Legislative Alert!
Call to Action: Protect Recycling in North Carolina
The NC Senate Needs to Hear from You…
Tell them how important NC DEACS is to recycling in NC now!
Sign the Petition to #KeepDEACS
Read about what’s going on
Find out what to do
Here’s how to do it
What’s going on:
UPDATE:
We did it! Because of your calls, emails and letters to state representatives, the NC House kept DEACS in their 2017-2018 budget. Thank you sincerely for signing our petition: we received 396 signatures in support of the #keepDEACS campaign. CRA personally delivered the petition to the Chair of the House Appropriations committee on Monday May 22nd.
Now, we must turn our attentions to the Senate as the two houses conference to create a final budget. Please contact at least one of the key members of the Senate finance committee listed below, and ask them to keep DEACS in the state’s budget. The budget conferencing process is moving very fast; it is imperative that we reach out to as many contacts as possible immediately. Click here for Key Contacts in the Senate. Please reach out and tell them to #KeepDEACS!
Portion of NC Senate Budget re: DEACS
Full NC Senate Proposed Budget
Dear Members and Friends of the Carolina Recycling Association:
A vital piece of North Carolina’s recycling success is in jeopardy as we speak, but you can help by making your voice heard. The North Carolina State Senate has just approved a budget that proposes to eliminate the Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service (DEACS) from the Department of Environmental Quality. The North Carolina House will now consider and pass its own version of the budget, and then conference with the Senate to pass a final State budget to submit to Governor Roy Cooper. Erasing DEACS from the map will be a giant leap backwards for all aspects of the recycling industry in NC and beyond. It is imperative to contact members of the NC House immediately to educate them on why they should continue to fund and support NC DEACS.
Considering the billions of dollars coming into the State’s economy from recycling, keeping DEACS as a support structure that has a real return on investment for our state is an intelligent investment of state dollars. Therefore, in accordance with CRA’s mission to advance waste reduction and recycling in the Carolinas, and with the utmost respect for our members and friends from all corners of the industry, we are asking you to take action. Please contact the North Carolina House of Representatives to request that DEACS and its programs remain fully funded, and that the House adamantly support this funding in conference.
In order to assist you, we have provided a website with more info on this important effort, talking points to use when calling legislators, a form letter that you may edit and mail or email your representatives and key contacts in the legislature. Nothing will have more impact than sharing your own accounts of how DEACS has helped you, your business, and your community, so we encourage you to personalize your communications with legislators.
We hope you will consider the implications of a North Carolina without DEACS, and move quickly to do your part in protecting North Carolina’s state environmental assistance program. Thank you for your time and attention to this issue that so deeply affects all of us.
Sincerely,
The Carolina Recycling Association
What to do:
- Visit, Call, or Write to your local Senator ASAP
- Contact at least ONE key legislator
- Post and comment on Social Media
- Email this alert to local media contacts to help inform citizens
- Share this information with friends, family and colleagues
How to do it:
- Download this Form Letter you can personalize & send to your representatives and key contacts
- Use these talking points to communicate with legislators
- Download the Key Contacts NC House & Key Contacts NC Senate and share your story with them
- Use these Sample Posts for Facebook and Twitter and #KeepDEACS
- Download and Share This Infographic (courtesy of The Recycling Partnership)