Editorial: Time's now for Berger to deliver on Medicaid special session

Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020 -- Senate GOP Leader Phil Berger heaped praise on his legislation for teacher pay and derisions on Democrats who opposed it. Berger's incomplete portrayal of the issue sought, falsely, to portray his opponents as against increasing teacher pay. The reality is that the governor vetoed the legislation is because he wants teachers to get a LARGER pay raise and local school systems to get MORE money for school construction. Cooper and the Democrats refuse to settle for the "scraps" that Berger tosses. They are demanding better.

Posted 10:00 a.m. Jan 15, 2020 — Updated 10:00 a.m. Jan 15, 2020

CBC Editorial: Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020; Editorial #8500

The following is the opinion of Capitol Broadcasting Company.

There was a lot spinning Tuesday in the universe that revolves around North Carolina’s General Assembly.

Legislative kingpin Sen. Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, held-forth about what he offered as contrasted to his portrayal of where Gov. Roy Cooper and legislative Democrats stood.

The Senate’s Democratic Minority Leader Dan Blue, D-Wake, and the N.C. Association of Educators that represents most of the state’s classroom teachers, talk about how Berger’s proposals short-changed public schools in general and teacher pay specifically.

Gov. Roy Cooper weighed in on the GOP legislative leadership’s refusal to negotiate on key elements of the state budget, particularly expanding Medicaid coverage at federal expense to at least 500,000 working citizens who currently lack health care.

We found the performance of Berger particularly noteworthy – more for what he didn’t say than what he did.

Berger heaped praise on his legislation for teacher pay and derisions on Democrats who opposed it. Berger’s incomplete portrayal of the issue sought, falsely, to portray his opponents as against increasing teacher pay. "Senate Democrats have rejected every teacher pay offer we've proposed, and Governor Cooper has vetoed every teacher pay raise we've passed,” he said.

The reality, as he well knows, is that the governor vetoed the legislation is because he wants teachers to get a LARGER pay raise and local school systems to get MORE money for school construction. As the recent state court's Leandro report points out, the legislature's budgets haven't come close to meeting the investment needed for our public schools to meet our State Constitution's mandate. Cooper and the Democrats refuse to settle for the “scraps” that Berger tosses. They are demanding better.

Teachers know it and that is why tens of thousands of classroom leaders have been marching on the Legislative Building in Raleigh. The folks who teach our kids math know when our schools are being short-changed.

When it comes to Medicaid expansion, the governor wants it in the budget and is willing to talk about different ways to do it. Berger has refused to negotiate with the governor on the issue or even have it brought up in the Senate for discussion or debate. He did offer, after a Medicaid-free budget was in place, to hold a special session on Medicaid expansion.

Well, a budget is in place. It is Medicaid free.

Cooper should take Berger at his word. He and Berger should call a special legislative session on expanding Medicaid. Have an open and robust debate.

Berger says that no members of his Senate GOP caucus are looking for any action on Medicaid expansion. “The votes do not exist to pass. … It is a factual statement that it will not pass,” Berger proclaimed.

That's a remarkable statement. An overwhelming majority of North Carolinians back Medicaid expansion – 68 percent according to the Meredith College poll.

Bring Medicaid expansion to a vote in the Senate and House. Get those Republicans and Democrats to vote and stand behind their position. Senators will need to tell their constituents -- particularly those hard working voters who cannot qualify for the health coverage now, that they oppose allowing Medicaid expansion and why. We'll see if Berger is right.

Voters deserve to know, need to know, now as they prepare to go to the polls in the March primary and the November election, where legislators stand.

Legislators who oppose Medicaid expansion shouldn’t be allowed to hide. They need to explain why they are out of step with the two-thirds of North Carolina voters who want Medicaid expanded now.

It will be the number one issue in the 2020 campaign.

November cannot come soon enough.