All in Politics
Requiring able-bodied people to work in exchange for government benefits is a popular idea. It’s a proven way to reduce dependency and break the cycle of poverty. And in the case of the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — what used to be called food stamps — it’s also the law.
Attorney General Josh Stein joined a bipartisan group of 42 attorneys general urging the Supreme Court to protect veterans' rights by ruling in favor of James Rudisill in Rudisill v. McDonough and granting Rudisill and thousands of other veterans the full GI benefits they earned while serving their country.
I’m glad some members of Congress are finally looking into the harmful effects Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) have on patients, especially when it comes to the out-of-pocket costs that come along with many prescription drugs and treatments.
Governor Roy Cooper issued the following statement on the General Assembly's passage of Senate Bill 747 Elections Law Changes, which the General Assembly passed on Wednesday night, as well as other harmful bills also currently being pushed by extreme MAGA Republican legislators, Senate Bill 749 and House Bill 772:
"The legislature finally comes back to pass legislation that discriminates, makes housing less safe, blocks FEMA disaster recovery funding, hurts the freedom to vote and damages our economy. Yet they still won’t pass a budget when teachers, school bus drivers and Medicaid Expansion for thousands of working people getting kicked off their health plans every week are desperately needed. These are the wrong priorities, especially when they should be working nights and weekends if necessary to get a budget passed by the end of the month."
“Instead of coming back to Raleigh to fund our schools, support our law enforcement or provide health care to our neighbors, the Republican supermajority used their power to exploit vulnerable children, make it harder to vote, hamper educators and otherwise stoke culture wars. There has never been a clearer demonstration of what their priorities really are.”
The NC House of Representatives voted to override six more of Governor Cooper’s vetoes:
The NC House of Representatives voted to override six more of Governor Cooper’s vetoes:
Senate Democratic Leader Dan Blue and House Democratic Leader Robert Reives released the following joint statement regarding the Proposed Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 747:
(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein announced that North Carolinians can view how their local governments plan to spend the approximately $1.2 billion coming to counties and municipalities to combat the opioid overdose crisis.
RALEIGH — House Speaker Tim Moore told reporters last week that the North Carolina General Assembly is unlikely to craft and approve a state budget deal before Labor Day. That’s more than two months into the 2023-24 fiscal year that began July 1.
Others cannot help but raise an eyebrow when I tell them that, not only did I thoroughly enjoy teaching 7th grade, but my favorite class to teach - 4th period - included a 25-minute lunch break in the middle of the class period. Although the unpadded circular seats took some time getting used to, I cherished the opportunity to build bonds with my students each day. It was during lunchtime, however, that I noticed the impact that a missed meal has on a student.
(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein announced that James Craig Bell, the owner of Townsend’s Pharmacy in Robeson County, was sentenced to two years in prison for conspiracy to commit health care fraud. His fraudulent practices cost Medicare and the North Carolina Medicaid program more than $4 million over a decade.
Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. (NC-03), introduced the Senior Citizens’ Freedom to Work Act. This legislation repeals the retirement earnings test (RET), which reduces benefits for Social Security beneficiaries who claim early retirement but choose to continue working and make above a certain threshold.
(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein today released the following statement as the North Carolina General Assembly continues to delay passing a budget that helps North Carolina families.
There are likely only a few weeks left in this year’s North Carolina legislative session, and health care has been one of the hottest topics in Raleigh. Issues like expanding Medicaid and legalizing medical marijuana have gotten the most attention, but other major proposals have flown under the radar.
The state budget proposal currently being negotiated by House and Senate leaders contains language that would allow local hospital authorities to expand unfairly throughout the state. This is a bad idea.
RALEIGH — The late Harry Markowitz, who won the 1990 Nobel prize in economics for his work on portfolio theory, reportedly said “diversification is the only free lunch” in investing. By distributing your savings across a broad base of stocks, bonds, and other asset classes, you maximize long-term gains and minimize risk — assuming that the performance of the assets in question isn’t strongly correlated.
Attorney General Josh Stein today urged Congress to protect military veterans by passing the Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding (G.U.A.R.D.) Veterans Affairs (VA) Benefits Act. The bipartisan legislation will hold accountable unaccredited and unregulated bad actors who prey upon veterans applying for federal VA benefits.
Right now, the proposed state budget includes changes that would be a huge step backward for healthcare in North Carolina. As our options for healthcare grow, patients deserve the protections currently in place to ensure that growth is fair.
