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Education Policy
Ahead of a Monday, October 18, deadline for NC legislators to clarify how they will fully fund the Leandro plan for equitable public education, House Democrats joined education advocates last week in calling on Republican legislative leaders to fully invest in the plan. The court-ordered plan calls for $427 million in new education funding this year, and the October 18 deadline was set by Superior Court Judge David Lee in response to legislative inaction in implementing the plan.
Update as of this writing: Keung Hui at The News and Observer reported on Twitter that Judge David Lee is giving Leandro plaintiffs until Nov. 1 to submit a proposed order for requiring the NC General Assembly to fund the plan.
Environmental Policy
On Wednesday Governor Cooper signed into law HB 951, the energy bill that calls for electricity producers in North Carolina to cut carbon dioxide emissions 70% by 2030 and nearly 100% by 2050. The bill, which is the result of months of negotiation between Cooper and Republican leaders in the NC General Assembly, also allows for multi-year rate setting, a provision Duke Energy has long sought. Though the bill had broad support in the NCGA, some environmental groups expressed concerns that the carbon reduction provisions are written such that they may not be easily enforceable.
Health Care Policy
On Friday Governor Cooper signed into law SB 191, the “No Patient Left Alone Act.”The bill, written in response to early COVID-19 restrictions, will prevent health care facilities from banning patient visitors. Facilities affected by the law include hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice care facilities. The bill had previously unanimously passed the NC General Assembly.
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