What your NCGOP accomplished in the 2023 legislative session:
Passed the Care for Women, Children, and Families Act, the most pro-life legislation in NC in over 50 years which serves as model legislation for other states post-Dobbs. Modified NC’s limit on elective abortions from 20 weeks to 12 weeks while maintaining certain exceptions. Requires physicians performing abortions to care for the baby if born alive. Paid parental leave for state employees and teachers. Expanded childcare and support for mothers.
The Parents Bill of Rights empowers parents to be involved in their child’s education and provides them with the necessary tools to ensure they are aware of what their kids are being taught.
Eliminated partisan advantage in elections administration by reforming the State Board of Elections and requiring an evenly balanced board. Required absentee ballots to be received by Election Day in order to be counted. Banned private funding from influencing the conduct of North Carolina elections.
For the 2024-25 school year, all students will be eligible for school choice, through expanded Opportunity Scholarships.
Repealed the Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permit, and affirmed a church’s right to allow parishioners to carry a concealed gun during a worship service.
Expanded Medicaid, but on North Carolina’s terms in the Access to Healthcare Options bill with a rollback provision if any state dollars must ever cover a shortfall, expansion is repealed, put billions of dollars into the state’s healthcare system to improve behavioral health and rural healthcare and tied with deregulation of unnecessary, burdensome, and costly rules and regulations to bend the cost curve.
Passed major reforms to NC’s Certificate of Need (CON) laws for hospitals and healthcare facilities. Eliminated CON for psych and chemical dependency beds, increased the monetary threshold requirement for CON for replacement equipment from $2 million to $3 million and diagnostic centers from $1.5 million to $3 million, eliminated CON for ambulatory surgery centers in counties with 125,000 or more, and eliminated CON for MRI machines in counties with 125,000 or more. Which means more competition in our healthcare industry, increased services, lower costs, and new healthcare jobs.
In 2020, we passed the First Step Act to address the disparity of nonviolent drug offenders facing similar or harsher penalties than violent offenders, and to promote rehabilitation as a top priority.
Alongside the First Step Act, we enacted The Second Chance Act which allows for the expunction of certain offenses committed while a person is younger than 18, but at least 16 years of age.
Implemented tort reforms that reduce frivolous lawsuits against doctors, businesses, and working families.
Passed regulatory reform bills every year to simplify or eliminate outdated, onerous rules and regulations and create a stronger business climate.
Fully funded the State Pension Plan every year since 2011, after half a decade of mismanagement by previous legislatures.
North Carolina voters elected to borrow $2 Billion for education and infrastructure projects:
$980 million for upgrades and repairs across the UNC System
$350 million for community college improvements
$70 million to modernize NC National Guard readiness centers
$8.5 million for a public safety training academy
$300 million grant and loan program for community water and sewer infrastructure investments statewide
We passed a $3 billion Build NC law to allow for $300 million in bonds annually over the next 10 years for transportation projects.
Andy Perrigo
2023-Oct-31