Gov. Roy Cooper to legislators – ‘Let’s make a deal. Let’s get this done’
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s State of the State address laid out the vision the governor has for moving the state forward. From the COVID-19 pandemic to fighting racial injustice, Gov. Cooper’s main message to North Carolinians was one of resilience, hope and unity.
Cooper called for more bipartisan support in hopes of passing common sense legislation such as Medicaid expansion, investments in educators and public schools and expanded internet access.
From The News & Observer:
With North Carolina still trying to emerge to the other side of the coronavirus pandemic, Cooper called for support of the same issues he has before — higher teacher pay and Medicaid expansion — as well as relief for businesses hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Our state’s response to the pandemic has been strong. And every phase of it has required North Carolinians from Cherokee to Chowan to step up and do their part, including the people in this room tonight,” he said.
It was the first State of the State of Cooper’s second term, since he was re-elected in November. The speech, delivered from the House chamber, touched on a range of topics, including his budget goals and how North Carolina has suffered painful losses during the pandemic. Cooper praised the resilience of North Carolinians, naming several residents who persevered during the crisis.
In March, Gov. Cooper proposed a budget that addresses many of the critical needs North Carolinians are facing. The proposed budget recommends investments in affordable child care, public education, job growth, our state’s infrastructure, and more.
Yet, Republican-led NCGA has done little to acknowledge the proposed budget, choosing instead to push for discriminatory legislation that targets vulnerable North Carolinians and bills that would give themselves tax cuts.
From the State of the State address to the proposed budget months ago, Gov. Roy Cooper has repeatedly laid out a plan for lawmakers to ensure our state has a just recovery.
With the billions of dollars in federal pandemic relief funding headed to the state as well as the current resources at hand, North Carolina has the means to go all in on Gov. Cooper’s recommendations in ensuring every community is more resilient in the long run.
Now, it’s up to Republicans as to whether they’ll stand with Gov. Cooper in rightfully investing in North Carolinians, our state’s economy and infrastructure, or ignore critical needs as they’ve done so in the past.
Bottom Line: As Gov. Roy Cooper acknowledged, “We often have our differences in these chambers..But the people of North Carolina should know that at times, when it mattered, their leaders stepped up. And now we need to do it again”.
