Lawmakers return to redraw NC map. Will they pass a budget or Medicaid funding?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- State budget remains four months late; lawmakers return to Raleigh for session.
- Elon and High Point polls show 42% approval for Stein and high voter uncertainty.
- Lawmakers resume a four-day Raleigh session while the state budget stays overdue.
Good morning and welcome to our Under the Dome newsletter. I’m Capitol bureau chief Dawn Vaughan.
The new news is the same as the old news: the state budget is nearly four months late. State lawmakers return to Raleigh on Monday to redraw political districts in an attempt to give Republicans an extra seat in Congress. While their work could include some sort of budget deal, another small spending bill could be more likely.
Among the work left unfinished by the General Assembly the last time they left town is a deal to pass more Medicaid spending. That funding would keep up with reimbursement costs and avert cuts that have already started, not prevent bigger federal cuts on the way that will hit Medicaid expansion.
Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s administration began the cuts Oct. 1 as Stein doubled down on pushing the legislature to pass funding legislation.
The House and Senate, which are both controlled by Republicans, agree on passing more Medicaid spending, but the Senate — in particular Senate leader Phil Berger — used a Medicaid bill to try to get funding for a new children’s hospital across the finish line. The House passed what is known as a “clean” Medicaid bill, which means it had that provision and nothing else. Neither bill passed.
We’ll see if the House and Senate can pass a Medicaid funding bill this week, which Stein would almost certainly sign since he’s urging them to send him legislation.
In other Stein and health care news, my colleague Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi wrote about Stein’s announcement that a state program has wiped out $6.5 billion in medical debt.
New poll about Gov. Stein
In September, High Point University released a poll showing what North Carolinians think about Stein. A new Elon University Poll also included a question about Stein and found similar results:
The new Elon poll asked, “Do you approve or disapprove of the job Josh Stein is doing as Governor of North Carolina?” and found 42% approved, 24% disapproved and 34% of respondents were unsure. The Elon poll showed a slightly lower approval rate and higher “unsure” rate than the HPU poll.
More details on the Elon Poll from Avi Bajpai: What NC thinks about the National Guard, public safety and crime
Here’s what else we’re working on and reading.
- US state governors launch alliance to bolster coordination on public health
- NC governor can’t veto a redistricting map. Here’s the unlikely person to blame.
- See the new congressional map released by NC GOP, and which counties are affected
- Takeover of governor’s appointment powers partly rejected by NC appeals court
Thanks for reading. Be sure to listen to our Under the Dome podcast that posts on all podcast platforms on Tuesdays. Reach me at dvaughan@newsobserver.com.
