In this week's update:
- NCGA Returns to Raleigh
- New absentee ballot dates from NC State Board of Elections
- National Voter Registration Day
- Upcoming NC Debate Schedule
- NC GOP sues Board of Elections over UNC digital id
- Attend NASW-NC Webinar "How the Election will Impact Social Work in NC"
- Register for 2024 NASW-NC Virtual Fall Conference
- Governor Proclaims Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month 2024
NCGA Returns to Raleigh
The House passed HB 10 Wednesday afternoon, and the bill will be headed to Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk.
Like previous discussions in committee meetings and the Senate, much of the debate around HB 10 centered on Opportunity Scholarship vouchers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer provisions.
HB 10 would allocate just under half a billion dollars ($463 million) to clear a 55,000-person waiting list for private school vouchers. It would also require local sheriffs to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement when a 48-hour detainer is placed on an individual with unverifiable legal status.
“There is a proper method for ICE to get someone in our jails and it is called a warrant for arrest of alien, and there has to be a finding of probable cause,” Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford, said, calling these detainers “unconstitutional.” “We’re here debating election talking points that are fueled by misinformation and prejudice,” she concluded.
“HB 10 perpetuates racial profiling and discrimination,” Rep. Maria Cervania, D-Wake, said, adding that these arrests are based on suspicion.
Rep. Ken Fontenot, R-Wilson, said cooperation with law enforcement should be a basic tenet of a country that is reeling from the effects of fentanyl, which he attributed to the lack of a strong border with Mexico.
Debate about the Opportunity Scholarship vouchers was interspersed with commentary on the immigration debate on the House floor.
“Why do we have to reach into public coffers to send money to private education when our job is to protect public schools and everybody’s kid can go there?” asked Rep. Abe Jones, D-Wake, who added that the state continually ranks low in teacher pay.
“One can get an excellent education in public schools provided that we make the provisions for excellency,” Rep. Marvin W. Lucas, D-Cumberland, said. “Wherever we deprive those students, we’re going to get diminishing returns.”
Rep. Kelly E. Hastings, R-Gaston, said he’s often asked,“Why are Republicans dismantling education?”
He said his response is the Legislature has passed numerous pay raises for teachers and state employees over the past decade while cutting their income taxes. Hastings said the General Assembly has invested millions of dollars into safety measures and capital for public schools.
HB 10 passed with a 67-43 vote following over an hour of debate.
House Speaker Tim Moore said if a veto is required by the Legislature, an override could be expected if enough members are present in October, but it’s too soon to plan for that event.
(Source: Pro.StateAffairs.com)
Medicaid Money
The state legislature approved funding Wednesday to meet higher costs for NC Medicaid in the current fiscal year. But their number came in below what state health officials had been asking for — by about $81 million.
The state Department of Health and Human Services had asked for almost half a billion dollars to meet all of next year’s obligations for the program, which serves low-income children, some of their parents and low-income seniors. But the General Assembly — which voted this week to approve their version of a “mini” budget document — only approved $277 million in recurring funds and an additional $100 million in one-time money to cover the requested $458 million.
The bill could be vetoed by Gov. Roy Cooper, but the legislature would be then likely to override that veto.
The $377 million is not designated to cover the people who received care as a result of Medicaid expansion. Money for that comes from a different source of funding.
House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, said if there is a shortfall, it likely wouldn’t happen until 2025, when the legislature would be back in session and could take action to add in extra dollars.
Part of the money DHHS asked state lawmakers for is needed because the state will receive $136 million less as federal reimbursement. The federal government pays most of North Carolina’s Medicaid expenditure, providing 65.9 cents of every dollar spent this fiscal year. Next year, that matching fund rate ticks downward to 65.06 cents for every dollar.
According to DHHS, the remainder of the requested $458 million is largely due to health care cost inflation. NC Medicaid costs fluctuate each year, and DHHS forecasts how costs might change. They then ask and asks the legislature for funding adjustments based on those predictions —– known as “rebasing.”
Now, the department is evaluating how to manage the Medicaid program with a shortfall of $81 million and no additional funding for the costs associated with the Medicaid program’s switch from being state-run to being managed by large insurance companies.
