u/JCMC2

Ever since Gov Stein hired Paul Tine, the General Assembly reluctantly put more money into the NC DMV last year, hired more examiners, revamped their technology, and opened more locations -- anyone else had a more improved experience?

My dad was upgrading his driver's license to REAL ID today and went to his appointment in Carrboro an hour early. There were like several people ahead of him in line, so the examiners put him on the waitlist. He had everything with him, he was called up, did the transaction, and was home before his original appointment time.

I was impressed when I heard that, but I know everyone has a different experience.

I know it's 90% likely that our rigged state legislature will remain in control of the NC GOP after the Nov 2026 elections (perhaps losing the state House), albeit with no supermajorities (and no Phil Berger) -- meaning that Gov Stein will successfully veto future bad bills. And I'm aware that along with that, we need to flip the NC Supreme Court in 2028 to undo the rigged state and Congressional maps in time for the 2030 census.

But... if we have a 2010 in reverse this year, NC Dems need to do the following:

- Defund the voucher handouts for wealthy parents, give teachers the raises they deserve

- Undo the law giving Dave Boliek control of our state Board of Elections and give it back to the governor, fire every GOP hire including Dallas Woodhouse and the idiot that replaced Karen Brinson Bell (and if she is still looking for work, hire her back with bonus pay)

- Fund rural schools and ignore Newby's horrendous ruling on Leandro

- Re-implement the state Income Tax Credit and school supply tax holiday weekend

- Bring back a mobile DMV unit to the NC State Fair

- Push through their own legislative and Congressional maps -- or use the threat of one to get NC Rs to vote to put an independent redistricting amendment on the ballot

- Pass a $15/dollar minimum wage raise, with COL interest factored yearly after the $15/hr threshold is reached

- Implement paid family and sick leave, or allow counties to implement their own

- If Democrats manage to secure 60% of both chambers, add a constitutional amendment to the ballot to allow direct voter ballot initiatives for state statutes and constitutional amendments

- Pass a state-level Voting Rights Act law

- Undo the 12-week abortion ban and eliminate all the TRAP laws

- Re-implement the 10% corporate tax and a bigger one for wealthy residents (looking at YOU, Art Pope)

- Closing loopholes for gun purchases

- Implement stronger political transparency (i.e. undo the corrupt coverup laws pushed through by Berger and Moore)

- Move up mandatory judicial retirement age from 78 to 72 to get Paul Newby and other GOP justices off our state Supreme Court and allow Gov Stein to name replacements of his choice (no mandatory picking from a list provided by the GOP)

- Make a law REQUIRING justices to recuse themselves from cases they have a vested interest in (or put a constitutional amendment on the ballot)

- Fund ballot dropoff boxes and eliminate the 2 witness/1 notary requirement for absentee voting

- Add in a provision to the photo ID law that allows voters to sign a confirmation affidavit if they do not have an ID

- Implement a five-day grace period for absentee ballots postmarked on or before Election Day and reinstate the 14-day provisional ballot cure period

So basically, undoing most of what the NC GOP did.

I know there's an AMC Fan early IMAX screening on Wednesday the 24th, but my local AMC and Silverspot have a Monday Mystery Movie this coming Monday. The film is rated PG-13 and runtime varies from 125 to 130 minutes (Supergirl is 108 minutes).

Anyone else think WB is doing an earlier screening to help drum up WOM going into opening weekend?

So, my dad needed to apply for a new passport since his old one expired in 2018. He wasn't sure he needed to submit proof of his last name change when his old passport already had it. Turns out it was no problem and his old passport was sufficient. His timeline:

6/4 - dropped off passport application at USPS location

6/9 - check cashed

6/10 - passport application in process (location 45)

6/12 - passport printed and mailed from Tucson, AZ

6/17 - arrived in the mail

Took less than 2 weeks for expedited service.