The Republican presidential primary field is full of anti-abortion candidates, but amid massive electoral backlash to abortion bans, some candidates are attempting to backpedal or soften their stances on the campaign trail, or ignore the issue altogether.
Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has called abortion “murder,” compared the procedure to slavery, and said that he would support a total abortion ban in North Carolina, without any exceptions.
North Carolina ranks last or near last in many measures of public education spending. The new two-year budget could make these problems worse, educators say.
While certain federal benefits won’t be impacted, a government shutdown would affect a number of other benefits that rural communities rely on, such as food and housing assistance.
The second debate featured seven candidates, who combined, are trailing frontrunner Donald Trump by a whopping 17 points in the polls, making it a bit of an exercise in futility. But even if the debate is unlikely to affect the outcome of the primary, it says a lot about the state of the Republican party.
Republicans in the North Carolina legislature could create election maps that ensure party dominance for the next decade over several issues that affect day-to-day lives.