Twenty-one days. That’s how long it has been since Governor Roy Cooper and Democratic leaders sent a compromise budget offer to Republican legislators. Since then, Republicans have not returned a counteroffer, choosing to instead spend their time on a veto override effort for which they do not have the votes.
Gov. Cooper’s compromise offer can be found HERE. It would close the health care coverage gap, raise teacher pay, cut taxes for people and guarantee school construction while balancing the budget and saving money in the Rainy Day Fund.
Where is the Republican counteroffer?
An Associated Press story from the weekend lays out what’s at stake:
North Carolina is one of 14 states yet to agree to expansion, something that experts say could provide Medicaid coverage to 634,000 low-income adults and reduce the number of uninsured statewide by 365,000. Supporters say expansion would inject money into rural economies and hospitals and make people healthier. Hospitals would pay the state's portion of costs.
The story also explains that Republicans’ ability to avoid negotiating has “changed since the 2018 elections, when enough Democrats got elected to end the GOP's veto-proof control.”
North Carolinians are waiting for the Republicans to propose a counteroffer and get budget negotiations underway.
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