RALEIGH REPORT

Preparing for the Session

Working for our Schools As your representative, our schools top my list of priorities. I had a great meeting this past week with Dr. Bill Nolte, superintendent of the Haywood County School System. In the past month I toured the Swain and Jackson County School systems, and I am currently scheduling meetings with the three charter schools in my district.

In the cafeteria while touring the Swain County School System with Superintendent Mark Sale

Working With Advocacy Groups and our Government Agencies  I attended a couple elected officials reception, one hosted by the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce in Waynesville, and one hosted by the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce at the Grove Park Inn. It was a great opportunity to meet with our local elected officials and our community's business leaders to discuss how we plan to work for the people of Haywood, Jackson and Swain Counties.

I joined Sheriff Greg Christopher at the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce Elected Officials Reception.

I also had a productive meeting with members of Down Home NC in my Waynesville office this past week. We discussed closing the Medicaid coverage gap and expanding the minimum wage toward a true living wage. A Great Farm Tour

From left to right: Myself; Will Morrow, superintendent of the Mountain Research Station; Representative Brian Turner; and Laura Killian, legislative liaison for the NC Department of Agriculture.

Also in Waynesville, Will Morrow and Laura Killian with the Department of Agriculture gave myself and Representative Brian Turner a tour of their Mountain Research Station. The station's research reflects the diversity of Western North Carolina's agriculture needs, and it is a great tool to expand the economic possibilities for our region's farming community.

I'm looking at Hemlock saplings with Dr. Ben Smith as we discuss his work in the Hemlock Restoration Lab at the Mountain Research Station.

At the Mountain Research Station, I got to take a look at the Hemlock Restoration Lab . I was the pro bono architect of this lab, and it was a pleasure to see the progress that Dr. Ben Smith and his team have made.

Looking Forward

Committee Assignments The 2019 session will kick off in earnest on Wednesday, January 30. The House has elected its leadership for the 2019-2020 session, and Speaker Tim Moore announced his committee assignments on Friday, January 25. I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve on the following committees:  Agriculture Appropriations Appropriations, Information Technology Judiciary Redistricting Broadband Work Group The broadband work group I am chairing will have its initial meeting right after our first day of session. We're going to hit the ground running this year, and I'm excited to bring high speed internet to everyone, everywhere, for everything! Career Pathways Week in North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper declared the week of January 28 - February 1 "Career Pathways Week" in North Carolina. To promote workforce development and strengthen the connections between education and job readiness , regional NCWorks Career Pathways teams will host workshops across the state. I personally visited with the Haywood County Community College President Dr. Barbara Parker to review the Community College System's legislative priorities. I highly recommend our education professionals in Haywood, Jackson and Swain consider attending the NCWorks Career Pathways workshop in Asheville on January 29 at the Land of Sky Regional Council of Governments, 339 New Leicester Hwy., Asheville, NC 28806. Registration is free, and can be accessed here.

Joe Sam's Notes

Hopeful Horizons for Healthcare On Friday, I attended a series of informative meetings on transforming Medicaid in North Carolina and closing the Medicaid coverage gap at Southwestern Community College. The Department of Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Dave Richard gave a wonderful presentation, and the meeting included members of the Southwestern Commission Council of Governments, Jackson County Chairman Brian McMahan, folks from the Health Department, and many healthcare providers. From that meeting, I found this particular slide very informative. You'll note that healthcare is only 10% of the drivers of our health, but it represents 90% of our healthcare spending . If we want to improve health, we need to look at the real drivers.

The NC Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen has negotiated a unique Medicaid waiver for North Carolina that will make us the first state in the nation to acknowledge these health drivers. I am hopeful for the future of North Carolina's healthcare systems, and I am excited to work in the legislature toward positive healthcare solutions, including closing the coverage gap for our state. Sincerely,

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