Despite a plea from Governor McCrory that the Legislature take it slower with the bill to prohibit Medicaid expansion in North Carolina, and despite the news that
many other Republican governors are accepting the federal government's offer to expand Medicaid in their states, and despite a
letter from senior U.S. Representatives from North Carolina arguing against the bill, the N.C. Senate passed S.B. 4 quickly this week and sent it on to the House for consideration. It is scheduled to be heard
in the House Committee on Health and Human Services on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. in 544 LOB.
The U.S. Representatives' letter reiterated that:
- Since only 30 percent of low-income adults are now covered by Medicaid, many families have to rely on hospital emergency rooms for medical care. That creates a "hidden tax" on people with private insurance, as the cost of care increases.
- Under the law, the federal government will cover all costs of the expansion for three years and 90 percent after that, and the North Carolina Institute of Medicine estimates that the state could save $65 million over eight years by taking advantage of the federal funding.
- A Department of Health and Human Services report projected a $1.4 billion boost to the North Carolina economy from Medicaid expansion, as drug makers, medical device manufacturers and others expand to serve a larger patient base.
State Board of Education Takes Position Against Corporal Punishment
This week, the State Board of Education voted 10-1 to pass a resolution opposing corporal punishment in North Carolina's public schools. This resolution is an important milestone in Action for Children's campaign to stop the hitting of students in our schools. Local districts will still have say over whether corporal punishment is used in their schools, but the State Board's position will increase pressure on the remaining nine districts to stop the practice.
This vote was made possible by your committed advocacy. Your emails to Board members, combined with your support of this campaign over the years, has helped our movement reach critical mass. Our work is not done yet: 50,000 students across the state attend school in districts that continue to allow the use of corporal punishment. Last year, corporal punishment was used in N.C. schools more than 400 times (down from nearly 900 the previous year), and one in every five students hit (21 percent) was a student with a disability.
Click here for a recent news article on the resolution.
Click here to read our latest op-ed about corporal punishment featured in the News & Observer.
New N.C. Division of Child Development Chief Resigns
Dianna Lightfoot, appointed as director of the Division of Child Development (DCD) by the new N.C. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Aldona Wos, has resigned due to her extreme and controversial views on early education, including comments about early education being unnecessary. No new DCD director has yet been appointed.
Budget Update
The Governor's budget is expected in mid-March. All departments have been asked to present the administration with a two percent reduction plan. The Senate budget is not expected until late April, after the new revenue numbers come out. The House budget will be released after the Senate budget this year. We have heard that the Governor has convened a small group from the House and Senate to discuss a new revenue plan. The result of those discussions seems to be not a total elimination of personal and corporate income taxes but a gradual decrease over the next three years, resulting in $1 billion less in revenue than the state currently takes in. These are early talks and subject to change.
Relevant Bills Acted on This Week
Key bills affecting children that were acted on this week at the General Assembly are listed below. For a full list of bills that affect children, please see the lists updated weekly on our
Policy Action webpage.
Economic SecurityWould reduce unemployment insurance benefits received by out-of-work N.C. workers and make the changes permanent going forward. The changes are intended to accelerate repayment of the $2.6 billion North Carolina borrowed from the federal government to pay unemployment insurance amid elevated unemployment rates caused by the recession. Passed the House very quickly. Passed Senate Finance Committee and scheduled to be heard on the Senate floor next Tuesday.
Child SafetyThese bills to weaken gun restrictions in North Carolina were all referred to the Rules Committee, suggesting that one big bill will be pulled together, rather than several specific ones. The one exception,
S.B. 28: Gun Permit Information No Publication was referred to the Senate Judiciary II Committee.
These two bills would place armed security guards in schools (S.B. 59), or arm teacher and staff volunteers and give them basic gun training (S.B. 27). Also referred to Rules, along with the other gun bills.
Raises the minimum age for use of tanning equipment from 14 to 18. Tanning beds are related to skin cancer. Referred to House Committee on Health and Human Services.