Some of those costs include planning for a new Children and Families Specialty Plan, which will serve more than 30,000 current and former foster children and some of their family members.
Another impact could be to the NC Healthy Opportunities pilots, in which people on Medicaid can receive food, transportation or housing services, Melanie Bush, deputy director of the state’s Medicaid program, told NC Health News this summer. Plans for making that program statewide may have to go on a back burner, she said. [Source]
New absentee ballot dates from NC State Board of Elections
All 100 county boards of elections must send absentee ballots to eligible military and overseas citizens who requested them for the 2024 general election on Friday, Sept. 20, under a new schedule released by the State Board of Elections.
The Board also set Sept. 24 as the date to start sending absentee ballots to other voters who have requested ballots by mail, including those who use the Visually Impaired Portal (VIP) to request and return their ballots.
This schedule ensures that North Carolina will meet the federal law requirement to distribute ballots to voters under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) by the 45th day before the election — Sept. 21.
County boards were prepared to send absentee ballots out on Sept. 6, the deadline for absentee ballots to be sent under state law. However, rulings by the N.C. Court of Appeals and N.C. Supreme Court required election officials to remove the We The People party line from the presidential contest on the ballot, including the party’s presidential nominee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and vice-presidential nominee, Nicole Shanahan.
In North Carolina, any registered voter can vote an absentee ballot, after submitting a request for the ballot. Voters can request their absentee ballot at votebymail.ncsbe.gov. The deadline for absentee requests is Oct. 29. However, election officials urge voters who wish to vote by mail to request their ballot soon, so it can be completed and returned to the voter’s county board of elections by 7:30 p.m. Election Day — Nov. 5.
Through Thursday, more than 166,000 voters — including more than 13,600 military and overseas voters — have requested ballots in North Carolina.
The State Board has received many questions about the statewide cost of reprinting ballots. Preliminary estimates show the costs vary widely by county, depending on how many ballots must be reprinted and other factors. Estimates range from a few thousand dollars in some smaller counties to $18,000 in Caldwell County, $55,100 in Durham County and $300,000 in Wake County, home to the most registered voters in the state.
2024 General Election Dates and Deadlines
Here are key dates and deadlines for the 2024 general election in North Carolina:
- Sept. 20: Ballots distributed to military and overseas citizen voters who have requested them.
- Sept. 24: Absentee ballots distributed to all other voters who have requested them.
- Oct. 11: Voter registration deadline (5 p.m.).*
- Oct. 17: In-person early voting begins; same-day registration available.
- Oct. 29: Absentee ballot request deadline (5 p.m.).*
- Nov. 2: In-person early voting ends (3 p.m.).
- Nov. 5: General Election Day.
- Nov. 5: Absentee ballot return deadline (7:30 p.m.).*
*Voter registration and absentee voting deadlines are different for military and overseas citizen voters.
(Source: NCSBE.gov)
National Voter Registration Day
In recognition of the vital link between health and voting, the National Association of Social Workers North Carolina Chapter joins in the September 17th National Voter Registration Day! We're now part of a nationwide, non-partisan initiative that's registered 5M+ voters since 2012. As part of our efforts, we urge all members to spare 30 seconds and verify your voter registration at your current address. Click the link here: v.vot-er.org/naswnc
Double check your Voter Registration
By confirming that your voter registration is up-to-date, you can secure a seamless voting process this November, whether you choose to vote from home or in person.
Did you check your voter registration?
Fantastic! There are additional ways to support NSAW-NCs mission of connecting voting and health, all while maintaining a non-partisan approach.
- Host a voter registration drive on-site!
- Order your FREE Vot-ER Badge or digital registration materials to begin helping communities, like your patients, register to vote in upcoming elections
TOMORROW thousands of Partners hit the streets for a 24 hour democracy bonanza with #NationalVoterRegistrationDay! Sign up as a Partner to print some posters, get sample social media, & contribute your very own registration event to the #VoteReady party! bit.ly/VoteReady2024
Thank you for your commitment to building a healthier democracy!
