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Threats and Issues

Threats Facing Our Democracy

Across the nation, in North Carolina, and here in Highlands, our democracy, rights, and well-being are under attack. Learn what’s at risk and explore trusted resources to stay informed and take action.

Democracy
Our Rights
Well-Being
Public Education
Economy
Environment

Threats to Democracy

Authoritarianism & Executive Power

  • National:
Political experts report steep democratic decline, citing Project 2025 policies and executive overreach; foundational institutions, checks-and-balances, and rule of law are all under active threat.
  • North Carolina:
Partisan gerrymandering, legislative overreach, and new “government efficiency” models threaten transparency and erode oversight.
  • Highlands, Macon County:
Local autonomy is undermined by state interventions; community ability to hold leaders accountable is weakened.

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Threats to Our Rights

Voting Rights

  • National:
Dozens of new laws limit voting access; nationwide partisan gerrymandering and new barriers shrink minority and youth representation.
  • North Carolina:
Legal fights over ID, redistricting, and early voting; communities of color and rural voters face persistent suppression.
  • Local:
Gerrymandered districts and voting restrictions reduce the local voice.

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Learn More:

Brennan Center Voting Rights

Voting Rights Lab‍

‍DemocracyNC 

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Immigrant Rights

  • National:
Expanded deportations, more restrictive asylum and legal protections, and state-federal immigration crackdowns.
  • North Carolina:
Greater law enforcement coordination with federal agencies and stricter service limits for undocumented people.
  • Highlands:
Local immigrant communities face insecurity, loss of access, and must turn to nonprofits for essentials.

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LGBTQIA+ Rights

  • National:
Over 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills filed since 2024; numerous rights and services eliminated, including federal support for gender-affirming care.
  • North Carolina:
Bans and rollbacks restrict trans rights, inclusive education, and gender documentation. The governor’s Pride Month action stands amid broader threats.
  • Highlands:
Local libraries defend inclusion; mental health and community supports sustain advocacy.\

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Women’s Rights

  • National:
Project 2025 policies trigger a push for national abortion ban, bans on mailing abortion medication, and aggressive surveillance of pregnant people. Cuts and rollbacks threaten contraception, IVF, and workplace protections.
  • North Carolina:
Abortion banned after 12 weeks (few exceptions), but local demand and disparities in access have grown sharply.
  • Highlands:
Rural location intensifies care barriers, economic and health inequity for women and mothers.

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Data Privacy

  • National:
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is centralizing federal data, risking major privacy and security breaches; lawsuits and leaks multiply.
  • North Carolina:
The Attorney General has blocked DOGE on some fronts, but similar state proposals loom, with threats of layoffs and reduced privacy.
  • Highlands:
Residents’ data security is at risk; program disruptions have already impacted disaster and public health response.

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Threats to Well-Being

Healthcare

  • National:
Up to 17 million people are projected to lose Medicaid by 2035 under new federal laws. Major changes take effect in 2027, introducing work requirements, stricter eligibility, and semi-annual renewals.
  • 2027: Estimated 650,000–1,000,000 people cut from Medicaid nationwide in the first year, with 17 million total projected losses by 2035.
  • Who’s at risk: Low-income workers, parents, rural families, disabled adults, lawfully present immigrants, and Medicaid expansion populations.
  • Administrative churn: Many lose coverage due to complex forms and reporting, not actual ineligibility.

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  • North Carolina:
650,000 North Carolinians are expected to lose Medicaid coverage during early implementation—among the highest losses for any state. Cuts will heavily impact rural areas, people with disabilities, and children.
  • Over $3.7 billion in Medicaid funds for rural health systems are at risk, threatening clinics and hospitals.

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  • Highlands:
Local care safety net will be weakened; more residents face periods without insurance and increased barriers to treatment.

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Housing

  • National:
The affordable housing crisis deepens; federal budget cuts threaten public housing and rental assistance.
  • North Carolina:
Both cities and rural towns face high costs and shrinking affordable supply.
  • Highlands:
Workers and families struggle to find affordable housing, pressured by short-term rentals and stagnant wages.

