Medicaid Expansion - Still Bad Policy Says GOP Leadership

Speaker Tim Moore said this week that the possibility of expanding Medicaid coverage has come up in talks with Gov. Roy Cooper (D), but that there is still not enough support among his party’s members to include that in a final budget agreement.  The issue was one of the key reasons Cooper and the Republican-controlled legislature never agreed on a budget two years ago, as the governor has pushed for expanding the program to cover hundreds of thousands more lower-income people.  Republican legislative leaders have declined to do that, with Senate leader Phil Berger saying recently he still thinks it’s “bad policy.”

Read more

Support Expanding for “Expansion” in Conservative Cos of NC

Six Republican counties in Western North Carolina have now pledged their support for Medicaid expansion.  For months, the CEO of the Cherokee Indian Hospital has quietly traveled to county commission boards throughout the western part of the state, giving presentations on the benefits of Medicaid expansion. As local leaders throughout the conservative region show support for the policy, will they change the minds of state Republicans? 

Read more

Budget Blues

Ahead of a court-ordered deadline to fund a multibillion-dollar plan aimed at improving North Carolina schools, state leaders said Wednesday they’re still negotiating a budget agreement with no clear indication when that will be resolved.  House Democrats and education advocates on Wednesday urged the state to fully fund the Leandro plan, which is part of a long-running court case tied to whether the state is meeting its Constitutional obligation to provide a “sound, basic education.” Superior Court Judge David Lee has set a hearing for Monday, Oct. 18, for state leaders to show him they are indeed implementing it.

Read more

Nothing Could Be Finer!

It’s back! For the first time in two years, people can enjoy the fun of the North Carolina State Fair.  All the usual staples are back: entertainment, rides, animals, family activities and deep-fried food delights.  The fair will be open every day through October 24 at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. 

Read more