Neighbors on Call’s NC Policy Update for 7/17/23

Governance

• No North Carolina budget vote until August, top House member says: Negotiations between the GOP-led House and Senate are continuing with debate centered on tax cuts. (Brian Murphy, WRAL)

Education Policy

• July surprise: GOP lawmakers unveil sweeping bill to remake public education in NC: Abruptly scheduled public hearing, however, is postponed till next week (Greg Childress, NC Newsline) and NC House GOP bill would make it easier to fire school superintendents, prosecute librarians (Michael Hyland, CBS17)

• NC lawmakers seek to restrict minors' mental health privacy rights: A new proposal in the state House would repeal minors' rights under state law to consent to mental health counseling without a parent's permission except in cases of emergency. It's part of a national conservative push to reassert parental rights. (Laura Leslie, WRAL)

• Bill to OK tax money for charter school construction clears NC legislature: House Bill 219 would leave it up to county commissions to decide whether to spend local tax dollars on charter school construction. (Travis Fain, WRAL)

• Gov. Roy Cooper lets UNC omnibus bill become law without his signature (Joe Killian, NC Newsline)

Health Care Policy

• North Carolina medical marijuana bill likely dead for this year, House speaker says (AP/WRAL)

• North Carolina Medicaid managed care for people with mental illness and disabilities delayed again: The start date for the plans that will cover roughly 160,000 people had been last Dec. 1. The state Department of Health and Human Services then pushed back its implementation to April 1, then to this coming Oct. 1. (AP/WRAL)

• Mannequin exams. New instructor licenses. Changes could be coming to NC dental practice laws: Lawmakers are considering proposed legislation that could bring changes to the North Carolina dental profession. (Anne Blythe, NC Health News)

Abortion Rights

• Ultrasound documentation requirement for abortion pills will remain on hold (Lynn Bonner, NC Newsline)

LGBTQ Rights

• Republican lawmakers eye veto overrides for NC bills targeting transgender youth: The bills, vetoed last week by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, seek to ban gender-affirming care for minors and prohibit transgender girls and women from playing on female sports teams. (Laura Leslie, WRAL News)