UNC’s wish list
The UNC System’s Board of Governors is meeting this week and among other things is scheduled to ratify its fiscal 2023-24 budget request to the General Assembly.
Month: February 2023
Blue Cross goes to court
To the surprise of no one, particularly in state Treasurer Dale Folwell’s office, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of N.C. is taking its fight to keep the contract for serving the State Health Plan to the courts.
The long session’s few new ideas
The first few weeks of the long session have been full of bills we’ve seen before – from legislation previously vetoed by Gov. Roy Cooper to bills that just didn’t make it across the finish line last year.
Bill targets “housing market manipulation”
Housing markets in North Carolina’s major cities, like their counterparts elsewhere in the U.S., seemingly suffer from the classic inflationary problem of too much money chasing too few goods.
New leader of N.C. Democratic Party faces an old challenge
The N.C. Democratic Party has new leadership, but key legislators say new Chairwoman Anderson Clayton and her team face an old challenge: money, and how to get its hands on enough to help the party’s candidates compete.
More Labor Department inspectors?
Workplace safety advocates have long voiced doubts that the N.C. Department of Labor has a sufficient number of inspectors to monitor rules compliance at job sites, factories and other businesses.
Treasurer targeting hospital executive pay
State Treasurer Dale Folwell plans to turn up the heat again on the state’s hospitals at a 10 a.m. press conference today, issuing a report criticizing executive compensation at the state’s nine largest hospital systems.
HBCUs could get boost from new legislative caucus
A bipartisan group of legislators packed into the General Assembly press conference room Wednesday morning to voice their support for the state’s 10 historically Black colleges and universities.
Democrats to vote on leadership this weekend
Democratic Party leaders from across the state will meet this weekend to elect their state party chair – a contest that could have big implications for their direction.
House to vote next week on Medicaid expansion bill
The House plans to vote next week on expanding Medicaid, but it’s unclear if the legislature is any closer to reaching a compromise that can pass both chambers.
House looks to recycle a recycling bill
Rep. Harry Warren, R-Rowan, hopes the third time will be the charm for his bill to add new incentives for plastic recycling programs and efforts to use environmentally friendly food containers.
Two appointments confirmed in Senate
The Senate unanimously confirmed two key appointments by Gov. Roy Cooper during its first voting session of the year Tuesday.
Amendment could have three-fifths support
A proposed constitutional amendment to elect the State Board of Education gained a critical supporter from the minority party on Tuesday.
State Health Plan details reasons why Aetna beat Blue Cross
State Treasurer Dale Folwell’s team released public records Tuesday that detailed how Blue Cross Blue Shield lost its contract administering the State Health Plan.
Newborn ‘surrender’ law getting an update
Senators want to tweak the state’s “safe surrender” law that allows parents of newborns to give up their babies without facing criminal penalties.