Governor's Outlook for 2014 | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: This post, Sarah Curry, was originally published in John Locke Foundation.

    Today, Governor McCrory delivered a press conference where he outlined many of the state's initiatives and what he plans to oversee through his cabinet during the 2014 legislative year and into 2015. The main areas of focus for the governor's initiatives are education, energy, and Medicaid reform. I will go into a brief summary of all that was covered during the press conference.

    If you want to hear the press conference for yourself, you can see a video of the entire event here. Click here to read the press release from the governor's press office.

    The Governor opened by setting the stage with a list of positive outcomes from the last year. While NC's unemployment rate is still higher than he would have hoped, he is expecting a net job gain and a lower unemployment rate within the next year. By 2015 the business debt owed to the federal government will be repaid, which is three years earlier than originally anticipated. So far this fiscal year, collections are ahead of expected revenue by $19.7 million, expenditures are $92 million below this point last year, and reserves are $221.8 million higher when compared to last year.

    Throughout the press conference the governor emphasized long-term goals. While he knows some of his initiatives will not bring about immediate change, he is hoping over the long run they will benefit North Carolina.

    Gov. McCrory hopes to help boost the state's economy through energy exploration and the business that accompanies it. He has planned to do this through more energy legislation and to explore inland and offshore energy sources. McCrory mentioned that he is going to be named Chair of the Outer Continental Shelf Governors Coalition and looks forward to working with other states to encourage more offshore energy exploration. DENR Secretary Skvarla commented on this, highlighting the Mining and Energy Commission, and said the commission is on schedule to get new rules in place by the end of 2014 so that new permits for energy exploration can be issued by March of 2015.

    Education was discussed, and a teacher pay raise in 2014 was confirmed. McCrory also set a goal to raise starting pay and take a market-based approach to teacher incentives. He wants to create a competitive pay program for long-term benefits for the teaching profession.

    Addiction is something he mentioned during his 'State of the State' address, and he renewed his promise to work towards recovery support services for drug and alcohol addiction. In addition to this, he hopes to set up programs on university campuses to combat the growing problem of underage drinking.

    The majority of the questions from press dealt with DHHS, and that was the area about which the governor showed the most concern. Medicaid reform was said to be a main issue, and he alluded to the difficulty this will bring, as there are so many parties involved with a reform of the state's Medicaid program. He shared DHHS's wide range of responsibilities and suggested that it might cover need to be narrowed. He wants Medicaid to deliver better care and also reward providers for healthy outcomes. In conjunction with Medicaid, he also outlined a plan for mental health reform. The department is trying to take steps to offer proper care and treatment for substance abuse and emergency room patients who have mental health issues. They are also working to see what is currently working in North Carolina and what isn't, so that they can learn from the good programs and change the bad. A new program, Mental First Aid, will be rolled out later this year.

    Transportation was also discussed along with comments from DOT Secretary Tony Tata. McCrory has taken a "moving people and products" theme to his transportation initiatives and wants to increase investment in roads, rail, and ports. Customer service at DMV offices is being addressed, and they have tested different approaches to help with efficiency at certain locations this past year. In 2014, a statewide customer service initiative will roll out to improve service to customers at DMV offices. A long-term goal is to change the funding formula for DOT so that they are encouraged to spend dollars more efficiently.

    Along with transportation and commerce, the state is going to start working on a project titled "Art That Moves You." They want to merge art and transportation to have more creative landscaping and a statewide beautification project, like those that bring the pretty flowers to the roadside in the spring and summer. Get ready, because you will see more with this program.

    Other items of concern to the Governor and his cabinet were:

   •  Helping military personnel returning from deployment to find civilian jobs in North Carolina and keeping those families in the state.

   •  Overhauling the organizational structures and polices for government agencies.

   •  Continuing to identify opportunities for savings and efficiency in state government through the NC GEAR program.

   •  Making changes to the workers compensation program during the upcoming year to reduce injury and cost.

   •  Creating a performance management program and finding ways to engage state employees across all agencies.

   •  Repairing and updating state government buildings. Many buildings are not conducive to productive work environments, some pose health problems for state employees, and many are very expensive to upkeep.

    The Governor also mentioned some areas the first lady would like to address this next year. The main focus was legislation to stop puppy mills across the state by requiring commercial dog breeders to provide quality food, water, and veterinary care for dogs in these facilities.