Senator Kandie D. Smith Newsletter

March 23, 2023

Hello Curmilus, Last week we received the Governor’s Proposed State Budget, and this week we got ahold of the proposed House Republican State Budget! In today’s newsletter, I have a general overview of what is included in the House Republican plan, as well as some important local updates on Pitt County’s LIEAP Program, the official signing of Medicaid expansion, and more! As always, please reach out to my office if we can be of any assistance to you! Sincerely,

Sen. Kandie D. Smith 16 West Jones Street, Rm. 1113 Raleigh, NC 27601 (919) 715-8363 kandie.smith@ncleg.gov

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NC House Republicans Propose State Budget

On Wednesday, House Republican leadership released their proposed state budget. Below you will find a general overview of some of the key features of this proposal, and how it stacks up with the Governor’s proposal.

House Budget Proposal: Does not fund Greenville’s Town Common Bulkhead Project Governors Proposal: Funds Greenville’s Town Common Bulkhead Project House Budget Proposal: Raise teacher pay by 10.2% over the next two years Governors Proposal: Raise teacher pay by 18% over the next two years House Budget Proposal: Raise State Employee pay by 7.5% over the next two years Governors Proposal: Raise State Employee pay by 8% over the next two years

Other features of note in the proposed House Budget: TEACHER RAISES, EDUCATION ▪ Teachers’ average raises of 10.2% over two years, including step increases and extra funding for rural-area educators. The raises would be 5.5% the first year, with the rest coming in the second year. ▪ Provide teachers with paid parental leave of four to eight weeks. ▪ Restore master’s degree pay for teachers. ▪ Spend $40 million on school safety. ▪ Require schools to post academic materials online. ▪ Cap class sizes in elementary schools at 24 for both fourth and fifth grades. STATE EMPLOYEES, BUS DRIVER RAISES ▪ State employee raises of 7.5% over two years, with 4.25% in the first year and 3.25% in the second year. ▪ Additional 2% raises over two years for some employees in jobs that are harder to recruit and retain. ▪ For school bus drivers, an additional 2% on top of the 7.5%, giving them a total raise of 9.5% over two years. ▪ For State Highway Patrol employees, raises of 11% over two years. ▪ A 2% cost-of-living-adjustment increase for retired state employees over two years. TAXES IN THE HOUSE BUDGET ▪ Reduce the individual income tax rate to 4.5% in 2024, which is a year earlier than planned. ▪ Provide an adoption tax credit. ▪ Increase the child tax credit by 20%. MEDICAID EXPANSION The Medicaid expansion bill that Gov. Cooper signed into law on Monday will take effect if the state budget becomes law. Between $400 and $500 million expected from expansion implementation has been woven into the House budget proposal. CLIMATE CHANGE The House budget would eliminate some Department of Environmental Quality greenhouse gas initiatives and an effort to promote “clean trucks.” This is in response to Governor Cooper signing an executive order in October that tasks DEQ with starting a rulemaking process for an Advanced Clean Trucks program to transition to electric trucks and vans. HIGHER EDUCATION ▪ Funds a new UNC Law School and a proposed UNC School of Civic Life and Leadership. ▪ UNC and community college employees would get 7.5% raises over two years, with additional money to be used for recruitment.

Click Here to Explore the Entire Budget Proposal

LIEAP Is Ending

Pitt County’s Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) is nearing its end with the last day to submit applications on March 31st. This program aids eligible families who need assistance with home heating expenses. The program works through the Pitt County Department of Social Services, which will submit payments for LIEAP directly to the utility providers on behalf of those who need it. The amount you receive for this program is directly tied to your household size and income status. You can apply online through the NC ePass Portal, call the Pitt County Human Services Center at 252-902-1352, or click the button below for more!

