Health Care
The health disparity between rural and urban communities across the United States is growing, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In North Carolina, this is made even worse by Republican lawmakers’ refusal to consider expanding Medicaid. About 40 percent of North Carolinians — approximately 4 million people — live in one…
Read MoreInstead of negotiating with Democrats on a budget that works for everyone, Republican leaders decided to adjourn last week and leave Raleigh. Although lawmakers plan to return next week to take up the latest round of court-ordered redistricting, under the adjournment resolution they will not take up budget issues again until January. Before leaving town, Republicans…
Read MoreState lawmakers are leaving Raleigh on Halloween — 123 days into the not-so-new budget year — without passing a full state budget. Yesterday, Republicans held teacher pay raises hostage to try to get Democrats to override the Governor’s veto of the budget. Completely ignoring the public’s clear mandate to expand affordable health care Republicans tried…
Read MoreDid You Know? Three Canadian researchers discovered insulin almost a century ago and sold the patent for $1 so the world could access this life-saving medicine for diabetics. Today just three big Pharma companies control the U.S. market for insulin. Result? The price of insulin has gone up 900% in the last 18 years Op…
Read MoreThe budget standoff has dragged past its 100th day, and although lawmakers are back in session this week, don’t expect a resolution before the state Senate adjourns for the year at the end of the month. On the other hand, don’t put it past Phil Berger to try to sneak a budget veto override through…
Read MoreSen. Phil Berger has promised that Senate Republicans will not repeat the budget ambush vote orchestrated by Speaker Tim Moore in the House last month — though Berger has a track record of dishonesty that should give pause to anyone who does not believe the word “gullible” is written on the ceiling. Republican leaders claim they merely…
Read MoreThe Republican-created budget standoff is in its third month now as the GOP majority refuses to either hold an override vote on Gov. Roy Cooper’s budget veto, or negotiate with the governor for a budget that works for everyone. THE PROBLEM RIGHT NOW: The state budget is more than two months late. North Carolina’s public…
Read MoreThe cost of GOP budget inaction is about $42,000 per day, or about a million dollars and counting. Legislative Republicans can either hold an override vote or return to the negotiating table, but instead, they’re doing neither while pointing fingers at the governor. Enough House Democrats have pledged to sustain Gov. Cooper’s budget veto that Republicans have…
Read MoreSummer is almost over, and in a couple of weeks, kids will head back to school. But our state budget still hangs in limbo as Republicans continue to refuse to negotiate. Last week, House Democrats published a pledge to sustain Gov. Cooper’s budget veto which was signed by 51 of 55 House Democrats — all…
Read MoreLast week, Progress NC and a number of other organizations including the Guilford Co. Association of Educators, the NC Black Alliance, and Indivisible Guilford County, held a budget town hall in High Point with local lawmakers. Sen. Michael Garrett, Rep. Amos Quick, and Rep. Ashton Clemmons all promised to stand up for public schools by…
Read More