half times as quickly as the state’s overall electorate: Total state voter registration is up 4.15 percent from November 2017 to today, while LPNC registration is up 10.54 percent over the same period.
- During the last year, both Democrats and Republicans have seen their respective percentage shares of the total state electorate fall. Over the same period, Libertarians’ share has grown. Today every 190th registered voter in North Carolina is a Libertarian.
- This year’s total of more than three dozen Libertarian candidates in North Carolina was a record slate for the party, including five candidates for U.S. Congress and the party’s first-ever statewide judicial candidate.
“The voters of this state are telling us they’re dissatisfied with elections that force them into false, binary choices—or sometimes no choice at all,” Hogarth added. “They are leaving the old parties behind and looking for alternatives that represent the ways they live and believe. The Libertarian Party stands for ideals that many people can identify with, and we anticipate that our rapid growth will only accelerate.”
What lies ahead as the two-party glacier continues to thaw? Hogarth noted a number of signs that the heat is on. Already, North Carolina has expanded official recognition to five parties, not only two. Editorial boards and debate organizers are taking more notice of Libertarian candidates and finding it less acceptable to pretend they aren’t there. The LPNC is already working to assemble its slate of local candidates for the 2019 elections.
The LPNC is giving North Carolina voters a choice in federal, state, and local election campaigns across the state. To learn more, visit www.lpnc.org. For more information on this announcement, to contact the LPNC for comment, or for help in contacting a specific candidate, please email [email protected].
-END-
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Posted by James Doughty · October 30, 2018 7:15 AM
Marijuana legalization nonprofit gives A ratings to 23 office-seekers
RALEIGH (October 29) -- The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) has given A ratings to 23 Libertarian Party of North Carolina (LPNC) candidates in the upcoming general election. The nonprofit group does not make formal endorsements, but most races in the state feature only one A-rated candidate.
The NORML ratings in North Carolina, which were based on candidates’ expressed positions on marijuana laws, went to:
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Posted by Susan Hogarth · October 26, 2018 5:14 AM
2018 NC Constitutional Amendments - LPNC Positions
Voter ID - Vote AGAINST
This is a solution in search of a problem. Voter fraud is much less a threat in North Carolina than the waste of resources that will be required to implement a cumbersome and invasive ID system.
Income Tax Cap (7%) - Vote FOR
While Libertarians would prefer to allow workers to use 100% of their income in the manner they deem best, putting a cap on the state income tax rate is at least a step in controlling the growth of big government.
Change in process for filling judicial vacancies - Vote AGAINST
Shifts power to fill judicial vacancies from the Governor to the Legislature. This will take the appointments out of the light and into the control of a small group of people appointed by the party in power in the legislature, and will disrupt the balance of power among the three branches of state government.
Hunting/Fishing - Vote AGAINST
Purports to "protect the right of the people to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife". This is not the level of policy that should be embedded in the Constitution. The Republican-controlled legislature is using the Amendment process to establish land-use policy that will be subject to legislative whim.
Board of Ethics and Elections Enforcement - Vote AGAINST
Another attempt to create a policy-level bureaucracy at the Constitutional level. This also makes the Board *constitutionally* Republican and Democratic, excluding Unaffiliated, Green, Constitution, and Libertarian voters from serving.
Victims Rights - Vote AGAINST
These rights are already recognized by NC statute. This will increase the cost and size of government, and potentially conflict with the rights of the accused.
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