In addition to Medicaid cuts, there has been a major drop in Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollment. After the federal tax credits for the ACA expired at the beginning of the year, North Carolina saw a 21% drop in enrollment, coming out to an estimated 165,000 residents – the largest drop in the country.
The cyclosporiasis outbreak has spurred conversation about the Trump administration’s part in exacerbating this growing public health concern due to cuts to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The meeting featured tense debates over whether eliminating Sunday voting could disproportionately affect Black voters, whether students would have adequate access to the polls without voting sites on college campuses, and how much influence the state auditor’s office should have over local election decisions.
North Carolina ranks near dead last for school funding in the country – something that Governor Josh Stein has been trying to change. He calls the new state budget “a launching pad, not a landing spot.”