Would increase penalties for felony child abuse. Filed.
Revokes drivers license for drivers passing a stopped school bus. Estimates are that drivers pass stopped school buses in North Carolina around 400,000 times a year. Scheduled to be heard in Senate Judiciary II Committee on Tuesday.EducationExpresses the intent of the Legislature to move from funding textbooks to funding only digital learning media by 2017 and to take a survey of internet connectivity in public schools. Both bills are scheduled to be heard in the House Committee on Education on Tuesday.
Aims to funnel high school and community college students towards career and technical education (and thus away from higher education). Passed the Senate.
S.B. 42: Charter School/Govt Unit
Makes a charter school a "government unit" for the purposes of transfer of property. Presumably would make it easier for new charter schools to obtain local or state government buildings for their use. Referred to Senate Committee on State and Local Government.
Child Health
Would prevent a state-based or state-federal partnership Exchange in North Carolina (under the Affordable Care Act), return federal money already received for the establishment of the Exchange, and prohibit the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Passed the Senate. Scheduled to be heard in the House Health & Human Services Committee on Tuesday. House Speaker Tillis has indicated that the House will slow the process some but that he agrees with the intent of the bill.
TAKE ACTION: This is a great time to contact your N.C. House Representative and Governor McCrory's office to urge them to strengthen and expand Medicaid in North Carolina to cover more low-income parents.
- Click here to find out who your N.C. House Representative is and how to contact him/her.
- Contact the Governor's office toll-free at 1-800-464-2537.
- Click here for talking points from our friends at the N.C. Justice Center's Health Access Coalition.
H.B. 70: North Carolina Health Plan
Would establish an N.C. Health Plan to cover all uninsured North Carolinians in the absence of an Exchange. Filed.
S.B. 23: Tobacco-Free Community Colleges
Prohibits use of tobacco on community college campuses. Referred to Senate Committee on Agriculture/Environment/Natural Resources.
Other
Eliminates the Committee on Drop Out Prevention and other boards and commissions, and "reorganizes" others, with the result of greatly expanding the Governor's ability to appoint members. This "power-grab" legislation would put an immediate end to the current terms of the state Industrial Commission, Utilities Commission, Wildlife Resources Commission, Lottery Commission and Coastal Resources Commission, allowing the current Governor and legislative leaders to appoint replacements immediately. The bill would also allow the Chairman of the State Board of Education to be appointed by the Governor rather than elected by the members of the Board. Passed the Senate. Expected to move quickly through the House and perhaps have other Boards and Commissions added to the bill for elimination.
Friday Conference Calls
Action for Children and the Covenant with North Carolina's Children will team up again this year for Friday morning conference calls to update you on the week's happenings at the General Assembly. Updates will include bills and budget actions. To join:
- Fridays, 11 a.m.
- Dial 1-800-582-3014 and enter passcode 882011141#
Click
here to add this call to your calendar.
New Research
The ABCs of State Budgets. States are slowly recovering from an unprecedented budget crisis that resulted from the recent recession and the greatest decline in state tax revenues on record. This brief offers background on the fundamentals of state finances and the depth of the problems that states face today. (CBPP)
Investing in Our Children: A Plan to Expand Access to Preschool and Child Care
Economists like Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Nobel Laureate James Heckman agree that preschool produces a very high return on investment. And they agree that many of the benefits such as lower crime and higher worker productivity go not only to the children but also to their families and society at large. This report outlines a bold agenda to expand preschool and increase access to affordable child care for infants and toddlers. (CAP)
Calendar and Events
- Join Action for Children North Carolina at the Historic Thousands on Jones Street (HKonJ) rally this Saturday, February 9th. The assembly will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Shaw University on South Street in Raleigh. The march to the Legislative building on Jones Street begins at 10:30 a.m. Visit the HKonJ website for more information.
- The Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina will host Adolescent Health Advocacy Day at the state legislature in Raleigh on February 13th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Click here to RSVP to this event.
