Backyard Fellowship

Last week many of my fellow members joined my family and me for a brief reprieve. We all enjoyed getting out of the office for a for a great backyard cookout.

We had a great crowd over to my daughter Sara's backyard.

My grandson Willie Cole had a big time running around with the legislators!

Being stuck in the "budget veto garage" made for a stressful week, but a good evening of fellowship sure helped us all.

Town Halls this Saturday

Mark your calendars for my next round of town halls on Saturday, July 20, to discuss the budget veto, options for a compromise budget and what it could mean for Haywood, Jackson, and Swain Counties. Haywood County Where: Historic Haywood County Courthouse Address: 285 N Main St, Waynesville, NC When: Saturday, July 20, 2019 Time: 12 - 1 p.m. Swain County Where: Marianna Black Library Address: 33 Fryemont St, Bryson City, NC When: Saturday, July 20, 2019 Time: 2 - 3 p.m. Jackson County Where: Southwestern Child Development Commission Address: Old Webster High School, 1528 Webster Rd, Sylva, NC When: Saturday, July 20, 2019 Time: 4 - 5 p.m.

Please join us and spread the word!

Joe Sam's Notes

Last week Governor Cooper proposed a true Compromise Budget that combines his priorities with those in the Republican Conference Budget. The Governor's new Compromise Budget is better on nearly every point. It gives and it takes, and it is a significant improvement over the original Republican Conference Budget.

Governor Cooper's Compromise Budget Cuts taxes for hard-working North Carolinians Closes the Healthcare Coverage Gap for 500,000 North Carolinians, which was omitted in the Republican Conference Budget Raises state employee and teacher pay over twice what is provided for in the Republican Conference Budget Provides state retirees a 2% cost-of-living adjustment, twice the amount in the Republican Conference Budget  Provides infrastructure funding to meet the needs of a growing North Carolina

The Governor's Compromise Budget includes every single local project proposed in the Republican Conference Budget, as well as those in his Invest NC Bond. It keeps the tax cut for hard-working North Carolinians by raising the standard deduction, and it removes the Republican Conference Budget's corporate tax break to provide good raises for teachers and state employees. Under the Republican Conference Budget only 27% of state employees would receive the proposed 5% raise. The Governor's newly proposed Compromise Budget would extend that 5% raise to ALL state employees as well as all school personnel by the following amounts: Non-certified school personnel salaries by 5% Up from 2% in the Republican Conference Budget UNC employee salaries by 5% Up from 1% in the Republican Conference Budget Community College employee salaries by 4% Up from 2% in the Republican Conference Budget 

Big Differences in the Compromise Budget

Medicaid Expansion Closes the healthcare coverage gap for 500,000 hard-working citizens and stops the waste of $5 billion of our tax dollars. Including $40 Million that will come to our district, providing healthcare for 6,000-8,000 of our neighbors and creating 400 local jobs.

Invest NC Bond Provides $3.5 billion for broadband, education, and water and sewer projects to support a growing North Carolina. Including $55 million for Haywood, Jackson, and Swain Counties.

Locally, expanding Medicaid and passing the Invest NC Bond will mean $95 million for Haywood, Jackson, and Swain Counties. See my newsletter from May 13 for a detailed local breakdown of Medicaid Expansion and the Invest NC Bond. I will stand with our governor and uphold his budget veto because We can do better. We must do better for Haywood, Jackson, and Swain Counties.

Sincerely,

Please share this with your friends! 

P.S. check out our legislative web page at www.joesamqueennc.com . You can find all of my previous newsletters and more!