this sets a very dangerous precedent for all of us

Check out PPP's @mollycoleman.bsky.social on organizing during political crisis, the limits of courts as vehicles for change, and why community action — not institutions alone — ultimately drives democratic resilience with @kathryn1.bsky.social

People said I was out of my mind when I suggested Trump was gonna pack ICE with pardoned J6ers but how about the bench?

Four Republicans on the NC Supreme Court will probably try to steal the primary election for Phil Berger. Professor Gene Nichol: www.salisburypost.com/2026/03/08/t... #ncpol

"Restricting the flow of forms would effectively disenfranchise many of these voters, as other registration options come with their own roadblocks." Read more of Kate Fellman's column here:

The NCSBE is finalizing rules that could purge thousands of eligible voters from the rolls. The proposed rule relies on a system called SAVE, an unreliable federal database, to flag and remove registered voters suspected of not being citizens. Help stop this process 🚨 demnc.co/voterrolls #ncpol

"Don't let other people tell you when you can start making a difference, when you can be important, or when your voice matters. Your voice matters now," said Justice Allison Riggs. She is the youngest woman ever elected to the NC Supreme Court. #ncpol #WomensHistoryMonth

Four Republicans on the NC Supreme Court will probably try to steal the primary election for Phil Berger. Professor Gene Nichol: www.salisburypost.com/2026/03/08/t... #ncpol

I just backed Justice for the People - The Anita Earls Story on @kickstarter.com www.kickstarter.com/projects/206...

This is a direct response to Utah courts overturning the GOP’s congressional gerrymander after voters passed a ballot initiative to ban gerrymandering. Republicans already passed a law to pack the Utah Supreme Court earlier this year

State courts are the authoritative interpreters of state constitutions, but they often defer to the U.S. Supreme Court's interpretation of analogous federal provisions. This amicus brief urges the NM Supreme Court to take itself and its constitution seriously as independent from federal doctrines.

Due to popular demand, there will be an audiobook version of Justice for the People - The Anita Earls Story. And I'm offering new rewards for people who help fund the project! You can check out the first chapter here: www.kickstarter.com/projects/206... #booksky #ncpol

The Kentucky GOP is using a bait and switch bill to make judicial elections partisan. Ten years ago, NC became the first state to adopt partisan judicial races in 100 years. Ohio followed. Now KY?

“On February 27, citing budgetary constraints, the State Board instructed county boards of elections to stop distributing voter registration forms in bulk – a long-established practice all over the country. Cost concerns aside, the directive likely violates the National Voter Registration Act.” #nc

North Carolina's complaint system for regulating swine, poultry, and cattle farm waste is broken, reports @lisasorg.bsky.social in @insideclimatenews.org. Complaints become part of the record only if a violation is found, but the state has only 14 inspectors for thousands of industrial farms. #ncpol

Thrilled to feature @stevevladeck.bsky.social's analysis of SCOTUS's shadow docket ruling in the NY redistricting case in @statecourtreport.org. He argues it raises significant jurisdictional issues & is a dramatic expansion of SCOTUS's power over state courts. statecourtreport.org/our-work/ana...

This has been on my list for NC-focused donations and subscriptions. Finally just did it. And you can too! It's not a big collective ask from Billy, but in this economy, it'll take all of us. Chip in. #ncpol

NC should be able to have full confidence that our elections are being handled fairly. Because of Dave Boliek's actions, not all of us do right now. The number for Boliek's office is 919-807-7500. #ncpol #election youtu.be/ZfaykiXxoo8?...

Phil Berger didn't win a single precinct in Rockingham County, not even the one that includes his home in Eden.

I just read a biography of Julius Chambers, a civil rights legend and a mentor for Anita Earls in North Carolina. It’s an amazing story, and I can’t believe I didn’t know it until now. 🧵 #ncpol

1.Internal emails from Liberty University Law School, obtained by Popular Information, reveal how the Trump admin hires interns. Students were informed about "exciting" legal internships at Labor Department. “You MUST be aligned politically with President Trump… GPA is not a strong factor.”

NC Court of Appeals rules that my home county can keep their Confederate monument, which stands outside the courthouse they built in 1998. appellate.nccourts.org/opinions/?c=... #ncpol

Jail abolitionist set to become judge in Charlotte after close win over incumbent #ncpol www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politic...

Now we just have to get rid of the Junior Cheeseberger in 2028. 👨🏼‍⚖️ #ncpol

#ncga incumbents could look like they could lose: Democrats: Reps. Carla Cunningham (Mecklenburg), Nasif Majeed (Mecklenburg), Shelly Willingham (Edgecombe) – all voted with GOP on veto overrides (1/2) #ncpol

Read my full deep-dive on Earls, one of the most important civil rights attorneys in the modern South, at the 🔗 below. www.thelivingsouth.com/anita-earls-...

