NC Public Policy & 2021

Family policy matters and engaging and informative weekly radio show and podcast produced by the North Carolina family policy Council hi this is John Ralston, presidency, family, and were grateful to have you with us for this week's program is our prayer that you will be informed and encouraged and inspired by what you hear on family policy matters and that you will fold better equipped to be a voice of persuasion for family values in your community, state and nation, and now here's our house to family policy matters. Tracy Devitt bricks. Thanks for joining us this week for family policy matters November elections are becoming reality from Washington DC to Raleigh, North Carolina.

As new lawmakers are sworn in, and new legislative sessions are called order to take a look at what North Carolina can expect in-state public policy this year and joined today by two key players here in NC family Pres. John Rustin and Jerry Royal counsel and director of community impact. John and Jerry worked tirelessly to be voices of persuasion for family values in the halls of North Carolina government. John and Jerry. Welcome to family policy matters to be with you will know that the elections are behind us. Tell us about the makeup of North Carolina's executive and legislative branches. Honestly, not a whole lot of change from what we've had the last term in the general assembly. Of course, will recuperate Democrat, one whose reelection bid and will be in the office of governor for the next four years and he is working with the Gen. assembly that is led by Republicans are Republicans need 30 seats or 30 votes in the state Senate to override a governor veto and they need 72 votes in the state house to override the governor's veto. There are so Roy Cooper has vetoed more bills than probably all of his predecessors combined since North Carolina gave the governor veto and during the first term when Republicans held super majorities in both chambers. They were basically able to override the governor's veto it will during this last term. They were unable to override governors the toes in both the state house and state Senate so you know it's going to continue to be a good bit of gridlock that will be saying, politically, between this battle between the Democratic governor and a Republican led Gen. assembly anticipate that the relationship between the governor and the and the legislature will improve at all. Well, we seem to be something there's more political divisiveness consistently both on the federal and state level but on a vast majority of issues and quite frankly, many of the issues that we work on the family policy Council. Issues of life. Religious liberty school choice. There is a clear distinct difference in positions on those issues between the legislature and the governor so you know there's some issues that they'll be able to get along well on their other issues where they have different priorities and the legislature may well pass a bill, but the governor is likely to be towed so speaking of priorities do you have a sense of what governor Cooper's priorities will be for the upcoming years will direct that question to Jerry and who was our main presence down at the Gen. assembly and is been working for years in the legislature, developing relationships, building and deepening relationships with lawmakers and folks within the executive branch going to areas that we heard about from governor Cooper course healthcare is primary right now cove in his has been and will continue to be until things change. A top priority. As far as policy and what the best approach is as far as the physical health of the citizens as well as the economic health of our state. In addition, the course a governor who is from early on, made a priority in their healthcare with Medicaid expansion. He has also mentioned in previous years, and again mentioned this year is hope for a bond issue for state infrastructure for things like school construction earlier proposals have been in the range of $4 billion. So that's a significant part of of what he is looking at when we look at legislative leaders and how they are looking at the upcoming session this year. They of course are looking at a lot of the same issues and trying to see where is the common ground and that is a message that thankfully we heard a lot in the opening of the legislative session from both the majority and minority leaders talking about the fact that we need to try to find common ground and see how we can work together is is they realize that his Democrats and probably good. Then I think too much of the time in the past session deadlock which doesn't help the state move forward and so hopefully there will be a different approach this year is a work together and and come forward with their priorities. What about any other priorities for Republican legislators are there other things we need to be looking for, certainly, and this is what it was an encouraging sign. I know Sen. Berger and his opening remarks this year. Talked about that he is already met multiple times with governor Cooper as far as talking about the priorities inhabit how we can move ahead.

I know that for both of them. Education is a priority. They they have had different approaches Sen. Berger that's one of the things he is mentioned early on, as well as speaker more is looking at the school situation. I know that figure more mentioned one of the top priorities is children returning to the classrooms. We obviously are facing a very challenging situation right now with so many children still at home in the just the differences that make sense and how our education system works. Another area that I think they all agree on.

I know they agree on is providing more relief for those who are struggling and in thankfully land that was one of the areas where there was a lot of agreement last year.

Hopefully that will continue that they will see how they can work together course is been a lot of federal funding that was allocated as well as state funding, so I think that's going to be an area where hopefully there will be more more consensus so there are a lot of challenges, but there is a lot of hope. As far as here, and how both Democrats and Republicans and in the leadership are talking about let's find ways to work together.

