Neighbors on Call’s NC Policy Update for 8/07/23

Governance

• Budget negotiations continue at the NCGA, as Republican leaders of the two legislative chambers discuss legalizing additional casinos in the state, among other issues. The budget was due on July 1, and delays in negotiations have put on hold the implementation of Medicaid expansion in North Carolina. Republican leaders in the NCGA indicated they had agreed to additional personal income tax cuts conditional on sufficient future state revenues.

Voting Rights

• On Wednesday the North Carolina State Board of Elections announced that all 100 county boards of elections in the state can now produce free photo voter ID for registered voters who do not have another acceptable form of ID. To obtain the free ID, voters need to provide their name, birthdate, and the last four digits of their social security number–and then pose for a picture. Photo ID is required for voting in the upcoming election, though voters without an acceptable ID can fill out an ID exception form. Seventeen counties in North Carolina do not have DMV offices, and the DMV offices in many other counties do not have available appointments, making access to a free photo ID through county boards of elections especially important.