Governor Cooper vetoes three bills targeting LGBTQ+ community
- House Bill 574: Fairness in Women's Sports Act. NASW-NC Opposed this bill.
- Senate Bill 49: Parents' Bill of Rights. NASW-NC Opposed this bill.
- House Bill 808: Gender Transition/Minors. NASW-NC Opposed this bill.
Governor Cooper made the following statement on his vetoes of these three bills:
“For campaign purposes only, Republicans are serving up a triple threat of political culture wars using government to invade the rights and responsibilities of parents and doctors, hurting vulnerable children and damaging our state’s reputation and economy like they did with the harmful bathroom bill. Instead of scheming for the next election, Republicans should get to work investing in our public schools and teachers, lowering the cost of living and creating more stability for middle class families.”
Governor Cooper made the following statement on his veto of HB 574:
"We don’t need politicians inflaming their political culture wars by making broad, uninformed decisions about an extremely small number of vulnerable children that are already handled by a robust system that relies on parents, schools and sports organizations. Republican governors in other states have vetoed similar bills because they hurt their states’ reputation and economy and because they are neither fair nor needed."
Governor Cooper made the following statement on his veto of SB 49:
"Parents are the most essential educators for their children and their involvement must be encouraged, but this bill will scare teachers into silence by injecting fear and uncertainty into classrooms. This “Don’t Say Gay” bill also hampers the important and sometimes lifesaving role of educators as trusted advisers when students have nowhere else to turn. The rights of parents are well established in state law, so instead of burdening schools with their political culture wars, legislators should help them with better teacher pay and more investments in students."
Governor Cooper made the following statement on his veto of HB 808:
"A doctor’s office is no place for politicians, and North Carolina should continue to let parents and medical professionals make decisions about the best way to offer gender care for their children. Ordering doctors to stop following approved medical protocols sets a troubling precedent and is dangerous for vulnerable youth and their mental health. The government should not make itself both the parent and the doctor.
Legislation has been introduced or passed all across the country targeting the LGBTQ+ community, especially trans/non-binary/gender-expansive folks. Unfortunately, North Carolina has quickly become more unsafe for LGBTQ+ community members.
What can we do as social workers?
Join NASW-NC's Equity and Inclusion Committee for a panel discussion on these bills' impact on North Carolinians and actions we can take to support our LGBTQ+ clients.
1.5 hours of CE will be offered for this event!
Day: July 17, 2023
Time: 12pm-1:30pm Eastern Time
July is #DisabilityPrideMonth. This is a time to honor the history, achievements, experiences, and struggles of the disability community. It’s a time to show what disability pride means and what people with disabilities are proud of. Why July? It marks the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, landmark legislation that broke down barriers to inclusion in society. But barriers still exist, which is why we need to honor every kind of disability, the people who identify with them, and the wide range of supports they need to thrive. Here’s more about the history of Disability Pride Month and the story behind the flag.
Looking for ways to celebrate Disability Pride Month? We’ve got you covered. Source: The Arc
July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month - National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month is observed each July to bring awareness to the unique struggles that racial and ethnic minority communities face regarding mental illness in the United States.
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act, and helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.
Racial and ethnic minorities often suffer from poor mental health outcomes due to multiple factors, including lack of access to quality mental health care services, cultural stigma surrounding mental health care, discrimination, and overall lack of awareness about mental health.
The Office of MinorityHealth has resources and information to help us address health disparities impacting the mental wellbeing of racial and ethnic minority communities: https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/minority-mental-health/
July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. The observance provides an opportunity to highlight the unique mental health challenges and needs of historically disenfranchised or oppressed racial and ethnic groups in North Carolina and the United States.
As part of National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services in partnership with the Health Equity Portfolio, is offering a one-hour online event to increase awareness and provide information to recognize the importance of addressing mental health disparities that exist within minority communities.
Date/Time: Thursday, July 13, 2023, 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Join Link: Click here to join
Flyer: Click here to download the flyer
Hear. Share. Act. Lunch & Learn
Hear. Share. Act. is a free Lunch & Learn disability advocacy series held online. We meet on the third Tuesday of every month beginning at noon with new topics brought to you by thought leaders in the I/DD community.
