North Carolina's 2021 Virtual Day of Action

We're thrilled that you are joining us for our virtual 2021 North Carolina State Lobby Day!

We hope you are as excited as we are, and to help you prepare - here is what to expect from the day:

9 - 10:15am:
Policy asks & Grassroots training
We will take a deep dive into our policy asks for the day, have a time for you to ask Sarah Jacobson (North Carolina Government Relations Director) any questions you may have, and then learn some tips & tricks for virtual meetings from your Grassroots Manager, Kim VanVeen.  We will also demo how to use our patch-thru call system!

10:15a - 2:00pm:
Patch-thru Calls with your lawmakers
With just one click, our system will call you and automatically patch you through to both of your lawmakers' offices -  an easy way you can make a difference!  We expect calls to last less than 10 minutes each.

2:00 - 2:30pm:
Celebration with Kim and Sarah!
Join your North Carolina team to share about your day, and learn how you've been making a big difference across the state.

Feel free to reach out to Kim VanVeen if you have any further questions!

Additionally, here is some information about our policy asks for the day:

Tobacco

The Problem: E-cigarette use among youth continues to rise beyond the epidemic levels seen in recent years. With more than half (50.1%) of high school seniors having tried e-cigarettes and nearly a third (32.7%) reporting current use of these products.

How can we help?

• We should protect the health of young people by advocating for public policies at the state level to prevent the next generation of kids from being addicted to e-cigarettes and nicotine. Some public policy efforts in North Carolina include:  
  • Investing in evidence-based programs to reduce and prevent tobacco use (including e-cigarettes, such as JUULs and other vaping devices). North Carolina funds a small percentage of the CDC recommended amount despite receiving approximately $140 million every year from the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.
  • Strengthen our youth tobacco access laws to ensure young people do not have access to these harmful products.

Increasing Access to Health Care

The Problem:

All people living in the United States, regardless of health condition, should have comprehensive, understandable, and affordable health care coverage.

50 million Americans must choose between paying rent and purchasing medicine and healthy foods. That’s 5 times larger than the population of North Carolina. An estimated 7.3 million Americans who suffer from cardiovascular disease (CVD) are uninsured – with dire health consequences. They are far less likely than their insured counterparts to receive appropriate and timely medical care and as a result, suffer worse medical outcomes, including higher mortality rates.

How can we increase access to care in North Carolina?

We can work with our state lawmakers to Close the Health Insurance Coverage Gap by expanding Medicaid to those who currently make too much for Medicaid and too little to afford private insurance. Over 400,000 North Carolinians are in the gap, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that number has increased considerably. Closing the Coverage Gap can help decrease overall health care costs, improve North Carolina's economy, and help struggling families access the care they need.

We look forward to "seeing you" at our Virtual Lobby Day!

You're the Cure,
Kim & Sarah
Your North Carolina Advocacy Team