Minutes 04-17-2018 - Laserfiche WebLink

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4 2018. The Board of Commissioners has historically appointed a Legislative Issues Work Group (LIWG) to work with staff to develop a proposed legislative package for the County. Based on the work of the LIWG, the BOCC then reviewed and approved packages of legislative items to present to Orange County’s legislative delegation. For 2018, and in contrast to past years, the Board of Commissioners has invited the three members of Orange County’s legislative delegation to a regular Board meeting to discuss issues of concern to the Board of Commissioners and the legislative delegation. Board members will have the opportunity to converse with members of the delegation, and members of the public will also have the opportunity to comment. Following the discussion, the Board will provide direction to staff and to Commissioners Mark Dorosin and Penny Rich as the 2018 appointees to the Legislative Issues Work Group. Chair Dorosin said this is the first time the Board has used this meeting format for the legislative discussion. Chair Dorosin asked if the delegates could offer a sense of what to expect in the coming session, and what the Board should be anticipating. Senator Valerie Foushee said to expect the unexpected. Representative Verla Insko said it will be a very short session, but some constitutional amendments are expected. Senator Valerie Foushee said she had nothing to add, but it will be a short, yet important session, packed with things they do not want to see. She said she expects deliberation on at least three constitutional amendments, and believes there will be some compensation consideration for teachers and state employees. Representative Graig Meyer said the 3 constitutional amendments he anticipates are: voter id requirement; right to hunt and fish; and capping the state income tax rate at 5.5%. He said there is discussion of replacing the income tax cap with an expenditure rate increase cap. He said he thinks the most debilitating amendment would be the capping of the income tax rate, as the State would be limited in the ways it can increase revenue to take care of severe needs. He said the only other way to raise revenue would be to increase fees or the sales tax, which would hurt residents, and put counties in an awful position. Chair Dorosin asked if there was any update on getting rid of judicial elections. Senator Valerie Foushee said she this is not on the list for constitutional amendments, but she believes there will be a bill passed in some form, as relates to judicial redistricting. Representative Verla Insko said this was on the table before, and she believes it will be back again. Representative Verla Insko referred to the abstract and Medicaid, and said the goal behind moving to managed care is to reduce the number of unwanted prescription drugs and unwarranted tests, which generate savings for private sector profit making companies that come in to do the managed care. She said Community Care Network of NC has been successful at saving money every year in the Medicaid program, so she is not sure if there is a lot of left over funding in the Medicaid program. She said all are happy to have Governor Cooper on board, and the wonderful Mandy Cohen as Health and Human Services Secretary. Representative Verla Insko said every state starts out with a state health plan, put in place when it enters into the Medicaid program. She said any changes to this are called state plan amendments. She said the waiver to go to managed care was put forth by a previous secretary, and is in Washington, DC. She said Secretary Cohen amended this waiver, and did not have to go through the General Assembly (GA); and as part of that waiver, she included Carolina Cares, a Medicaid expansion proposal, which includes a work provision.