CLICK HERE for More

Gov. Cooper Signs Medicaid Expansion – Now we await the State Budget…

This week, Governor Roy Cooper signed the North Carolina Medicaid expansion bill which will finally provide hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians health insurance. The bill’s passage was a bi-partisan victory for North Carolina and will hopefully result in some 600,000 people gaining medical insurance. Given that House and Senate Leadership in the North Carolina General Assembly has tied the Medicaid expansion passage to the passage of the entire state budget, Medicaid won’t officially become law unless a State Budget is passed this year. With a near veto-proof supermajority in the General Assembly, Republicans have a lot of power to force through a budget they want, so we will all need to work hard to fight for the priorities we have in this State Budget process.

This Week’s Pistol Veto Override

This week, Republicans in the Senate and House successfully voted to override Governor Roy Cooper’s veto on Senate Bill 41, Guarantee 2nd Amend Freedom and Protections. This is the first time the legislature has successfully overridden one of Governor Cooper’s vetoes since 2018. In light of these recent actions, the bill has become law and will repeal North Carolina’s longstanding pistol purchase permit requirement, a law that required the local sheriff’s approval for anyone purchasing a handgun. There is also language in this law allowing guns to be permitted in school properties where religious services are held. Guns are not allowed during school hours or when students are present for extracurriculars. I voted to uphold the Governor’s veto and supported amendments to the bill that would have mandated background checks (Those amendments were never heard by the majority and did not make their way into the bill). This bill makes North Carolina a deadlier place for our students, our families, and everyone, and I am incredibly disappointed that this was the result of this process.

PFAS mitigation, DEQ staffing Funded in Cooper’s Budget

Governor Roy Cooper’s budget proposal appropriates more than $4 million in tackling per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or so-called "forever chemicals". PFAS were discovered in North Carolina’s drinking water supply near the lower Cape Fear River over five years ago. This is downstream from Chemours Co., a DuPont Chemical company spinoff that has been documented dumping chemical runoff for decades. In the past year, DEQ has collected samples at 50 municipal and county water systems that contain two types of PFAS at levels above federal minimum health advisories. The funding would be used to create a dedicated team within the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to address PFAS statewide. This team is necessary due to the fact that PFAS pose a looming threat to the future health of all North Carolinians. The department is currently understaffed at a current average employee vacancy rate of 20%. These shortages have been consistent for months, creating more stress for these already overworked state employees. Governor Cooper’s plan to inject $5 million into DEQ would provide a pay increase for the state employees as well as allow the department to hire more staff to make up for the shortages.

Sen. Smith Continues District-Wide Listening Tour

The last half of Senator Smith’s district-wide listening tour begins TODAY with 5 stops to go in Pitt County! As the Governor and North Carolina General Assembly release their proposed state budgets, Senator Smith is taking this opportunity to meet with local members of the public to hear the concerns, questions, and issues facing the people of District 5, directly from them. All members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend any or all events! Check out the images below for a complete list of event locations, dates, and times!

In The Community

The 16th annual PirateFest is coming back to Greenville, North Carolina! After a brief pause due to the pandemic, it’s back on and bigger than ever with eight city blocks covered this year. Join us for two days of swashbuckling tomfoolery at the kickoff on Friday night with a free concert, street food, carnival, and pirates! Saturday will have multiple live stage shows, arts and crafts, beer and wine gardens, sword fighting, and so much more! Come out to see it! WHEN: Friday evening, April 14, 2023, and Saturday, April 15, 2023, from 11 AM to 8 PM WHERE: Uptown Greenville, NC CLICK HERE for more!

SpringFest Street Fair, Food Truck Rodeo, ECU Health Blue Ribbon Kidz Day Saturday, April 1st, 2023 10 AM – 3 PM Location: Downtown Tarboro, NC Celebrate the season with a fun-filled street festival of health and wellness! Highlights include live music, street dancing, entertainers, bouncers, face-painting, arts and crafts vendors, health checks, and giveaways. Additionally, a diverse array of food trucks will be there fill any of your food cravings. CLICK HERE for more!

How can I help? I’m here for you!

Together we can build a better North Carolina. If I can help you in any way, do not hesitate to reach out: Email: kandie.smith@ncleg.gov Phone: 919-715-8363 Help us spread this important information by forwarding this newsletter to your networks.

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Sen. Kandie D. Smith

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