June 30, 2026
Chaos and Corruption Continue
We’re halfway through 2026, and the amount of governmental corruption is matched only by the inattention paid by Washington, and in Raleigh, to the needs of the people. Is there a way to recover? Can we reclaim our country and restore democracy? OF COURSE WE CAN! IF WE DO IT TOGETHER!
This week’s Take Action Tuesday is an update on what we have done, another call to action on election protection, the war in Iran, and disability rights, as well as a look forward at what we can expect as the midterm elections approach. It’s a little longer than we like, but you can easily skip the summary, if you choose. Just be sure to read the final paragraph and let us know if there are specific issues you would like us to consider.
HOW TO KEEP MAKING CHANGE
Keep sharing this information with family and friends. Talk one-on-one with people who may be less or not at all engaged with what is happening in our country. Make sure your voter registration is current and encourage others to do so as well. We encourage checking your registration every month or so; it’s quick and easy. You can do this at https://vt.ncsbe.gov/reglkup/
This week’s first call to action was chosen due to its time-limited nature. Public comments MUST be received by July 2, which is this Thursday! There were other noteworthy events this week about which you may want to call or e-mail legislators. We will provide only brief discussions of these at this time, but may follow-up on them in a later alert.
· The USPS has a proposed rule that will limit the ability of people to vote by mail. If states decline to submit their voter lists to the federal government, or if an individual’s name is not on the “approved” list for mail-in voting, the USPS says that they will not deliver a ballot. They are proposing this rule in support of the Executive Order from March https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/ensuring-citizenship-verification-and-integrity-in-federal-elections/
The impact on the elderly, disabled, working adults, parents, and those in rural areas will be horrific. These voters will effectively lose their ability to have their voices heard.
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/02/2026-10968/ballot-mail-for-federal-elections
Submit a public comment AGAINST the proposed rule. Again, comments must be received by July 2, 2026. There are currently lawsuits moving through the courts to block this rule and the Executive Order, but we need to make our voices heard.
Mail written comments to Director, Product Classification, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Room 4446, Washington, DC 20260-5015.
Email comments, containing the name and address of the commenter, to: PCFederalRegister@usps.gov, with a subject line of “Ballot Mail.”
· Other issues of concern this week involve ongoing attempts by the administration to further consolidate power. The continued war in Iran, despite rumors of a peace deal, continues. Both sides continue to engage in “limited” attacks, although Iran has threatened to pull out entirely.
Further, morale in the military is declining under the leadership of Secretary Hegseth. Multiple firings, blocked promotions, particularly of Black and Brown leaders and females, threaten the security of our military. https://www.npr.org/2026/06/11/nx-s1-5853330/getting-a-promotion-at-the-pentagon-seems-to-be-getting-harder-under-hegseth
· In other news this week, the Department of Justice issued a memo that the “mandate” under Olmstead v. L.C., a 1999 Supreme Court decision that said individuals with disabilities must be provided services in the community, if their needs can be met in that setting. The DOJ memo says that the mandate is not a mandate at all. Although the memo does not change the law, it does tell Americans how the Trump administration views the rights of the disabled. Critics said this is a “frontal attack on basic tenets of the disability rights movement.” https://www.statnews.com/2026/06/22/doj-memo-targets-disability-integration-olmstead-mandate/ One member of Congress has already written a letter to DOJ urging that they reverse this opinion https://ritchietorres.house.gov/posts/rep-ritchie-torres-urges-doj-to-reverse-opinion-threatening-the-right-to-community-living-for-people-with-disabilities
Please contact your elected representatives. Tell them:
· The war in Iran MUST end. Insist on a delegation to the peace discussions with actual experience in diplomacy! Secretary Hegseth and President Trump must be held accountable for their actions, which have made Iran MORE powerful than before.
· Stand with Congressman Torres in urging the DOJ to rescind the memo threatening the disabled community.
- Senator Thom Tillis: (202) 224-6342
- Senator Ted Budd: (202) 224-3154
- Representative Pat Harrigan: (202) 225-2576
- Representative Virginia Foxx: (202) 225-2071
To find and contact your state legislators, go to https://www.ncleg.gov/FindYourLegislators Enter your home address to link to contacts for your NC Senator and Representative.
WHAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED….
Over the past 3 months, we have discussed multiple issues:
· Catawba County school systems merger (April 14). This was approved by the Catawba County Commissioners and sent to the NC State Board of Education. As of this writing, they have not taken action.
· North Carolina State Board of Elections proposed rules (April 14, May 19, May 26, and June 9). One set of rules has passed the BOE and the Rules Review Commission but received enough letters of objection to be sent to the legislature. Right now, it looks like the legislature is trying to incorporate those rules into an elections omnibus (H 958), which we discussed on June 16. Other NCBOE proposed rules are still in the public comment period.
· The North Carolina legislature has been hard at work on voter suppression (H 958) and overriding many of Governor Stein’s vetoes, most recently 4 bills on DEI and immigration. https://www.wunc.org/politics/2026-06-24/house-republicans-override-4-gov-steins-vetoes-with-three-bills-becoming-law (May 26, June 16)
· What the legislature STILL has not done is a budget, although a nearly 600 page draft dropped just last evening. We will be looking closely at that this week. The new fiscal year begins July 1. (April 14, April 21)
· We discussed the Iran war (April 7) and the profiteering from the war (April 28).
· Trump’s slush fund was on our minds. Do we believe it’s not going to happen? (May 19)
· When the Roberts Court essentially gutted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, we tried to explain what happened and why (May 5).
· We took a break to talk about the importance of self-care in activism (May 12), briefly addressed proposed amendments to the NC State Constitution (June 2), with much more to come on that in the coming months, and finished the second quarter with a comparison of two Veterans’ benefits bills under consideration in Congress (June 23).
WHAT WE HAVE NOT WRITTEN ABOUT, BUT CERTAINLY HAVE HEARD ABOUT….
The news is overwhelming these days, and it is so hard to keep up. That is the point. We are flooded with so much chaos, misinformation, and lies. Everything from the cage fight on the White House lawn, ICE / CBP funding, the SAVE America Act (that will NOT go away) to the renovations and destruction of the White House and surrounding areas. (East Wing? Reflecting Pool? And no, they have not released all the Epstein files. Perhaps many of the issues we have been so worried about are merely distractions from what is in those files?) It’s ridiculous, and ridiculously effective at keeping us off balance. https://carlynbeccia.medium.com/the-chaos-is-the-point-d4908b5f6bcb
We may address some of these in future alerts. Please feel free to let us know if there are specific concerns you would like us to research and discuss further.
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT
If you’ve read this far, you already know! Thank you for everything you do to protect our democracy!
ICCV Legislative Committee
“With Liberty and Justice for ALL”