Anti-bullying

There is one final hour before the North Carolina House convenes to cast the final vote on the School Violence Prevention Act. If you do nothing else during this hour, please look up your representatives phone number and email address and please let them know that you support this legislation. If they voted for the bill yesterday, make sure you thank them, but don't take that vote for granted. Republicans and right wing conservative groups are working against protecting North Carolina's students by opposing this legislation and by inciting their followers to do the same.

We have to send more emails and make more phone calls. Don't waste another minute. Make the call. Send the email.

If anything is worth a bunch of !!!! and OMGees, this is it. The N.C. House voted, after much hemming and hawing from Republicans, to ensure equal protection from bullying for North Carolina's school children regardless of where they live in the state or which school district they attend.

At one point Republican John Blust claimed there had been bullying going on at the General Assembly....because we all know grown men and women just can't take care of themselves as well as 11 year olds, right?

Many thanks to Senator Julia Boseman, Rep. Rick Glazier and Rep. Tricia Cotham for taking the lead on this legislation. It's a great night for North Carolina's students.

I should add...don't rest on our laurels. There is a final vote tomorrow. Call and thank those who voted for the bill and keep working on those who voted against.

Please call your N.C. House Rep and ask them to vote for S.B. 526. Ask them to vote to make sure children are protected regardless of their county or school district.

EqualityNC has been taking the lead on providing our action plans on this legislation. Visit their action page for a quick and easy way to contact your legislator.

Teenadvocatedan provided us with information last night on the actions of one of the special interest groups whose actions might prevent the protection of certain students from bullying. If you need more information for your phone call or email, check out his post.

Please call and email now. The vote is at 7:00 p.m.

Please email and call your state legislators to encourage them to vote for the anti-bullying bill that has come back for a final vote. One of the House judiciary committees approved the NC Senate version of the bill yesterday with all Democrats voting for the bill.

This bill is about protecting children. Regardless of what the far religious right wants you to believe, it is not a path for redefining marriage. Anyone who would promote this scare tactic is, in my opinion, putting their own personal hate agenda above the protection of children.

Go here to find contact information for your NC representative. Please call now and pass this on to your email list.

Today Rep. Rick Glazier, Rep. Tricia Cotham, and Senator Julia Boseman announced the introduction of the School Violence Prevention Act in the NC House and Senate this week. Also known as the anti-bullying bill, this legislation will help make all students, including those who are LGBT, safer at school.

While this bill will establish an unambiguous stance against bullying by other students, it will also make it clear to educators and school employees that harassment is unacceptable. Senator Boseman, struggling to keep her composure, remembered "Jim McGraw Daniels, 14, died of an overdose after being bullied at school. By teachers." The North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) strongly supports the legislation.

Former NC U.S. Senate candidate Jim Neal shared a very personal story on Pam's House Blend that conveys why an anti-bullying bill should have passed in our state.

As has been reported the NC Senate's failure to pass anti-bullying legislation despite having the votes intact is disappointing shows a disturbing and unacceptable lack of courage and compassion. They threw kids in the state of North Carolina under the bus when they had an opportunity to protect them.

Unbelievable. Let's just look at this from the 30,000-foot view. How on earth is it controversial to protect children from harassment and violence? (N&O):

Sen. Doug Berger, a Franklin County Democrat, said the bullying bill will not be approved this session.

The bill was controversial because it listed "sexual orientation" and other characteristics as reasons schoolchildren might be the targets of bullying. Groups such as the Christian Action League and the N.C. Family Policy Council did not want the term in state law, saying that gay-rights groups would use it to leverage other rights.