Upcoming NC Debate Schedule
A series of debates between Council of State candidates will take place over the next two months leading up to the election.
While voters may head to the polls with the presidential ticket at the top of their minds, these statewide races can carry just as much impact, according to Brad Young, executive director of the Institute of Political Leadership.
“These are still very important jobs that have an impact on the lives of a lot of North Carolinians,” Young said. “[It’s] very important for people to know who these candidates are and what the jobs do and give the candidates an opportunity to outline their vision for the office.”
The 2024 Hometown Debate Series will be hosted by the statewide cable network Spectrum News 1 and the NC Institute of Political Leadership. This is the ninth year the institute will put on the event. The last time the series featured Council of State races in 2020, an in-person audience wasn’t allowed because of COVID-19.
The debate slate is as follows:
- Sept. 24, the state superintendent of public instruction debate at East Carolina University in Greenville will feature Democratic nominee Mo Green and Republican nominee Michele Morrow.
- Oct. 1, the labor commissioner debate at Johnston County Community College will feature Democratic nominee Braxton Winston and Republican nominee Luke Farley.
- Oct. 8, the state treasurer debate at Greensboro College will feature Democratic nominee Wesley Harris and Republican nominee Brad Briner.
Each hourlong debate will take place Tuesday at 7 p.m. It will air on Spectrum the following Sunday.
(source: ProStateAffairs.com)
NC GOP sues Board of Elections over UNC digital id
The Republican Party sued North Carolina's elections board on Thursday to block students and employees at the state's flagship public university from offering a digital identification as a way to comply with a relatively new photo voter ID law.
The Republican National Committee and North Carolina Republicans filed the lawsuit in Wake County Superior Court three weeks after the Democratic majority on the State Board of Elections approved the "Mobile UNC One Card" generated by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a qualifying ID.
The law says qualifying IDs must meet several photo and security requirements to be approved by the board. The UNC-Chapel Hill digital ID, which is voluntary for students and staff and available on Apple phones, marks the qualification of the first such ID posted from someone's smartphone.
The Republican groups said state law clearly requires any of several categories of permitted identifications - from driver's licenses to U.S. passports and university and military IDs - to be only in a physical form.
The law doesn't allow the state board "to expand the circumstances of what is an acceptable student identification card, beyond a tangible, physical item, to something only found on a computer system," the lawsuit reads.
The state and national GOP contend in the lawsuit that the board's unilateral expansion of photo ID before registering and accepting voters at in-person poll sites "could allow hundreds or thousands of ineligible voters" to vote in the November election and beyond. North Carolina is a presidential battleground state where statewide races are usually very close.
An electronically stored photo ID may be easier to alter than a physical card and more difficult for a precinct worker to review, including when there are computer network problems, the lawsuit says.
The groups also filed a separate request for a judge to issue a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction preventing the use of the mobile ID.
In response to an email seeking a response to the lawsuit, a state board spokesperson pointed late Thursday to the board's discussion at its Aug 20 meeting.
A board attorney said during the meeting there was nothing in the law that specifically limits approval to printed cards. Board Chair Alan Hirsch, a Democrat, cited trends in technology in giving the ID his OK, saying that airline passengers now show boarding passes from their smartphones.
The current voter ID law was initially approved in late 2018. But it didn't get carried out until the 2023 municipal elections as legal challenges continued.
The board has OK'd over 130 traditional student and employee IDs as qualifying for voting purposes in 2024, including UNC-Chapel Hill's physical One Card. Someone who can't show a qualifying ID casts a provisional ballot and either fills out an exception form or provides an ID before ballot counts are complete. In-person early voting begins Oct. 17.
People casting traditional absentee ballots also are asked to put a copy of an ID into their envelope. A board official said that UNC-Chapel Hill voters with the One Card can now insert a photocopy of the One Card displayed on their phones to meet the requirement.
(Source: ABC11.com)
Attend NASW-NC Webinar "How the Election will Impact Social Work in NC"
As the 2024 Election approaches, NASW-NC staff and volunteers will be hosting the webinar "How the Election Will Impact Social Work in North Carolina" on several dates. This webinar will give an overview of how the election will impact social work and social workers in North Carolina (including in the 2025 North Carolina Legislative Session), and explain the importance of upholding the Social Work Code of Ethics, section 6.04 (Social and Political Action) by getting out the vote!
