Governor McCrory Gubernatorial Debate Fact Sheet Part 3 | Eastern North Carolina Now

    The Following is part of an article series sent by incumbent Governor McCrory following Gubernatorial Debate on October 11 with Roy Cooper. Click here for more articles related to the debate.

    Press Release:

On Roy Cooper's Watch, S.B.I. Rape Kit, Crime Lab Backlogs Were At An All-Time High

    Roy Cooper claims he fixed the problems at the crime lab, but independent fact-checkers give his claims a "red light" on the fact-checking scale: "Roy Cooper's crime lab "still experiences long processing times." (WRAL, 9/8/2016)

    Last year, Winston-Salem, fed up with years-long state crime lab delays, decided to pay for its own. (Bertrand M. Gutierrez, "City contracts with private firm to open crime lab here," Winston-Salem-Journal, 1/4/2015)

• "Blood-alcohol and drug evidence that took months-sometimes years-to test at the State Crime Lab will be tested within days..." (Bertrand M. Gutierrez, "City contracts with private firm to open crime lab here," Winston-Salem-Journal, 1/4/2015)

    There are still thousands of untested rape kits across North Carolina and prosecutors have to wait up to two years to receive evidence test results from Cooper's crime lab:

• "NC rape victims waiting 2 years for DNA test results" (WECT, 6/22/2015)
• "Backlogs in the SBI crime lab are a problem from the mountains to the coast." (Kinston Free Press, 8/9/2015)

    Crime lab delays mean prosecutors have had to delay criminal cases and even drop charges against suspects as criminals walk free:

• "Officials: Backlog at NC crime lab leads to canceled prosecutions" (Winston-Salem Journal, 1/12/2015)
• "Rapists Go Free While Rape Kits Go Untested" (The Atlantic, 2/24/2015)
• "The wait time doesn't just add to the pain and suffering. In many cases, it can cost victims a conviction" (WECT, 6/22/15)
• "Crime lab backlog... stall local murder cases" (High Point Enterprise, 1/3/2015)
• "Justice delayed: Many felony cases remain unresolved for years" (Kinston Free Press, 8/9/2015)

    These delays impact prosecutors' ability to charge DWI cases and get habitual drunk drivers out from behind the wheel:

• "Impaired drivers walk as crime lab lingers" (Haywood County Mountaineer, 2/2/2015)
• "6 DWIs in 16 months and still driving?" (Column: Asheville Citizen-Times, 2/13/16)
• "Delay in blood testing has created major backlog of DWI cases" (Winston Salem Journal, August 10, 2013)

    When Roy Cooper supervised the State Bureau of Investigations, a 2002 study commissioned by his Democrat colleague and then-state senator Kay Hagan found that as many as 20,000 rape kits were left un-investigated. ("Rape's evidence gathers dust," Associated Press, 11/19/2002)

• "Unless there was a known suspect, the State Bureau of Investigation refused to analyze the DNA in rape kits." (Cullen Crowder, "SBI hopes to make dent in number of unsolved rape cases," WRAL, 1/9/2004)

Roy Cooper Stands By Obamacare, Higher Insurance Premiums For North Carolina Families

    Cooper failed to join 26 other states to challenge Obamacare in court

• "Cooper has refused to join litigation by other states" (Jon Camp, "NC Republicans Challenge Health Care Reform," ABC11, 1/27/2011)

    Cooper continues to support expanding Obamacare, even as it hikes insurance premiums and hurts North Carolina families. (Richard Craver, "Medicaid expansion may fall on deaf ears in Congress, N.C." Winston-Salem Journal, 1/14/2016)

• "NC Health Insurers Propose ACA Rate Increases" (John Murawski, "NC health insurers propose ACA rate increases," The News & Observer, 5/31/2016)
• "Insurance Commissioner Blames ACA For Industry Woes" (John Murawski, "NC Insurance commissioner blames ACA for industry woes," The news & Observer, 2/3/2016)

Governor McCrory Put Medicaid Back On Track

    Under Governor McCrory, Medicaid finished the last two years in the black, after four years of shortfalls and $2 billion in the hole. (Richard Craver, "Medicaid expansion may fall on deaf ears in Congress, N.C." Winston-Salem Journal, 1/14/2016)

• 2013: "Audit: State overspent budget by more than $1.4 billion" (Lynn Bonner, "Audit: State overspent Medicaid budget by more than $1.4 billion," Raleigh News & Observer, 1/31/2013)
• 2015: "NC Medicaid in good financial standing." (Gary D. Robertson, "NC Medicaid in good financial standing," The Associated Press, 8/5/2015)

    Governor McCrory signed major Medicaid reform into law, empowering Medicaid recipients to choose their provider. ("Medicaid Transformation and Reorganization," S.L. 2015-245, North Carolina General Assembly, signed by Gov. McCrory 9/23/2015)

• Governor McCrory: "This new system will focus on keeping people healthy and delivering care where it makes the most sense for patients" (Press Release, "Governor McCrory signs historic Medicaid reform that improves patient care and holds down costs," Office of the Governor, 9/23/2015)

• Contact: The Pat McCrory Committee
•     media@patmccrory.com