Date/Time: July 18, 2023, 12:00-1:30 p.m.
Join Link: Click here to register
2023 Budget Update
The Senate tax plan is an unacceptable option for North Carolina that is being considered by state lawmakers as part of the final steps in establishing the state’s budget for the next two years. Senate budget writers would set up income tax reductions through 2030 that would send more than two thirds of the tax cut to the richest 20 percent of North Carolinians and reduce public funds by $7.6 billion when fully in effect. These public funds could instead fully fund the teacher salary increases, student support, and a sound basic education that students are constitutionally required to receive but have not. Income tax cuts block North Carolinians from thriving.
BLOCKS THE STATE FROM SUPPORTING WELL-BEING IN EVERY COMMUNITY
The state has an important role in funding the infrastructure of opportunity statewide because unlike local governments the state can raise revenue and make sure public resources are equitably shared across the state. When opportunity is uneven, people and communities are disconnected from the quality public schools, early education and health care that supports mobility and well-being.
Action Alert: Take Action Here & contact House Conference Committee Members, https://ncbudget.org/budget2023/
Source: NC Budget & Tax Center
In addition, the delay of the 2023 budget is impacting Medicaid Expansion in NC. Governor Cooper has urged state Republican legislative leaders to separate funding for Medicaid expansion from the 2023-24 state budget, even though that funding is those leaders’ primary leverage against a budget bill veto. Cooper signed House Bill 76 into law on March 27, surrounded by a bipartisan group of state legislators, including bill sponsor Rep. Donny Lambeth, R-Forsyth. The signing of HB76 means that between 450,000 and 650,000 North Carolinians are a step closer to having health coverage through Medicaid.Yet, the expansion legislation has been stuck in limbo as Republican House and Senate budget negotiations have spilled over into July. There are no new projections of when the 2023 regular session will end. Without a signed state budget, the legislation in HB76 would expire on July 1, 2024, meaning North Carolina won’t become the 40th Medicaid expansion state. Cooper said Monday that “making Medicaid expansion contingent on passing the budget was and is unnecessary. “Now, the failure of Republican legislators to pass the budget is ripping health care away from thousands of real people and costing our state and our hospitals millions of dollars. Tying it to the budget is tying our hands, and the legislature should decouple the two and start Medicaid expansion now.” Legislative analysts have expressed concerns that Republican legislative leaders may insert controversial legislation into the budget, potentially causing Cooper not to sign it. That would set up a potential veto override vote in both chambers.
Source: Winston-Salem Journal
Bills of Interest:
HB 762 - School Social Workers/Master's Pay as a stand alone bill was heard in the House Education Committee on May 30th. Master's Level Pay for School Social Workers was included in the Governor's & House versions of the Budget. However, it was cut from the Senate version. NASW-NC and the NC School Social Workers Association (NCSSWA) were present at the NC General Assembly to advocate for this legislation. It passed unanimously out of the House Education Committee and is now in the Appropriations Committee, where we hope it will be included in the final version of the 2023 Budget.
Social Work Interstate Licensure Compact Update
SB 718 was not subjected to the final bill crossover deadline of May 4th. This means we still have the rest of the 2023 Legislative Session to get the bill passed in both chambers and signed into law by Governor Cooper. We are optimistic the bill will pass. Since only Republican-sponsored bills have moved this session, we are pitching the Compact as primarily a bill to support military spouses. The Social Work Compact creation was initiated by the Department of Defense to promote licensure portability for military spouses. You can read about that here: Interstate Licensure Compact for Social Work (socialworkers.org) A large number of Republican lawmakers, who have the supermajority in both the House and Senate, are very supportive of bills that support military populations and NASW-NC is working on getting support to advance the bill before session ends. Please be on the lookout for action alerts to contact your legislators to support the Social Work Licensure Compact.
More information about the Social Work Licensure Compact can be found here: https://swcompact.org
Thank you to the members of NASW-NC for supporting the advocacy work we do. We would not be able to advocate for the social work profession or social justice issues in North Carolina without a robust and engaged NASW membership. If you are a social worker and not a member, we ask that you join NASW today. Our voice is louder with your membership.
Learn more about NASW-NC membership here.
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