Neighbors on Call’s NC Policy Update for 6/06/22

Economic Policy

• In a news conference on Thursday NC Senate Democrats advocated for a $200 gas tax rebate using some of the state’s budget surplus. On May 26 Democrats had introduced the Gas Tax Rebate Act, SB 897, which would issue a $200 debit card or check to North Carolina residents over 18 who hold a valid driver’s license. The primary sponsors of the bill are NC Senators Dan Blue (Wake), Sydney Batch (Wake), and Michael Garrett (Guilford). Sen. Phil Berger, Republican leader of the NC Senate, expressed reluctance to support the measure, saying Republicans would prefer longer-term tax cuts.

Environmental Policy

• On Thursday NC state legislators discussed a bill that would let the NC Department of Environmental Quality set safety limits on chemicals known as PFAS in drinking water. HB 1095 would also require manufacturers responsible for contaminating public drinking water sources with PFAS to pay for cleanup and upgrade their facilities to stop future contamination, requirements that would be set to apply retroactively from the beginning of 2017. The bill has bipartisan support and the support of Governor Cooper. However, the NC Chamber and other business advocacy groups oppose the bill, and Republican speaker of the House Tim Moore said he didn’t expect the bill to pass the NC House this year.

Health Care Policy

• On Thursday the NC Senate passed a Medicaid expansion bill in a 44-1 vote, following a 44-2 preliminary vote on Wednesday. Democrats celebrated the change of heart of their Republican colleagues, who have blocked Medicaid expansion in North Carolina for the past decade. Under the bill, HB 149, up to 600,000 people currently ineligible for government health insurance would be enrolled in Medicaid, with 90% of their costs covered by the federal government and 10% covered by hospitals. To become law, the bill still has to pass the NC House, where it appears so far to have more Republican opposition than in the Senate.

• On Thursday the NC Senate voted to approve a bill legalizing medical marijuana. SB 711 would allow 10 suppliers to sell marijuana via 80 dispensaries to patients with specific medical conditions (including cancer and ALS) and a prescription from specially certified doctors. The 35-10 vote is the first of two required votes; the Senate will vote again on the bill on Monday. After that, the bill will be sent to the NC House, where it appears to have less support. On Tuesday the NC Senate had also moved toward permanent legalization of hemp with a unanimous vote to approve SB 762, the 2022 Farm Act.

Women’s Rights

• On Tuesday Democratic state lawmakers introduced a bill that would eliminate the sales tax on feminine hygiene products and would fund public schools to provide free menstrual products to students. A previous grant program included in last year’s state budget provided limited funds on a first-come, first-served basis to schools in the state to provide menstrual products to students, but many schools that applied for the grant did not receive it because the funding ran out in less than a week. HB 1087 (SB 832), the Menstrual Equity for All Act, would provide $500,000 in recurring funding for this program.

Education Policy and LGBTQ Rights

• On Wednesday the NC Senate passed the controversial “Parents’ Bill of Rights” in a nearly party-line vote. HB 755 would ban teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity from K-3 curricula; require schools to notify a student’s parents if that student begins questioning their gender identity in school or brings concerns about emotional or mental health, including sexual orientation, to a teacher; and ban health care providers from providing any health care, including mental health services, to minors without parental consent. Education and LGBTQ+ advocates say the bill could put some students at risk by requiring schools to out them to their parents, and advocacy groups have called on Governor Cooper to veto the bill if it passes the House.