2023 NASW-NC Legislative Session Update: Week 36 - Budget standoff between Republicans

Budget standoff between Republicans

The North Carolina House of Representatives will hold votes on a $30 billion state budget and a separate bill that would authorize four new casinos and expand Medicaid in the state this week, a top House budget writer confirmed Sunday.

After the question of whether and how to move forward on a contentious casino proposal temporarily derailed budget talks last week, the House is ready to hold votes to approve the budget on Wednesday and Thursday, House Appropriations Chairman Jason Saine told The News & Observer.

The House will also vote on a separate bill, discussed by the House Republican Caucus during a Saturday morning conference call, that would combine legislation authorizing four new casinos across the state with legislation to expand Medicaid in North Carolina, Saine said.
Votes on the combined casinos and Medicaid expansion bill will also take place on Wednesday and Thursday, according to Saine.

The House’s decision to move forward with a standalone bill containing the casino provisions and Medicaid expansion provisions comes after state Senate leader Phil Berger, a chief proponent of the casino proposal, insisted last week that the proposal must be added to the budget and that it would not be appropriate to advance in a separate bill.

Reacting to reports that casinos could be paired with Medicaid expansion, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said the proposal was “the most brutally dishonest legislative scheme I’ve seen in my 3+ decades.” “People are right to be suspicious,” Cooper wrote in a social media post on Saturday. “Something has a grip on Republican leaders and it’s not the people of NC.”

It’s unclear how taking out Medicaid expansion provisions from the budget could affect the mechanism by which expansion could finally be triggered. Since an expansion bill was passed and signed into law earlier this year, lawmakers and state health department officials have been operating under a mechanism that requires passage of a state budget for expansion to take effect.

Budget talks have stretched over two months past the date by which the state was supposed to have approved a new spending plan. While North Carolina doesn’t go into a government shutdown without a new budget, it does mean that teachers and state employees can’t get their pay raises and Medicaid cannot be expanded.

Source: NCInsider 

Read: Frayed nerves, flaring tempers: Republican fight over casinos, budget shows limits of party unity

Governor Cooper Announces Two Judicial Appointments

Today, Governor Roy Cooper appointed Judge Allison Riggs to serve on the North Carolina Supreme Court and Judge Carolyn Thompson to serve on the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Judge Riggs, currently on the Court of Appeals, will fill the vacancy created by Justice Michael Morgan’s resignation from the Supreme Court and Judge Thompson will fill the vacancy created by the promotion of Judge Riggs.

“The need for fair-minded, even-handed, honest, experienced judges is more important than ever as our society and our courts wrestle with many critical issues,” said Governor Cooper. “I am grateful for the willingness of Judge Riggs and Judge Thompson to serve our state’s judicial system in these new roles. They each have deep experience and admirable careers of public service that will continue to bring value, honor and integrity to the judicial branch of state government.”

Judge Allison Riggs is currently a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Prior to serving on the bench, Riggs held a variety of positions at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice including Co-Executive Director and Chief Counsel for Voting Rights. Riggs was a civil rights litigator and community lawyer who served as lead counsel in numerous voting rights cases, including twice arguing before the United States Supreme Court and many times before the North Carolina Supreme Court. Riggs received her Bachelor’s Degree, Master's Degree and Juris Doctor from the University of Florida.

Judge Carolyn Thompson is currently a Deputy Commissioner on the North Carolina Industrial Commission. Previously, she served as a District Court Judge and Superior Court Judge in District 9, where she presided over civil, criminal, domestic, juvenile, and mental health proceedings. An active member in her community, Thompson is an ordained minister and has served as a mentor and volunteer for teen and truancy courts. Thompson received her Bachelor’s Degree from Hampton University and her Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central School of Law.

Source:NCGovernor 
 

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

The Trevor Project is a nonprofit organization founded in 1998. It focuses on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. They offer a toll-free telephone, text, and chat where confidential assistance is provided by trained counselors. The goals of the project are to provide crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for youth, 25 and younger. They also offer guidance and resources to parents and educators to foster safe, accepting, and inclusive environments for all youth, at home, schools, and colleges. 

Trevor Space Resources:

• The Trevor Project offers a free guide, The Coming Out Handbook , to help individuals come out to their family and friends. 
• TrevorSpace is an affirming, online community for LGBTQ young people between the ages of 13-24 years old. With over 400,000 members across the globe, you can explore your identity, get advice, find support, and make friends in a moderated community intentionally designed for you. 
• If you are thinking about harming yourself, you can reach a counselor to get immediate support. Connect to a crisis counselor 24/7, 365 days a year, from anywhere in the U.S. Information is confidential, and free.  
• More information about the Trevor Project and its foundation can be found through the Trevor Film.

What: The Importance of State Courts: A Discussion with Justice Anita Earls

When: Tuesday, September 26, 6:30 pm

Where: Zoom webinar. Register here: https://prochoicenc.org/FairCourts

On July 1 in North Carolina, new medically unnecessary abortion restrictions went into effect with SB 20, and patients and providers now have to navigate additional burdensome barriers to access abortion care. As advocates, we're planning for the future and what we need to do to restore and expand abortion access in North Carolina. That planning includes thinking about the state of our state courts!
 
State courts have long flown under the radar of many voters despite the fact that we vote for judges in North Carolina. The courts are one of the three branches of government, the judicial branch, and they are supposed to act as a vital check on the legislative and executive branches. The courts are much too important to be overlooked.
 
We all need to know what's going on in our state court system, and we are honored to host a second discussion with North Carolina State Supreme Court Associate Justice Anita Earls! Justice Earls will talk with us about how and why our state courts impact our rights and lives, share some background on the different levels of judges we vote for, discuss what is happening with reproductive health care in state courts across the country, and more. You won't want to miss this!

