McInnis: Cooper is holding funding 'hostage'

RALEIGH — State Sen. Tom McInnis is accusing Gov. Roy Cooper of holding funding “hostage” because of reluctance to sign the budget without Medicaid expansion.

According to McInnis’ office, the bipartisan budget includes more than $68 million for high-priority projects in Anson, Moore, Richmond and Scotland Counties.

That funding includes:

• Almost $53 million in capital funding for K-12 schools.
• More than $7.5 million in capital funding for Richmond Community College.
• Almost $5 in capital funding for Sandhills Community College.
• More than $5.5 million in capital funding for South Piedmont Community College.
• $8 million to the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport to extend the runway by 2,000 feet and help the airport bring in more international business.
• $2 million to renovate and convert a facility in Moore County into a juvenile detention center to meet the projected juvenile justice bed needs associated with “Raise the Age” legislation.
• More than $1.1 million for a Workforce-Focused Multi-Campus Center at Richmond Community College Scotland County Campus.
• $500,000 to start a new telehealth program that will help improve health care outcomes in Scotland County.
• $250,000 for addiction treatment in the Moore County Detention Center.
• $100,000 for Scotland County Soil and Water District for repairs to Fair Lake Dam.
• $100,000 to Scotland County for a farmers' market.
• $50,000 for the Moore Free and Charitable Clinic to provide low to no cost medical care to the uninsured of Moore County.
• $50,000 to the Moore County Historical Association for the Shaw House.
• $25,000 to the Anson Economic Development Corporation for recruiting, marketing, job training and industry retention in Anson County.
• $25,000 to the Richmond Economic Development Corporation for recruiting, marketing, job training, and industry retention in Richmond County.
• $25,000 for Moore Buddies Mentoring to mentor at-risk children and youth.
• $20,000 to the Town of Ansonville Fire Department.

“It’s not right to block all this funding just because of one policy disagreement,” McInnis, R-Richmond, said in a statement. “The governor is holding Anson, Moore, Richmond and Scotland Counties’ funding hostage over Medicaid expansion, and he refuses to drop his ultimatum so negotiations on the budget can move forward.”

Cooper vetoed the budget on June 28, saying “it prioritizes the wrong things.”

Cooper’s office says  the expansion wouldn’t cost North Carolina taxpayers any additional money and would provide coverage to 500,000 state residents, and give the economy a $4 million boost.

“Our neighbors, our friends, our farmers, our childcare teachers, our small business owners, our brothers and sisters in the grips of opioid addiction – these are the people in the health care coverage gap,” Cooper said. “But 2,305 days ago, the legislature slammed the door on expanding Medicaid in North Carolina. Every day that count gets higher is a lost opportunity to help our state.”

The governor also vetoed the budget over funding for education, affordable housing development and rural economic development projects.

One local project that was included in Cooper’s proposed budget but excised from the legislature’s version was funding for improvements at Rockingham Speedway and a pedestrian bridge connecting the speedway and the dragway.

Cooper offered to compromise, but his office issued a release Friday saying legislative leaders have yet to come back with a counteroffer.

Sen. Phil Berger's office said Thursday that the senate leader has reached out to the governor about his "Medicaid-or-nothing ultimatum," after a Cooper spokesman said the governor "has not issued an ultimatum on any issue."

Rep. Scott Brewer, D-Richmond, was one of 49 House Democrats to vote against the budget. Only one approved.