2024 was not the first time the North Carolina Republican Party has tried cheating to steal and overturn a major judicial election. In 2018, they tried a different scummy move against Justice Anita Earls. A lot of folks have forgotten about it, but we haven't - and nor should you.

Re-electing Justice Earls this year is essential, and part of making that happen is ensuring that people understand just how incredible she is. Billy’s book is critical to that effort!

It’s becoming rather obscene.

Thursday, the Ohio Fair Courts Alliance and Common Cause Ohio released a report that examines dark money in 2024 Ohio Supreme Court races. Click here to read more: www.commoncause.org/ohio/articles/new-report-buying-the-bench-uncovering-dark-money-donors-in-the-2024-race-for-ohio-supreme-court/

Mississippi’s Black voters brace for an elections ruling that could gut their power on the state Supreme Court  The U.S. Supreme Court will rule in coming months on a case that could weaken or overturn key parts of the Voting Rights Act. Upending the law could radically alter the country’s voting…

18. But let me wind this down with the forgotten foray in North Carolina. Floyd McKissick was the fiery leader of CORE during the Black Power Era, but decided that maybe our freedom lay in independence, and he got his chance. Soul City.

Really worthwhile project about a justice who *must* be reelected this year if democracy will ever be restored in North Carolina.

In 2025, state supreme courts continued to play a pivotal role in protecting democracy. As the country gears up for an exceptionally active electoral cycle in 2026, the process of selecting state supreme court justices remains a key focus. REPORT: afjactioncampaign.org/2025stateofjustice

Anita Earls is one of the most important state supreme court justices in the country. Help Billy get her story out! (And donate to her campaign if you can: earls4justice.com)

Just got some exciting feedback from the first person to read my new book! It’s a biography of my hero, Justice Anita Earls. This is an inspiring story that needs to be told. You can read the (revised) first chapter and help me tell this story. www.kickstarter.com/projects/206... #ncpol

New @brennancenter.org report on the 2023-24 judicial election cycle shows that independent groups outspent candidates for the first time. And MOST OF THAT MONEY came from progressive groups, including repro rights advocates. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

There’s been far too little focus on what the Supreme Court gutting the Voting Rights Act would do below the congressional level. Republicans in several Southern states may be able to gerrymander quasi-permanent legislative supermajorities and wipe out Black representation across local governments

it took an expensive, coordinated effort & a lot of people saying “this doesn’t matter” to get from a bathroom ban costing one state $400 million & a gubernatorial race to “trans people must turn in their documents which become invalid in a few hours or face fines & potential jail time” in 10 years.

it's 2016: north carolina introduces a bill to ban trans people from using bathrooms safely. there's a national outcry; companies withdraw business up to and including the NCAA cancelling a publicized game. the bill fails. it's 2026: kansas passes a law nullifying trans people's licenses. crickets.

State Auditor Dave Boliek's defense of his partisan behavior as the overseer of the NC Board of Elections basically amounts to him saying, "I know you are, but what am I?" #ncpol (The guy at the far left of the table is Brian LiVecchi. He worked as Mark Robinson's chief of staff.)

U.S. citizens arrested by Border Patrol in Charlotte file lawsuit to stop abuses. The plaintiffs allege in federal lawsuit that immigration agents attacked or arrested them last year without warrants or probable cause. (Via Ryan Oehrli) www.newsobserver.com/news/politic... #ncpol

🚨NEW: A lawsuit filed this week could help put an end to Republicans’ decades-long starvation of Wisconsin public schools. This is a tremendous step forward in protecting Wisconsin kids and taxpayers from being used as political pawns by GOP lawmakers.

For years, Alamance County NC sheriff Terry Johnson—a Republican who claimed immigrants were "raping our citizens"—held ICE detainees at his jail in return for millions of federal dollars. Then, in November, he ended the agreement with ICE. @jacobbiba.bsky.social @theassemblync.bsky.social #ncpol

Just a reminder as Trump spews complete lies about voter fraud that he put the full weight of his first administration into proving some of this bullshit and they came up completely empty.

A remarkable message from Justice Anita Earls on her colleagues taking years—YEARS—to rule on a crucial school funding lawsuit #ncpol

For decades, justices from both parties upheld the constitutional duty to provide every child with a sound, basic education. That changed when Republicans took control and reversed long-standing rulings, siding with their political party instead of NC’s children. #ncpol #leandro

It’s been two years since the most recent case has been heard, and the Republican majority on the NC Supreme Court has refused to issue a ruling, meaning that schools, families, and children are still without the funding support they need. #ncpol #education #leandro https://bit.ly/4tHO48h