Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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12 UCW MARCH 31-APRIL 6, 2021 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Cooper's budget pushes for more spending, Medicaid expansion by ANDREW DUNN JOHN TRUMP, Carolina Journal News Service. COMMENTS? editor@upandcom- ingweekly.com. 910-484-6200. North Carolina lawmakers file 'No Veteran Left Behind' Act by JOHN TRUMP Gov. Roy Cooper introduced a $55.9 billion bud- get proposal on March 24 that includes many of the goals he's had since taking office. But this time he claims they're needed due to the COVID pandemic. ese goals include expanding Medicaid, bor- rowing $4.7 billion for infrastructure projects, and pushing state agencies to look at issues through a "justice and equity lens." All told, Cooper would hike spending by 11.6% over what was budgeted this year in the 2021-22 fiscal year. "We'll put this pandemic behind us sooner rather than later. With the right investments, we can ensure our state roars back, creating opportu- nity for all of our people, not just those at the top," Cooper said during a news conference outlining his budget proposal. "is is the time to find opportu- nity in crisis." Republicans, however, criticized the governor's budget for spending too wildly, especially with the state's fiscal future still uncertain. While Cooper would hike spending virtually across the board, his budget includes two major spending programs with eye-popping numbers. Cooper's budget again includes expanding Medicaid, a top policy priority since taking office. Medicaid expansion would offer government-paid health insurance to some 600,000 working-age adults without children. e federal government and the state would share the costs, which would reach $500 million for North Carolina. Cooper said Medicaid expansion was more pressing this year because many North Carolinians lost their jobs during the pandemic, and thus their employer-sponsored health insurance. "We must get health care to more working people, and the best way to do that is expand Med- icaid," Cooper said. Another major spending program would be a $4.7 billion bond package for infrastructure proj- ects, the bulk of which would be in K-12 public schools and the state's colleges and universities. "Interest rates have never been lower, and our state needs the boost," Cooper said. Voters would need to approve the bond proposal, and bonds would be issued over a period of years. Interest rates have already begun to rise as the federal government has pumped trillions into the economy. Other proposals in Cooper's budget include rein- stating the Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable tax benefit for low-income workers; a 10% pay raise for teachers, plus a $2,000 bonus; a minimum wage of $15 per hour for school system employees; $100 million in clean energy spending; creating an Of- fice of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Affairs in the Department of Public Instruction; and eliminating Opportunity Scholarships, a program that helps low-income families attend private schools. "Instead of giving parents and families that op- portunity to find the best educational option for their children, Governor Cooper is doubling down on cutting funding for scholarships that provide families those needed resources," said Mike Long, president of Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina. Sen. Brent Jackson, R-Sampson, one of the Sen- ate's chief budget writers, said he was concerned with the high levels of spending and borrowing in the governor's proposal. "We don't want to return to an era of rollercoast- er-style budgets with huge spikes in the boom years followed by huge cuts in the lean years," he said in a statement. House leadership distanced themselves from the proposal, as well. "While there are a number of shared priorities funded in the governor's budget proposal, North Carolina lawmakers will remain vigilant in our responsible financial management of the state and avoid irresponsible decisions that have harmed taxpayers in the past," House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, said in a statement. Jackson and Moore said they're committed to working with the governor to find compromise and pass a budget. Cooper vetoed the last biennial budget, meaning North Carolina has spent the past two years largely operating on the 2017 spending plan. ANDREW DUNN, Carolina Journal News Service. COMMENTS? editor@ upandcomingweekly.com. 910-484-6200. A bill introduced by House Majority Leader John Bell, R-Wayne, is meant to help improve crisis in- tervention and services for veterans suffering from mental health and substance abuse issues. House Bill 370, No Veteran Left Behind Act, cre- ates a pilot program for several military and veteran heavy counties in North Carolina to improve and expand training for local law enforcement and first responders, a news release says. It focuses on deal- ing with veteran-specific crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and available resources at the Depart- ment of Veterans Affairs, including Brunswick, Craven, Cumberland, Onslow, Union and Wayne counties. "More than 100,000 active duty service mem- bers and over 600,000 veterans call North Carolina home," Bell said. "Our veterans and their families face unique challenges, especially those on active duty. After talking with veteran advocates, law en- forcement and local leaders, we believe the No Vet- eran Left Behind Act will help address an important need in our state by providing local law enforcement with additional training to assist veterans in need." Other bill sponsors are House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, Rep. George Cleveland, R- Onslow, and Rep. Charlie Miller, R-Brunswick. "North Carolina is the proud home to hundreds of thousands of veterans and their families who served the United States in our Armed Forces and face unique challenges in this pandemic recovery," said Moore in a statement. "e No Veteran Left Behind Act will benefit not just North Carolina veterans in pilot counties, but their communities and local leaders, as well. We are committed to identifying statewide needs through this initiative that will help more military families succeed in our state." e training will be administered through e Independence Fund Inc., a North Carolina-based nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of vet- erans and their families. Under the bill, the release says, e Independence Fund will partner with state and local governments to assess each county's ini- tial response to veterans in crises and conclude with an updated data collection process map developed. Cleveland said the bill is important for military heavy areas such as Onslow County, which is home to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. "As a retired Marine and the representative of a district with tens of thousands of active duty service members and veterans, I believe this legislation will help our local law enforcement and first respond- ers better support veterans and military families," Cleveland said. e No Veteran Left Behind Act also has the sup- port of local sheriffs, who will be included in the pilot program, including Craven County Sheriff Chip Hughes, who said he believes it will help them bet- ter meet the needs of the many veterans and active duty service members in their county. House Bill 370 aims to improve crisis intervention and services for veterans. NEWS Gov. Cooper introduced a $55.9 billion budget proposal March 24.