During National Hispanic Heritage Month, from September 15 – October 15, the U.S. government celebrates the countless contributions of more than 60 million Hispanic Americans, Latinos, Latinas, and Latinx-identifying people to our culture and society. Hispanic Americans are the largest minority group in the United States today, and generations of Hispanic Americans have consistently helped make our country strong and prosperous. They contribute to our Nation beyond description. Hispanic Americans embody the best of our American values, including commitment to faith, family, and country. The Hispanic-American community has left an indelible mark on our government, culture, and economy.
Source: Hispanic Heritage Month (State Department)

Read: The White House: A Proclamation on National Hispanic Heritage Month, 2023 

Voting Information

We're partnering with Common Cause and Southern Coalition for Social Justice to bring you an Election Advocacy Training.

 We invite you to join us for our Statewide Election Advocacy CBOE Training on Tuesday, September 26, from 6:00PM-7:30PM.

This event will be HYBRID, so you can join us either on Zoom or in person at 3000 Aerial Center Pkwy 160, Morrisville, NC 27560.

The goal of this training is to empower you as an Elections Advocate and provide you with tools for year-round election advocacy. This training will ensure you are confident in different aspects of Election Advocacy, such as canvass monitoring during the municipal elections and advocating for strong early voting plans for 2024.

REGISTER HERE for the Election Advocacy CBOE Training on Sep. 26!

Register to Vote on National Voter Registration Day

Have family or friends moved since the last election? You can help your family and friends and your clients to register to vote. Visit NASW’s voter participation page for webinars and resources for mobilizing voters and for recognizing and eliminating voting barriers. 

Learn about the state law and what you need to cast your vote in 2023: http://bit.ly/3qQudaU

All county boards of elections can now print FREE photo ID cards for registered voters in their county who need an acceptable form of ID. http://bit.ly/3rUePe7  

Common Cause NC 
What: Fall Supporter Call 
Who: Common Cause North Carolina members, supporters and allies far and wide 
When: Tuesday, October 3, at 6:00 p.m. on Zoom.

During this hour-long call, we'll 1) cover the latest voting rights changes in North Carolina, 2) preview the upcoming redistricting cycle, 3) introduce you to new members of our Common Cause North Carolina team, and 4) share how you can organize with us across the state to help create a democracy for all. 

And we want to welcome everyone who has joined us along our #UniteNC Town Hall Tour throughout North Carolina. 

RSVP For Our Fall Supporter Call 

P.S. Do you have questions about the Fall Supporter Call? Email us at gino@commoncause.org 

What is #UniteNC?
Pro-Choice North Carolina is excited to join with our partners at Common Cause North Carolina and other organizations across the state for a series of #UniteNC town halls! This is a fantastic opportunity to build our shared power and hold lawmakers accountable. Pro-Choice North Carolina will have materials at all town halls and we’ll be in-person at some of them, too. 

If you're concerned about harmful policies in the state legislature like attacks on abortion access, upcoming elections, and redistricting, join us and speak up for people-first policies!

• September 18: Cabarrus [Kannapolis]
• September 19: Catawba [Hickory]
• October 1: Dare County
• October 4: Orange County (Hillsborough)
• October 5: Roberson County 
• October 11: Asheville 

And there are more #UniteNC town halls to come…stay tuned! You can register and learn more by clicking HERE.  

Items to Watch: 

SB 749 - No Partisan Advantage in Elections NASW-NC OPPOSES

• S.B. 749 would change the makeup of the State Board of Elections to a deadlocked eight-member board appointed by lawmakers.
• S.B. 749 would change the makeup of all 100 county boards of elections to a deadlocked four-member board appointed by lawmakers.
• S.B. 749 deadlocked boards would potentially lead to drastic cuts to Early Voting. Because county boards must provide approval for one-stop early voting sites, it is much more likely that an evenly partisan board will come to a tie on these decisions. Because there is no tiebreaker mechanism in the bill, deadlock boards would mean only one early voting location in each county with limited hours would be available for the most popular form of voting in North Carolina.

The fact is, the people of North Carolina already rejected a past attempt by the legislature to make sweeping changes to the State Board of Elections, soundly defeating a proposed amendment in 2018 by a vote of 61%–38%.  Lawmakers should respect the will of North Carolina voters and stop meddling with our elections boards.

Source: CommonCauseNC

SB 90- Searches of Student's Person (Children's Law Omnibus) was re-submitted to the K-12 Education Committee with several PCS (proposed committee substitutes) that would change how social workers can support children with their mental health.  The PCS version of the bill would clarify that minors have no authority to consent to mental health treatment unless they believe themselves to be a danger to themselves or others.  NASW-NC OPPOSES ALL PCS SUBMITTED. 

• Challenge school library books and prosecute librarians
• Challenge instructional materials
• Force a superintendent to be dismissed or receive a reduction in pay
• Request for their child to be reassigned to another school or district
• Be informed if their child identifies as transgender or is at risk of suicide
• Prohibit instruction on gender identity, sexual activity and sexuality in fourth and fifth grade
• State that charter schools are not state actors, potentially giving them more leeway to institute dress codes 
   

Due to public backlash and media coverage, SB 90 was pulled from the committee calendar.  Please be on the lookout for more information from NASW-NC if it is reintroduced during this legislative session. 

You can see a copy of SB 90 with the PCS changes by clicking HERE. 

Thank you to the members of NASW-NC for supporting the advocacy work we do. We would not be able to advocate for the social work profession or social justice issues in North Carolina without a robust and engaged NASW membership. If you are a social worker and not a member, we ask that you join NASW today. Our voice is louder with your membership.

Learn more about NASW-NC membership here.

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