Public Policy Network of Western North Carolina and North Georgia

28/01/2024

Dear PPN followers. Facebook staff (META) advised me, as one of the admins for this page, that the company is taking PPN's page down, for lack of engagement, I guess. (I don't believe this will affect any of our PPN affinity groups, since they were all established separately.)

If you would like to leave a note here, to memorialize their contributions, and express your gratitude to PPN's founder, Susan Morgan and Mary Zoller Lightner, who succeeded Susan as PPN's chairperson, please feel free to do so.

PPN may be archived by "Meta," but Susan's dream of changing the conversation in western NC and north GA, lives on in all of us who shared her vision.

06/10/2023

An updated profile of North Carolina voters, from Carolina Demography: "As of September 23rd, 2023, North Carolina had about 7.9 million voting-eligible adults and 7.3 million registered voters. Their partisan affiliation was roughly split between three groups: unaffiliated, Democrat, and Republican, with a slight lead to unaffiliated. Specifically:

2,665,176 or 36% were registered unaffiliated;
2,414,900 or 33% were registered Democrat;
2,208,932 or 30% were registered Republican; and
51,320 or 0.71% were registered to another party.

Other party registrations included Libertarian (49,748 or 0.7%), Green Party (1,472 or 0.02%), and No Labels (1,100 or 0.01%).

07/09/2023

Please join us in celebrating the remarkable life and outstanding public service of Mary Zoller Lightner. Mary's Memorial Service will be held this Friday, September 8, at 11:00 at Sharp Memorial United Methodist Church in Young Harris, Georgia. Forever in our hearts.

Very sad news. Mary Zoller Lightner, who succeeded Susan Morgan as the fearless leader of the Public Policy Network, has died after a valiant, two-year battle with cancer. PPN members will always remember her as a tireless advocate for access to quality, affordable healthcare for the uninsured. To her devoted friends and family, Mary will also be remembered for her love of the North Georgia mountains; for her delightful "furbabies;" for her love of gardening, and her magnificent glass art pieces that grace so many of our homes. We are indeed heartbroken that Mary has lost her battle with cancer, but we are also very much in awe of the way she LIVED--with courage, dignity and strength--at every stage of this journey. If you knew Mary well, you won't be surprised to learn, in one of her final e-mails to a fellow PPN volunteer, she shared that she had written President Biden to raise awareness about the systemic barriers she encountered as she tried to gain access to a clinical trial that could have prolonged her life. Please join us in remembering and celebrating, the life of one of PPN's greatest health care heroes: Mary Zoller Lightner.

26/07/2023

https://www.ncdhhs.gov/news/press-releases/2023/07/26/state-takes-action-start-medicaid-expansion-oct-1-launch-depends-general-assembly-acting-sept-1?emci=3da8729d-e82b-ee11-b8f0-00224832eb73&emdi=26253ee5-f32b-ee11-b8f0-00224832eb73&ceid=820359

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is moving forward with Medicaid expansion and announcing the anticipated start date of Oct. 1, 2023. This announcement is part of a compromise agreement NCDHHS obtained from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that will allow the de...

07/06/2023

Very sad news. Mary Zoller Lightner, who succeeded Susan Morgan as the fearless leader of the Public Policy Network, has died after a valiant, two-year battle with cancer. PPN members will always remember her as a tireless advocate for access to quality, affordable healthcare for the uninsured. To her devoted friends and family, Mary will also be remembered for her love of the North Georgia mountains; for her delightful "furbabies;" for her love of gardening, and her magnificent glass art pieces that grace so many of our homes. We are indeed heartbroken that Mary has lost her battle with cancer, but we are also very much in awe of the way she LIVED--with courage, dignity and strength--at every stage of this journey. If you knew Mary well, you won't be surprised to learn, in one of her final e-mails to a fellow PPN volunteer, she shared that she had written President Biden to raise awareness about the systemic barriers she encountered as she tried to gain access to a clinical trial that could have prolonged her life. Please join us in remembering and celebrating, the life of one of PPN's greatest health care heroes: Mary Zoller Lightner.

05/06/2023

https://www.ncjustice.org/publications/an-update-on-house-bill-76-and-north-carolinas-medicaid-expansion-program/?emci=1a937c79-6f01-ee11-907c-00224832eb73&emdi=c1787686-a903-ee11-907c-00224832eb73&ceid=820359

References [i] Page 17, lines 7–11, House Bill 76 [ii] Page 20, lines 14­–25, House Bill 76 [iii] Arkansas’s Failed Experiment: Work Reporting …

22/05/2023

https://www.wavy.com/video/unemployment-in-nc-drops-3-4-in-april/8667749/

WAVY News 10.

27/04/2023

Broadband is coming to western NC:

Last week, the Jackson County Commissioners approved a GREAT Grant agreement that will fund a project to connect more than 1,000 homes with broadband internet access. “There is a definite and negative impact to lack of broadband in our community,” said Jackson County Director of Economic Develop...

24/04/2023

If you are interested in following what's been going on in the Georgia State Legislature, you might be interested in registering for this upcoming event hosted by the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute: "Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 25, at 2 pm, the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, Small Business Majority and 9to5 Georgia Women will hold a Legislative Session Debrief related to the pillars of the People-Powered Prosperity Campaign. Join us to get the inside scoop on what happened under the Gold Dome and learn how you can get involved to build a more prosperous state where everyone can thrive! Our speakers will discuss policies that passed during the session and have been sent to the governor’s desk, as well as opportunities for legislators to create people-centered policies in the future. In addition to the debrief, speakers will offer tips for engaging in effective advocacy outside the Legislative Session. Please register here to join us to learn about people-centered policy that supports a Georgia where everyone is included in the state’s prosperity!"

21/04/2023

https://www.ncdhhs.gov/news/press-releases/2023/04/19/free-covid-19-tests-available-north-carolina-households-through-june-2023

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced a change to the Project Access COVID Tests program (Project ACT) that will allow all North Carolina households to request free, at-home COVID-19 tests through June 30, 2023. Residents are encouraged to order additional free t...