NCPIRG’s 2023 Legislative Priorities

The issue: When our stuff breaks, if we can’t easily fix it, it means higher costs for consumers, and also means more waste. The goal of our Right to Repair campaign is to give every consumer and small business access to the parts, tools and service information they need to repair products so we can keep things in use and reduce waste.

What we support: NCPIRG is advocating for policies to expand the Right to Repair for farm equipment and medical imaging devices. 

The issue: Every day, people throw away tons of plastic “stuff” — packaging, bags, takeout containers, and more. All of this waste clogs our landfills and incinerators, trashes our parks, litters our streets, and washes into our rivers and oceans, where it can harm wildlife. It’s time to move beyond single-use plastic, by getting rid of the most harmful waste, and stopping the use of things we truly don’t need.

What we support: NCPIRG is building support for policies that reduce plastic waste statewide, as well as continuing to support local plastic waste solutions.

The issue:  PFAS are a class of over 12,000 chemicals used to make a wide variety of products water-, stain- and heat resistant. Also known as “forever chemicals,” PFAS are highly persistent in the environment, do not break down naturally, and build up in the environment and our bodies over time. We are exposed to PFAS “forever” chemicals, which are linked to cancer and other illnesses, in water, food, and consumer products. They have been linked to many serious health effects including immune suppression, developmental issues and cancer. 

What we support: We’re working to stop the use of PFAS in consumer products, clean up contamination in our water and communities, and to hold industry accountable for damage they have caused.

The issue: Too many products, practices and technologies put consumers’ health, safety or well-being at risk. We work to get dangerous products off store shelves, end exploitative practices (like price gouging), and ensure a level playing field in the marketplace. 

What we support: We will support policies to protect consumers from harmful practices ranging from surprise medical bills, to illegal towing, to virtual wallet and texting scams, and more. 

The issue: North Carolina’s reliance on polluting fuels puts our health and safety at risk. From the gas stoves in our homes, to the buses we send our kids to schools on, the burning of fossil fuels to power our lives can lead to a host of adverse health impacts ranging from triggering asthma attacks, to increasing risk of respiratory illnesses, and more. However, as of 2021, North Carolina ranked 4th in the nation for solar power generation and over the last year our state has begun taking critical steps to phase out carbon emissions. So it’s clear our state has the potential to lead the way towards a healthier future, but only if we continue to invest in clean and efficient energy on all fronts. 

What we support: This year, NCPIRG will continue to support policies to increase clean, efficient energy use from our cars to our homes and more.

The issue: The influence of wealthy special interests in elections has eroded public trust in government and helped to depress civic participation. We should do everything we can to ensure all eligible voters are able to have their voice heard on Election Day. 

What we support: NCPIRG believes that our democracy works best when everyone’s voice is heard and will work to support policies that modernize our elections, such as through automatic voter registration, as well as policies and decisions that make our democracy more representative of the public interest.