Oconaluftee Saved!
Thank you for standing up.

A few weeks ago we learned that the Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center was one of nine slated for closure across the country. Last week the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Labor reversed their decision. All nine job corps centers, including the Oconaluftee program, will now remain open!

Thank you to everyone who submitted a public comment. 534 comments were received by the Department of Labor. We appreciate everyone for pitching in! Public pressure made the difference, and all of you were instrumental in saving this great program in Western North Carolina.
NCSSM Morganton Campus
Last Friday the North Carolina School of Math and Science broke ground on its Morganton Campus. As the father of a NCSSM graduate, I am thrilled that the school is expanding west.

This new campus is a product of the Connect NC Bond, and it will be a significant benefit for students in Western North Carolina. It is a wonderful location for this incredibly special school that will provide a fantastic education. The expansion will allow an additional 300 WNC students to enroll each year beginning in the fall of 2021.
An architectural rendering of the newest unit of the University of North Carolina. The North Carolina School of Science and Math's Morganton Campus will be a great addition to Western North Carolina!
Square Dancing
I had the pleasure of presenting a program on the history of the Appalachian Square Dance last weekend for the inaugural Blue Ridge Heritage Weekend in Waynesville. This event, hosted at the Historic Shelton House in partnership with the HART Theater and our Farmer's Market, was a wonderful celebration of our Appalachian heritage, with lots of fun food, crafts, and music.
Mark your calendars and join me for the first of our Downtown Waynesville Street Dances beginning this Friday, June 28, from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m., on Main Street in front of our Historic Courthouse. This first dance will feature the wonderful bands White Water Bluegrass Co. and Possum on a Whale as well as the Dixie Darlings clog team. I hope to see you there!
Joe Sam's Notes
Breakfast with Governor Cooper

In the calm before the storm, I joined my fellow members for a breakfast with Governor Cooper last week to discuss the budget conference committee's work and the need to remain unified behind important issues like Medicaid Expansion and education funding. .
Where we are: As of now we have three proposed budgets: the Governor's budget, the House budget, and the Senate budget. A committee of members appointed by the House and Senate leadership is working to draft a final budget from these three, which will be presented to the Governor to either sign or veto.

We are all continuing to work with Governor Cooper to ensure that Medicaid Expansion is in the final budget, but for now the Senate and House are working behind closed doors.

What's at stake: We will not negotiate Medicaid expansion away.

This budget is about the $5 billion we would bring back to North Carolina with Medicaid expansion. This money belongs here in our state, helping our citizens, and creating 40,000 new healthcare jobs.

This budget is about saving 1,000 lives every year, and insuring 500,000 hard-working, low-wage workers. We will not negotiate away healthcare for half a million citizens that we have already paid for!

This budget can stop the cost shifting and double payments, and save every existing insured citizen across our state an additional 7% off their premiums.

This budget is about saving $40 million, 400 jobs, and insurance for 10,000 citizens in our district, Haywood, Jackson, and Swain Counties. And, this budget is about keeping the doors open at our rural hospitals and providing our sheriffs with the tools they need to combat the Opioid Crisis.
This is what Medicaid Expansion means, and we will not negotiate it away.

Additionally, we spoke with the Governor about the importance of his Education Bond, which would fund $55 million in infrastructure upgrades for our schools in Haywood, Jackson, and Swain. I have written extensively about the importance of Governor Cooper's Invest NC Bond in my previous newsletters.

In total, Medicaid Expansion and the Invest NC Bond means $95 million for Haywood, Jackson, and Swain! $95 million in Governor Cooper's budget, for our district, to provide healthcare, boost our economy, and meet our schools' needs. This funding is cut entirely from the House and Senate budgets.
I will not negotiate that away.
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!