Governor Cooper Visits Jackson and Swain
Last Friday, Governor Cooper visited the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Swain County, where he discussed the importance of small business development to rural communities.
Our Governor's budget is strong for rural small businesses,
with more than $100 million proposed to invest in rural communities, broadband expansion, and his rural small business initiative, "Hometown Strong."
Additionally, Governor Cooper's proposal to
Expand Medicaid
will add more than
$5 billion
to our state's economy and create an estimated
40,000 NC jobs
while helping our workforce live happier, healthier, more productive lives.
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County Commissioner Roger Parsons showing off the NOC to Governor Cooper!
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After the Governor's remarks, I joined Swain County government officials and the NOC Managing Partner Clay Courts to discuss about the importance of small business and the NOC as well as just how important it is to have our Governor's support for small business and broadband expansion.
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Managing Partner for NOC LLC Clay Courts, County Commissioner Roger Parsons, myself, County Commissioner Kevin Seagle, and Econ Development Director Ken Mills.
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I joined Governor Cooper in Jackson County to tour both the NC Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Western Carolina University. In his State of the State Address, Governor Cooper said, "Public education is our most important job as a state.
We must do better."
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I was glad to join Governor Cooper for a great tour of WCU.
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Governor Cooper's budget will provide for our public schools. His education budget will ensure that we have
an excellent teacher in every classroom.
That is a recipe for success. WCU and NCCAT have been our region's leaders in training our state's teachers.
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I joined Jackson County Commissioners Gayle Woody and Brian McMahan to welcome Governor Cooper to the NC Center for the Advancement of Teachers campus.
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WNC Chambers of Commerce
I attended a great event last week hosted by the Chambers of Commerce from Western North Carolina. Representative Michele Presnell and I took the opportunity to announce our bill to make Haywood County the
Elk Capital of North Carolina.
We filed the bill in coordination with the Haywood Tourism Development Authority, which plans to use the designation to drive tourism and grow our Haywood County economy. Elk are the pride of Haywood County and a real treasure to us here in WNC!
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I joined Representative Michele Presnell, Senator Jim Davis, and members of our WNC Chambers of Commerce for a fantastic reception.
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Young or Old, Healthcare Matters!
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Think Babies
I had the pleasure of speaking at an event for "Think Babies," an organization dedicated to promoting positive policies to ensure that children from birth receive a solid foundation for a happy, healthy life.
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Medicaid expansion and public education are key when it comes to providing for newborns here in NC!
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While the Think Babies team was in Raleigh, new mothers visited legislators to deliver copies of a wonderful children's book, written by an NC parent, encouraging us to imagine a North Carolina where we provide our newborns with a
quality start, affordable healthcare, and good public education!
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This children's book ended with a great phrase, "When you change the beginning, you change the story!"
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AARP Legislative Breakfast
I joined the AARP and my fellow legislators for a breakfast meeting to discuss the importance of positive public policy for North Carolina's aging population. The AARP's top priority this year is ensuring
affordable healthcare for ALL
North Carolinians. When everyone is insured, we cut the cost shifting that artificially increases healthcare premiums, ensuring that everyone has better, more affordable care.
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Left to right: Mary Bethel, Helen Savage, and Lisa Diaz Riegel
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We Need Medicaid Expansion This Year!
The quickest, easiest way to
close the coverage gap for 500,000 low-wage workers
in North Carolina is through Medicaid expansion, plain and simple. We have delayed it for long enough, wasting $2.5 billion of our tax dollars each year, for the last eight years.
It's time
to expand Medicaid. I am glad to see bipartisan support building for Medicaid expansion, but I do have concerns about proposed work requirements, premium co-pays, and the delays that they will cause. These barriers will make it harder for people to use their insurance and ultimately reduce access.
I co-sponsored House Bill 5 for
Clean Medicaid Expansion
more than two months ago, along with 55 of my fellow members. Our bill, which has yet to see a vote, and which I'm confident would pass easily if it were allowed to see a vote,
would go into effect in November this year!
If we add qualifiers in lieu of Clean Medicaid expansion it will take years to go into effect, yet again kicking the can down the road past another election.
States that passed
Medicaid Expansion
have seen a
7% average drop
in healthcare costs across the board. These states have
cut opioid deaths, created jobs, and increased positive health outcomes.
That is what we need here in North Carolina, and 2019 is the year to get it done.
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Please
share
this with your friends!
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P.S. check out our legislative web page at
www.joesamqueennc.com
. You can find all of my previous newsletters and more!
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