So on the pro-life friends talk about that North Carolina's legislative leaders are currently defending several of the states excellent pro-life laws against illegal attacks from both state and national pro-abortion groups, but in addition to defending those in court.

Do you anticipate any kind of pro-life legislation action on the state level on the legislative level. We are not really clear about what might happen.

I think a lot of people are looking at what happened in the last session when there was the abortion survivor bill was passed by the legislature and the governor vetoed that and there were enough votes in the Senate to override the beach but not in the hands what that I think that indicated to a lot of people was any pro-life legislation was going to be very difficult to pass because quite honestly that bill was one that I think a lot of us thought there would be maybe almost unanimous agreement on the fact that an unborn child could survive an abortion procedure that went up this law propose law would've done what it said the attached child should receive the same care as any other child born alive. And sadly, there was not unanimous agreement is mentioned there really there were enough votes to override the governor's needs that certain because what happened last year.

I think there's going to be more.

Still hesitancy accident. See Tracy Gerdes, the Gen. assembly has been successful and including provisions in the budget that provides funding for pregnancy care centers in the state and particularly for them to purchase our ultrasound machines and to provide training on how to use those machines because we know what an incredible impact. It is on a woman who spicing up my pregnancy goes into a pregnancy care center and is able to see the ultrasound of that unborn child in that and so many of those instances that she recognizes and claims that unborn child is made in the sides of the life inside. That is something that Morgan encourage the Gen. assembly to continue to be listed instead of providing funding which they got in past years the Planned Parenthood instead provide the response to pregnancy care centers across the state. Just very sincere areas.

We need to be praying about for wisdom is for the judges in our court system because right now there are really two major challenges to our existing pro-life laws.

One of those as well and it really would be attacking almost all of pro-life legislation that has been enacted since 2011. These are laws that are under attack in our courts right now.

There's also another case that involves there was a band was put in place for abortions after 20 weeks and that was in place from January 2016 to May 2019.

But then because of a court challenge that there's an injunction on that that case is still in the court system. So, again, that we had a lot of good pro-life laws excellent pro-life laws of been passed but those are being challenged now in our court system. We want to pray that those will be upheld by reports. So let's talk about school choice.

Now we know that the governor has not been a friend of school choice, but throughout that pandemic. We've seen more and more families very interested in those options that that brings. Do you anticipate the legislature to continue expanding school choice opportunities for families and students in the state. We certainly hope so. Tracy the legislature had the wisdom of number of years ago to forward find opportunity scholarships, which provides scholarships educational scholarships to lower income families across the state to go to the school of the parents choosing the funding was put in place for 10 years from the time the belt was past couple of years ago, so we're into that.

That's in your time. But the legislature is continued to express very strong support for school choice in North Carolina and I think with all with all of the impacts of color all the education of our children that that's a major area that the Gen. assembly is looking out and we want to encourage our lawmakers to look at a myriad of ways that they can help support parents in these educational endeavors, especially the parents have chosen to educate their children and come back to that Yanez is the support for school choice has continued to grow in their polling, and more recently there now showing 7/10 support the opportunity scholarship funding*missionaries right now it's up to $4200 for lower income families and with the change in our approach to education. Many people's minds because of what's happened with David.

There is strong support and growing support for school choice. Well, we are so grateful for all the work that you guys do down at the legislature and across the state on these very important issues. Those of us who follow state politics understand how and ordinance state policy yes you know it can influence other states. It can bubble up and influence the federal level and of course they can save lives.

John before we die. Would you like to just tell people how they can stay in touch with us in and help when it's needed. All absolutely Tracy, thank you and thanks for those who are listening out there. If you are not already a partner with Lindsay family. We would encourage you to become the easiest way to do that is to go to our website@ncfamily.org again that since he family.org and just click on the sign-up page and you can sign up to receive our daily emails are calls to action or flagship publication family North Carolina magazine and also of course listen to this radio program family policy matters so that you can stay up-to-date and informed about what's going on and then of course be the salt and light that Jesus tells us that we are as Christians in this world and reach out and contact your lawmakers and let them know what you feel about what they're doing and in Raleigh in your local communities and also in Washington DC and see family Pres. John Rustin and Sherry royal counsel and director of community impact here at NC family. Thank you guys for joining us today on family policy matters. You can listing the family policy matters. We hope you enjoyed the program and plenitude in again next week to listen to the show online insulin more about NC families work to inform, encourage and inspire families across both Carolina or website it NC family.org that's NC family.org. Thanks again for listening and may God bless you and your family