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Food Costs

  • National:
SNAP (food stamp) cuts will remove or reduce benefits for millions of families starting in 2027.
    • $186 billion in SNAP cuts over 10 years.
    • 2027: Over 15% drop in benefits, fewer eligible families, stricter work and reporting rules, federal support for program administration drops from 50% to 25%.
    • Projected fallout: Millions more people, especially children and seniors, will experience food insecurity.
  • North Carolina:
Rural and low-income areas hit hardest; local food banks and pantries see major increases in demand.
  • Highlands:
Already-high food prices will be compounded by reduced SNAP use and cuts, putting the most pressure on the most vulnerable.

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Veterans' Benefits

  • National:
Projected federal cuts could lower VA staffing and restrict health and disability services.
  • North Carolina:
VA clinics face cost constraints; wait times and care options are under threat.
  • Highlands:
Local veterans will lose access to timely, local support and essential health services.

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Threats to Public Education

Schools & Book Bans

  • National:
Funding cuts, privatization, and censorship pressure from Project 2025 and related efforts threaten early learning, disability supports, and school safety. Book bans have soared, with over 3,000 titles challenged or removed since 2024.
  • North Carolina:
Schools remain underfunded, with average spending nearly $5,000 per student less than the U.S. norm. Teacher shortages and voucher expansion deepen inequity.
  • Recent “Parents’ Bill of Rights” laws empower book removal and restrict discussions of race and gender.
  • Highlands:
Early childhood education shortfalls, limited childcare, and local book ban debates highlight gaps in support and growing claims of censorship.

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Threats to the Economy

Budget & Trade

  • National:
The deficit is projected to reach 156% of GDP by 2055, with 2025 tax cuts and federal spending reductions risking core programs—health, hunger, education, and infrastructure.
  • North Carolina:
State budgets are squeezed; lawmakers debate slashing services or raising local taxes.
  • Highlands:
Losses in federal/state dollars force hard local choices about schools, public safety, and health.

Tariffs & Trade

  • Ongoing tariffs continue to raise domestic prices and hurt exports. Local businesses, farmers, and tourism feel the strain of supply cost spikes and slowing demand.

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Threats to the Environment

National

  • Climate Change:
Disasters from storms, heat, and wildfires already cost over $38 trillion annually, with mounting risk to life, water, and infrastructure. Dismantling of EPA Climate Change program. Loss of NOAA capacities for predicting extreme weather events. 
  • Policy Rollbacks:
Project 2025 and allied policies have gutted Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts; public input on rules is weakened or bypassed.
  • Overturning the Roadless Rule (2025):
Nearly 59 million acres of former national forest roadless areas—including over 170,000 acres in NC—are now open to logging, roads, and extraction. Experts warn this will fragment habitats, degrade water sources, and jeopardize rural economies and climate resilience.
  • Air, Water, and Biodiversity:
Regulatory delays, deregulation, and habitat conversion continue to accelerate threats to public health and wildlife.

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North Carolina

  • Climate & Disasters:
Severe storms, floods, and wildfires hit both coast and Appalachians; infrastructure and insurance costs climb.
  • Forest Loss:
Pisgah & Nantahala National Forest roadless zones—essential for water, recreation, and rare species—face development and extraction threats after federal rollbacks.
  • Pollution:
Drinking water for millions is contaminated by PFAS and 1,4-dioxane, with slow progress on remediation.
  • Fossil Fuels & Community Impacts:
Energy plans favor fossil fuels over renewables, and disaster recovery is slowest for the most vulnerable.

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Highlands, NC

  • Water & Forests:
Persistent sedimentation, logging threats to nearby roadless tracts, and pressures from development put water, recreation, and biodiversity at risk.

Biodiversity & Climate:
Highlands’ rare species are under threat from unchecked land use and extreme weather, requiring local advocacy and stewardship.

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Stay Informed. Take Action.

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Stay up to date on upcoming events, urgent actions, and resources to protect democracy in Highlands and beyond.

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