On Saturday, August 9th, at the Lincoln Cultural Center, Indivisible Lincoln County NC sponsored a discussion and provide education on the impact of the recently passed GOP Budget Bill otherwise known as “The Big Beautiful Bill” More than 125 citizens attended the Indivisible Lincoln County NC Town Hall on Saturday (Aug
9) at the Lincoln Cultural Center in downtown Lincolnton, NC. City of Lincolnton Mayor Ed Hatley welcomed attendees and offered words of encouragement
and support for protecting our democracy, which is a primary goal for the new Indivisible-LCNC chapter that calls itself Democracy Defenders. The focus of the meeting was threefold: First, introduce Indivisible Lincoln County NC (I-LCNC) to the community. Second, to define who we are as a County. There was a scrolling PowerPoint with statistics
and demographics of Lincoln County, which was impeccably sourced and representative of our population. This PPT is available on the I-LCNC website. And third, to learn more about the One Big Beautiful Bill. A local panel spoke to their deep understanding of specific issues and how the recently passed Budget Bill will impact them and
Lincoln County citizens. The panel presentations and perspectives were impactful and sobering. The panel moderator, Reverend Amy Vaughan, did an outstanding job of fielding questions and leading a respectful, inclusive meeting. Panel members were:
Educator Patty Fedo: Spoke to education/SNAP
Attorney Angela Woods Attorney: spoke to Medicaid and DSS services, including
domestic violence
Director of Hesed House, Keith Poston: spoke to housing costs, homelessness, and the
cycle of poverty
Greg McBryde: spoke to LGBTQ community’s need for support from a father’s point of
view
Retired entrepreneur and communication expert Dave Shelton: Spoke to clean energy
Business Owner Tom Flohr: Spoke to his business, Trident Trikes, explained tariffs and
how they’ve impacted businesses, and discussed China vs US manufacturing growth
Retired Arthur Anderson CPA, Mary Shelton: spoke to the tax structure and tax breaks
based on a comparison of a middle-class family to an upper-class family.
The second hour invited attendees to share their questions and statements with the panel and other audience members. There were discussions on Veteran affairs, Women’s reproductive healthcare, how to address younger generation individuals, Medicare/Medicaid/ACA access, and more. It was an informative afternoon of thought-provoking discussion. Indivisible Lincoln County NC was formed in early 2025 as a new chapter of the national movement as a non-partisan, pro-democracy, pro-accountability grassroots organization. Learn more at: https://www.indivisiblelincolncountync.org. Stay tuned as we will be posting other I-LCNP events & protests if you are interested in participating.