1 hour of CE is offered for this event. NASW-NC members and all social work students can attend for free. The cost for folks who are not yet members of NASW-NC is $15. Please note that the content of this presentation will be the same each time it is given.
Register for the webinar that best fits into your schedule today!
Tuesday, September 17, 2024 webinar - hosted by the Wilmington LPU - 6:30pm-7:30pm (registration closes on Sunday, 9/15!)
Thursday, September 19, 2024 webinar- hosted by the Greenville LPU - 12pm-1pm (registration closes on Tuesday, 9/17!)
Wednesday, October 2, 2024 webinar - hosted by the Asheville LPU - 12pm -1pm
Register for 2024 NASW-NC Virtual Fall Conference:
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!
CLICK HERE TO VIEW CONFERENCE SCHEDULE!
Registration is now OPEN for the 2024 NASW-NC Virtual Fall Conference!
Registration Fees:
Members $125
NASW members from other states can contact education.naswnc@socialworkers.org for assistance in registering.
Not yet a member? $250
The Fall Conference is a meeting for the entire profession. Everyone from the social work student to the LCSW in private practice can benefit from the presentation offerings.
Some of this year’s topics include:
- Ethical Responsibilities in Assessment and Referral in Care for Teens
- Treating Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior Disorders
- Utilizing Tenets of Emotional Intelligence to Liberate Burnt-Out Providers
- Fired Up! The Role of Anger in Trauma Recovery
- Leveraging Your Leadership Style in Supervision
- Moving Towards Values with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Exploring the Connection between the Arts and Social Justice Work
- Maintaining a Healthy Relationship: Couples Work for the Helper
- And Much More!
You Get ALL the CE!
Because we are in a virtual setting, you benefit by getting MORE CE! 13 hours of CE will be LIVE! All sessions will be recorded and available to view for 3 weeks after the conference for you to receive an additional 18 hours of Recorded CE - a total of 31 hours of CE
Click here to join NASW and save on CE costs and more!
Governor Proclaims Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month 2024
Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month.pdf
A PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, Hispanic Heritage Month, established nationally in 1988 by Public Law 100-402, honors the culture, history, and achievements of Latinos, Latiné, Hispanics, and Latin American people in the United States, recognizing their many contributions to American society; and
WHEREAS, throughout September, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua celebrate the anniversaries of their independence; and
WHEREAS, Latinos in North Carolina are integral to the growth and development of our state, contributing to the vibrant and inclusive fabric of North Carolina through their rich cultural heritage and linguistic diversity; bolstering the economy as business leaders, entrepreneurs, and artists; cultivating strong industries in agriculture, manufacturing, construction, research and development, finance, technology and more; enriching our schools, education and healthcare systems; participating in public service and civic affairs; and serving as leaders in our community; and
WHEREAS, over the past 30 years, the Latinos are the fastest-growing population demographic; North Carolina’s Latino population is greater than one million people, and now comprises 11.4 percent of the state’s population, up from 10.7 percent in 2020; and
WHEREAS, on October 5, 2017, Governor Cooper signed Executive Order 23, establishing the Governor´s Advisory Council for Hispanic and Latino Affairs to advise the Governor on issues related to the Latino community in North Carolina and support the State efforts to promote cooperation and understanding between the Latino community, the general public, and state, federal, and local services; and
WHEREAS, the national theme of this year's Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month, Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together, encapsulates the spirit of innovation, resilience, and unity that defines the Latino experience and recognizes all the Latinos who have been trailblazers and game changers, paving the way for future generations; and
WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina is proud of our diverse population and encourages North Carolinians to celebrate our Latino, Latiné, Hispanic, and Latin American community by participating in events held to commemorate this special occasion;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim September 15 – October 15, 2024, as “HISPANIC AND LATINO HERITAGE MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.
Read the White House Proclamation on National Hispanic Heritage Month Here.
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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