2023 budget
NC legislators about to put an exclamation mark on one of the worst sessions in state history
The 2023 session of the North Carolina General Assembly could be rightfully categorized as one of the worst in modern state history based merely upon what lawmakers failed (or chose not) to accomplish. Topping any list of such failures would be the destructive and blatantly lawless decision to ignore the state constitution and a state […]
Eight new public defender districts funded in the budget — but legal deserts remain
In May, the head of the North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services told members of the Governor’s Crime Commission that almost half of the state’s 100 counties are “legal deserts,” meaning there was less than one lawyer for every 1,000 residents. But the state budget could help with that, Mary Pollard told officials. At […]
Latest budget still includes expanded eligibility for prison medical release
Following the lead of a budget drafted by Senate legislators earlier this year, the latest version of lawmakers’ budget proposal would expand medical release for elderly people in state prisons. Current law dictating the medical release of old or sick incarcerated people is very narrow: they must be so sick that they’re likely to die […]
Casino-Medicaid bill also includes proposal for spending ARPA windfall
Republican legislators’ proposed legislation to pair the approval of four new casinos in the state with Medicaid expansion also details how North Carolina would spend a “temporary savings fund” from the American Rescue Plan Act. Most, but not all, of the cash would go toward health-related programs and initiatives. It’s not clear if the bill […]
NC Supreme Court hasn’t ruled on Voter ID yet. House Republicans budgeted for it anyway.
The North Carolina Supreme Court hasn’t yet ruled on whether a voter ID law was intended to discriminate against prospective voters of color, but that didn’t stop House Republicans from funding it. Legislators released a budget proposal last week that would give $3.5 million to the State Board of Elections to implement voter ID requirements. The board also […]
NC House budget expands prisoners’ access to college education
The House budget bill released by Republican leaders last week includes a $4 million influx of cash to broaden incarcerated people’s opportunities to earn associate’s and bachelor’s degrees while they are imprisoned. The recurring funding would bump the net appropriation for prisoner education to $13.9 million for each of the next two years. That’s a […]