Lt. Gov. Robinson defends himself, as LGBTQ leaders say he ‘lit a match of hatred’ News & Observer - October 12, 2021

On Tuesday, Cary Democratic Rep. Allison Dahle — who was a lead sponsor of the anti-conversion-therapy bill — said she’s sad but not surprised that none of her GOP colleagues have reached out to her now in the wake of Robinson’s comments, even privately.

“For them, I think it’s some kind of party politics,” Dahle said. Dahle said she hadn’t reached out to any GOP lawmakers herself to ask if they’d be willing to talk, nor had she attempted to contact Robinson directly. “To go and seek out hatred is not on my list of things to do,” she said. She and the others who spoke Tuesday mentioned the high rates of suicide in the LGBTQ community and said anyone who needs help can reach out to their office, or to groups like The Trevor Project or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

NC Democratic lawmakers plan to bring gun law reform bills up for votes next week CBS17 - Sept. 9, 2021

Rep. Allison Dahle (D-Wake County), who described herself as a “proud gun owner,” said she opposed repealing the pistol purchase permit law.

“I get so worked up on this because it’s just not a hard process,” she said. “With gun ownership comes responsibility. With that responsibility comes accountability.”

Spectrum News 1's parent company debuts app for visually impaired Spectrum News - July 7, 2021

In June, Charter demonstrated the app's capabilities at a special movie night held at the Governor Morehead School in Raleigh. The Morehead School, which opened in 1845, is North Carolina’s residential school for the deaf and blind.  

North Carolina General Assembly Rep. Allison Dahle was there and urged the students to make a difference.

"I hope that one of you will run for office and help other people understand the needs of specifically the community of blind folks. That would be awesome. So never give up," Dahle said.​

North Carolina legislators introduce bill to legalize marijuana The Hill - April 22, 2021

North Carolina state lawmakers introduced legislation this week to legalize the possession and sale of marijuana in The Tar Heel State.

Democratic state Reps. John Autry, Allison Dahle, Pricey Harrison and Zack Hawkins introduced the legislation, known as H.B. 617, on Tuesday, or 4/20, the annual pot holiday.

It would legalize the possession of up to two ounces of most forms of cannabis, several cannabis plants and other cannabis products for people who are 21 or older. It also includes regulations on lab testing of cannabis, taxation of marijuana products, creating cannabis-related facilities and more.

The bill further proposes expunging certain marijuana convictions for state residents in addition to creating an “Office of Social Equity,” which would be tasked with encouraging “full participation in the regulated cannabis industry by people from communities that have previously been disproportionately harmed by cannabis prohibition.”

 States Launch Attacks on Voting Rights: How Can We Protect Our Democracy? Ms. Magazine - April 15, 2021

“I feel strongly that people should choose their representatives, and not vice versa,” said state Rep. Allison Dahle (D-N.C.) on an April 7 press call. But what is in theory a basic tenant of democracy can no longer be taken for granted.

In several states, Republican-controlled legislatures are launching attacks on voting rights, establishing barriers to access under the guise of “election security.” These laws take many forms—thwarting automatic voter registration and mail-in ballots; instituting strict voter ID laws, which disproportionately disenfranchise people of color, low-income people, women and young people; preventing third-party registration; even criminalizing providing food and water to those waiting in line—but they all work together to discourage as many people as possible from voting, allowing legislators to essentially cherry-pick the electorate in their own favor.

“We need to figure a way, and I work towards this everyday of my life, to make voting important to everyone,” said Dahle. “Because squelching the voice of anyone is not helping us get to a better democracy.”

N.C. Democrats Push Bills to Make Voting Easier Indy Week - April 13, 2021

State House Democrats on Tuesday unveiled legislation aimed at improving voting access in North Carolina with provisions such as creating automatic voter registration, expanding mail-in voting, and designating Election Day as a state holiday. 

“The common thread is democracy works best when everyone is involved,” said Rep. Allison Dahle of Wake County, one of five House members who spoke at a press conference promoting the legislation. 

House Bill 446, one of two bills discussed Tuesday, would make several changes to state election laws aimed at making it easier to register and cast ballots. 

Among the provisions, the bill would:

—Allow government agencies to automatically register a person to vote or update their voter registration information whenever the person interacts with a government body

—Enable online voter registration

—Promote mail-in voting by sending each registered voter an absentee ballot application

—Make Election Day in each even-numbered year a public holiday for state employees 

Democratic lawmakers file raft of LGBTQ equality bills NC Policy Watch - March 30, 2021

Rep. Allison Dahle (D-Wake) shared that her aunt was a victim of conversion therapy.

“She’s in her late 70s and still to this day, there are ramifications from said ‘therapy,’ Dahle said. “So it’s very important to me that no child has to go through this, that no person has to go through this.”

The bills filed Tuesday are:

House Bill 450 / Senate Bill 396 – “The Equality for All Act” — Legislation that would extend LGBTQ non-discrimination protections statewide. Seven communities across the state have already passed such protections since a statewide ban on such local protections expired in December.

House Bill 451 – A full repeal of HB2, the controversial law that excludes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from statewide nondiscrimination protections and generated international headlines and boycotts of the state.

House  Bill 449 – A bill to prohibit so-called “gay/trans panic” defenses in “heat of passion” assaults and murders of LGBTQ people.

House Bill 452/ Senate Bill 392 – “The Mental Health Protection Act” – A bill to prohibit so-called “conversion therapy,” a scientifically discredited practice aimed at “curing” LGBTQ people. The practice has been linked to suicides among LGBTQ youth and is banned for minors in 20 states and Washington D.C.  In 2019 Gov. Roy Cooper banned the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for the practice.

On second thought: N.C. lawmakers plan to 'correct' bill limiting access to death records. Greensboro News & Record - June 30, 2020

State Rep. Allison Dahle, a Democrat from Raleigh, was the only lawmaker to vote against the bill.

“The reason I voted no was it was one bill when it left the House, and when it came back it was totally different,” Dahle said. “Midnight is no time to govern. I continue to ask why it has to happen this way.”

Two days before its passage, when the bill left committee, it was six pages.

By the time it reached the floor in the early hours of Saturday morning, the page count more than doubled.

Expand vote-by-mail for 2020, says a bipartisan group of NC lawmakers News & Observer - May 25, 2020

With uncertainty looming over how serious coronavirus will be this fall, a bipartisan push at the state legislature would make it easier for North Carolinians to vote by mail this year. State officials are expecting a massive increase in people wanting to vote by mail in November. The legislature wants to make sure that goes smoothly, said Rep. Pricey Harrison, who has co-sponsored a new elections bill along with one fellow Democrat and two Republicans.