Orange County 2022 Legislative Package

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1 2022 ORANGE COUNTY PRIORITY LEGISLATIVE ISSUES Mental Health — Seek legislation to develop and fund a plan to: • provide assistance to NC residents, especially youth, who are dealing with the impacts of COVID; • reduce the number of people with mental health issues in county detention centers; • ensure that adequate State-funded mental health, developmental disability and substance use disorder services and facilities are available at the local level, accessible and affordable to all residents; • ensure that sufficient state resources fund service provision costs, inclusive of crisis intervention and treatment; and • structure appropriate county participation in governance. Medicaid Expansion — Support legislation increasing access to the Medicaid program to make health insurance available to North Carolina residents at 138% of the poverty level, broaden the opportunity for coverage for more than 500,000 North Carolinians to address chronic conditions and to prevent illness and disease progression; to provide additional support for rural hospitals; and to protect families from medical debt and bankruptcy. Racial Equity in Criminal Justice — Support the implementation of the recommendations of the North Carolina Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice (TREC), including: • legislation to legalize the possession and use of marijuana and permit licensed businesses to engage in retail sales to adults, as this decriminalization will in turn broaden the agricultural economy and jobs as well as enhance revenue for governments with taxes, licenses, and other associated revenues that can be utilized to address opioid and other drug-related problems and other needs; • policing reforms to address use of force, community oversight and law enforcement training on crisis intervention; • Funding at the county level to expand access to diversion and restorative justice programs; and • the reduction of fines, fees and costs in criminal court, noting that such fines, fees and costs disproportionately impact people of color and people of low income. Full Funding of the Leandro Remedial Action Plan — Support equity and racial justice by fully funding the Leandro Remedial Action Plan, which details additional comprehensive, targeted education funding over the next eight years, predominantly to low-wealth and minority communities, in order for the State to come into compliance with its constitutional obligation to provide every student a sound basic education. Broadban&Digital Infrastructure — Support legislation, funding, and other efforts that provide counties with flexibility and opportunities to support options for increasing access to high-speed internet connectivity and expanding digital infrastructure/broadband capability to the un-served and under-served areas of the state. Access to high speed internet connections will reduce disparities, enhance quality of life for all the State's residents, and broaden opportunities in areas such as education,jobs creation, small business development, health care, civic participation, and growth in farm enterprises.