Senator Bill Cook Legislative Update: VII | Eastern North Carolina Now

News Release:

Legislation for the Town of Duck

    I presented Senate Bill - SB 788, to the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, July 15, 2014. The legislation is a local bill for the Town of Duck to facilitate its beach nourishment project. The eminent domain authority that this bill provides will enable the town to proceed. Duck is currently working with the Towns of Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills on a joint beach nourishment project. Currently, Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills already have eminent domain authority. Working together will allow these towns to save the taxpayers money. When I presented the bill to the Senate on the same day, it passed unanimously and was sent to the House by special message.

Presenting Senate Bill - SB 788 (Town of Duck/Eminent Domain) in the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, July 15, 2014.

Working to Reform and Restructure Medicaid

    The Senate announced a comprehensive plan on Wednesday, July 16, 2014, to reform and restructure our states chronically troubled and over-budget Medicaid entitlement program. The plan meets the critical reform objectives outlined in the two-year budget passed by the House and Senate and signed by Governor Pat McCrory last year.

    A history of problems at the state Department of Health and Human Services spanning several administrations has resulted in major operational and budgetary issues that have fallen on the General Assembly to fix. In the past four years alone, the legislature has had to fill shortfalls totaling nearly $2 billion – money that could not be invested in other critical state priorities like education, infrastructure and public safety. The Senate Republicans believe that, without serious reform, Medicaid's budget will continue to soar out of control. In fact, our nonpartisan Fiscal Research Division projects the state's Medicaid appropriation will grow by more than a billion dollars over the next five years.

    The Senate's Medicaid reform plan creates a new Department of Medical Benefits to administer Medicaid and lead North Carolina toward a patient-focused, cost-minded vision for the program. In addition, the proposal takes key steps to achieve budget predictability by shifting the risk of budget overruns away from the state. These vital reforms will ensure greater budget sustainability and take the General Assembly out of the business of managing Medicaid.

    The number one roadblock causing teacher pay to remain so low for so long is Medicaid. This plan should allow the General Assembly to focus state resources on other areas of critical importance to the people of this state.

Budget Negotiations on Education

    We are making progress on the budget negotiations with the House. This week, the Senate offered our seventh budget compromise proposal, which makes major concessions to the House on teacher assistants. However, under this plan our teachers will still receive the largest pay raise ever in state history.

    The Senate's latest compromise splits the difference between the most recent teacher pay raise offers from the Governor and the House. The Senate's original budget offer appropriated $468.7 million for teacher pay increases, while the House as well as the Governor's is at $219.5 million. The Senate's seventh compromise advances closer to what is being requested from the Governor and House by proposing a $342 million teacher pay raise, $126.7 million less than our first offer. This proposal would offer our teachers an eight percent average pay raise instead of 11%.

    Additionally, the proposal adopts the House's position on state employee pay, with the exception of school-based administrators. In addition, it moves to the middle of the House and Senate positions on teacher assistants.

    This compromise delivers on the Senate's priority of a fiscally sound budget that provides our teachers with a salary increase that is competitive with our neighboring states. We have listened to the concerns raised by our colleagues and made many concessions. The Senate has offered compromise after compromise, and I hope the House will accept this fair offer. See the comparison graphs below.





Contact: Jordan Hennessy
     jordan.hennessy@ncleg.net, •  (252) 619-3606


     300 N. Salisbury Street
     Room 525 • Raleigh, NC 27603

    Phone: (919) 715-8293  •  Fax: (919) 754-3296  •  bill.cook@ncleg.net