Legislative Session Wrap-Up

Friends,

Late yesterday evening the General Assembly ended its 2007 session.

I'm sad to tell you that, despite the heroic efforts of our lobbying team, grassroots activists, coalition partners, and legislative allies, House Bill 1366, the School Violence Prevention Act, did not quite make it through the final steps to becoming law.

The last two weeks have been grueling, with long days and many ups and downs in our effort to secure these critical protections for our young people. On Tuesday, we thought we had an agreement to get it done. We had the votes we needed in both chambers to get a final bill through and restore the important enumerated categories the Senate's version had removed. Unfortunately, that deal fell through in the final hours of yesterday's session.

However, we haven't lost yet. For the first time we have the anti-gay lobby on the defensive. The bill is still alive and eligible for consideration in the 2008 legislative session, and we're already preparing to get it over the finish line next spring.

Legislative Successes

Despite this setback, I am still very proud of all we accomplished this session. In fact, it has been our community's most successful session yet.

While our work on the School Violence Prevention Act isn't over, its passage through the House this May marked the first time a bill including sexual orientation and gender identity passed either chamber of our legislature. Equality NC and our allies made this happen.

We were also successful at holding back anti-LGBT legislation, including blocking the Discrimination Amendment for the fourth year in a row, despite the most aggressive effort by right-wing activists and legislators to date. We proudly remain the only state in the Southeast that has stopped such an amendment in its legislature. Equality NC worked with legislative leaders to ensure we didn't face a nasty, divisive ballot campaign on this issue.

When the State budget passed Monday night, it marked two important victories on HIV/AIDS issues. After more than a decade of flat-funding HIV prevention programs, the budget allocated $2 million in new, recurring money to support more programs that work across the state. Equality NC and our coalition partners made this possible and fought back an attempt to add unnecessary barriers to low-income people getting HIV medications through Medicaid.

We also advanced the debate on our other issues, with more pro-equality legislation introduced than ever before, and a record number of sponsors on our State Employee Non-Discrimination bill. We helped more citizens than ever before contact their legislators in support of equal rights. We forged new relationships with legislators in both parties and strengthened our ties with many others.

Moving Forward

With the session now over, our focus turns to building the power we need to win on safe schools and other issues next time. We'll be strengthening our statewide network and building grassroots leadership with our first-ever statewide Equality Conference on November 3. We'll be continuing to reach out in communities large and small to build a base of support.

Policy work happens even when the legislators have gone home. State and local governmental agencies have the capacity to make day-to-day life better for LGBT North Carolinians, and Equality NC works to make sure they do

And we'll be ramping up to play an active role in the primary elections next spring and in the general election that follows. If this session has taught us anything it is this: while we have many friends in the legislature, we need to elect more allies--and champions--to continue advancing our agenda of justice and equality.

Supporters like you have helped us get this far with your emails and phone calls to legislators, your letters to the editor, and your financial support. Thank you so much. We know we can continue to count on you.

For Equality,

Ian Palmquist