Summer Updates

Budget negotiations stall; legislature passes mini-budget before adjourning July 29

Without a new 2-year budget in place for the July 1 start of the new fiscal year, state government operates based on a continuing resolution that utilizes the last year’s budget appropriations. To augment this, the legislature passed a stopgap spending plan (i.e., mini-budget) to add funds for anticipated enrollment changes for K-12 schools and community colleges; experience-based pay raises (aka “step raises”) for teachers and some state employees; state construction projects; state employee retirement and healthcare; 61 new driver’s license examiners and 4 new DMV offices to address long lines; and $600M to cover the increased costs of traditional Medicaid, a common adjustment made annually and referred to as the “Medicaid rebase”. The bill also requires the Department of Public Instruction, the Department of Environmental Quality, and the Department of Information Technology to cut millions of dollars in spending by eliminating vacant positions. Read the entire mini-budget bill here.

Recent DMV audit

Governor Josh Stein and new DMV Commissioner Paul Tine agree with most of State Auditor Dave Boliek’s recommendations. They differ on the suggestion to separate DMV from the Department of Transportation. Read the full WUNC story here.

Hurricane Helene recovery

Updates to the GROW NC Recovery Resources page include additional information about funding and services available to individuals, families, farmers, local governments, businesses, and nonprofit organizations, plus downloadable flyers about individual resources. Follow GROW NC on Facebook and Twitter.

Raleigh receives trails grants

The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources has awarded nearly $11 million to trail development and restoration projects in the Piedmont. The General Assembly authorized these funds as part of the 2023 Great Trails State Program which offers matching grants to local governments, public authorities, Regional Councils of Government, and nonprofit organizations. The current awards include projects at more than 70 local trails throughout the state, helping to solidify North Carolina as the Great Trails State.

Local communities applied for grants to fund new trail development or to extend existing trails. This includes paved trails or greenways, natural surface trails, biking trails, equestrian trails, and any other type of trail the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources recognizes. Projects could include planning and feasibility studies, design and engineering, acquisition of land for trail development, trail construction, and maintenance of existing trails. Applicants are required to provide matching funds, based on their county tier designation. The N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation received 89 applications requesting $28 million, and 79 projects were selected. With more than $44.5 million in matching funds, the total trails investment exceeds $69.3 million. Raleigh received 2 grants:

• $350,000 for Forest Ridge Park Mountain Bike Trail Extension Project

• $400,000 for Marsh Creek Trail Corridor Planning & Feasibility Study

Latest from the NC State Board of Elections

To date, more than 20,000 voter registrations have been fixed through a combination of research by the county boards of elections and action by individual voters to update their registration records. Letters have been sent to 82,000+ voters who still need to provide their driver’s license number (DL#) or last four digits of their social security number (SSN4). The letters encourage voters to provide their identification numbers in one of the following ways:

By mail: Fill out the form at the bottom of the letter, sign it, and mail it to the State Board of Elections in the enclosed pre-addressed return envelope. Postage is provided on the envelope.

Online: If you have an NC driver’s license or DMV ID card, you can submit an updated voter registration form through the NCDMV’s secure website. Go to payments.ncdot.gov. There is no fee for this service. Click “Yes” when asked to update your voter information.

In person: Visit your county board of elections office and provide the required information. You cannot update your registration by phone.

You can check whether you are on the list by using the Registration Repair Search Tool which is updated daily. If you receive a letter but have already repaired your registration and no longer appear on the list, you do not have to take any additional action.

As of August 18, 82,540 registrants remained on the repair list, down 20% from the original 103,270.

In future elections, in-person voters who’ve not yet provided the missing information will cast a provisional ballot. Once a voter provides their DL# or SSN4 and that number is validated, the provisional ballot is counted. More information is available at ncsbe.gov/registrationrepair.

New female veterans support group

Veteran suicides have increased from 22 to 24 a day, a rise some believe attributable to female veterans. In response—and with the hope to change those numbers— Triangle Women Veterans Unit #144 has started a Women Warriors Victorious peer support group. The group will meet the first Tuesday and last Thursday of every month from 6pm-7pm at the Resurrection Lutheran Church, 100 Lochmere Drive. Their first meeting is Tuesday, September 2—all women veterans are welcome.

Veterans Benefits Live!

On September 18 and 19 (9am-3pm) and September 20 (9am-2pm) at Herb Young Community Center, 101 Wilkinson Avenue in Cary, veterans and their family members will have access to a team of Veterans’ Benefits and Health Administrators, Vet Center, and Veterans’ Service Officers for face-to-face assistance with:

· Explanation & assistance to facilitate and expedite existing claims & appeals

· Filing new claims

· Submission of claims-related evidence for processing

· Information regarding benefit-related VA programs

· Updated information on the PACT Act

What to bring: proper documentation about your case: DD 214; all medical records about your disability, both military and civilian; and dependency documents if new or not already provided to the VA.

Wait times could be lengthy. Coffee, water and snacks will be provided. For more information contact Richard Spyrison at CaryVEAC@gmail.com.

Recent appointments

I’ve been appointed by Senate President Pro-Tempore Phil Berger to the NC Council on Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Advisory Committee on Cancer Control & Coordination, and 3 Joint Oversight Committees that meet during adjournment: Health & Human Services, Medicaid, and Revenue Laws.

Around the district

While the General Assembly is adjourned and there are no voting sessions or standing committee meetings, I am meeting with constituents and advocacy groups; participating in interim oversight committees and state advisory board meetings; attending community events; making presentations to groups like the Cary Chamber, Cary Rotary Club, and Searstone residents; connecting with school board members, county commissioners, Cary and Raleigh mayors/council members; and discussing pending bills with House members whose districts overlap with Senate 16. Together with my wonderful LA Bella Allen, I am also helping constituents with issues like state tax refunds and appointments for driver’s license renewals and connecting them to our internal contacts at state agencies to have their questions answered or problems addressed. If you need our help, please contact us at Isabella.allen@ncleg.gov or gale.adcock@ncleg.gov or 919-715-3036. Thank you for the honor of representing you in the NC Senate.

Gale