How NC lawmakers spent $1.6 billion on Medicaid signing bonus

>> NUMBER ONE, SOURCE FOR LOCAL

NEWS. THIS IS WRAL.

>> NORTH CAROLINA GOT A BIG

PAYDAY WHEN IT APPROVED

MEDICAID EXPANSION ABOUT A

MILLION OF THAT WOULD BE ONE

AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS.

THERE AREN'T MANY LIMITS ON

HOW LAWMAKERS CAN SPEND THAT

MONEY. SO SOME OF IT IS BEING

USED IN ON PLACES. OUR CAPITAL

BUREAU CHIEF LAURA LESLIE JOINS

US LIVE FROM THE LEGISLATIVE

BUILDING. YOU'VE BEEN DIGGING

INTO THIS. LAURA, WOULD YOU

FIGHT?

>> YEAH, GERALD, WHEN NORTH

CAROLINA AGREED TO EXPAND

MEDICAID THIS YEAR, PART OF

THE REASON REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS

SAID YES WAS THAT FEDERAL

SWEETENER FROM THE FEDERAL

GOVERNMENT. THAT WAS A 1.6

BILLION DOLLAR MEDICAID SIGNING

BONUS, NO STRINGS ATTACHED THAT

THEY COULD USE ANY WAY THEY

WANTED TO. WELL, WE WONDERED

WHAT THEY DO WITH IT.

JUST ABOUT EVERYONE HAS IDEAS

ABOUT HOW THE STATE SHOULD

SPEND. 1.6 BILLION DOLLARS.

I THINK YOU SHOULD SPEND IT

ON EDUCATION AND BETTERING OUR

SYSTEM AND

>> PAYING OUR TEACHERS AND

EDUCATORS. ANYBODY WHO WALK OR

A PUBLIC SCHOOLS COULD VERY

EASILY PICK THINGS THAT

>> DESPERATELY NEED MORE

FUNDING FROM THE STATE AND FROM

OUR TAXPAYER MONEY.

>> HELPING VETERANS. I'M

HELPING PEOPLE THAT MIGHT BE

IN THE TRY TO HELP SOME OF THE

FOLKS WHO CAN'T AFFORD HEALTH

CARE.

>> USE IT TO SUBSIDIZE THAT

LAWMAKERS WERE FREE TO SPEND

THE MEDICAID SIGNING BONUS.

HOWEVER, THEY LIKE. BUT

GOVERNOR ROY COOPER AND HOUSE

LEADERS ARGUED FOR SPENDING AS

MUCH OF IT IS POSSIBLE ON

HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH.

AND THAT IS WHERE A LOT OF THE

MONEY ENDED UP IN THE FINAL

BUDGET THERE'S 105 MILLION

DOLLARS FOR 3 NEW WORLD HEALTH

CENTERS. 80 MILLION DOLLARS FOR

MOBILE HEALTH CRISIS TEAMS AND

RESPITE CARE. 75 MILLION

DOLLARS FOR A NEW CHILDREN AND

TEENS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

HOSPITAL IN THE TRIANGLE AND

40 MILLION FOR A PAY BOOST FOR

SKILLED, NURSING AND PERSONAL

CARE WORKERS HUNDREDS OF

MILLIONS OF DOLLARS MORE WENT

TO UNIVERSITIES AND COMMUNITY

COLLEGES TO EXPAND MEDICAL,

NURSING AND HEALTH SCIENCES

PROGRAMS TO INCREASE THE

WORKFORCE. BUT SOME WAS SPENT

ON EARMARKS THAT HAD NOTHING TO

DO WITH HEALTH CARE. 5 MILLION

WAS SET ASIDE FOR THE NEW CIVIL

WAR MUSEUM IN FAYETTEVILLE,

4.5 MILLION FOR A PERFORMING

ARTS CENTER FOR BELMONT ABBEY

COLLEGE 3.2 MILLION DOLLARS FOR

A LIBRARY EXPANSION IN SWAIN

COUNTY. AND THERE'S EVEN

$300,000 TO RENOVATE BATHROOMS

AT THE ROCKINGHAM DRAG WAY.

REPUBLICAN BUDGET WRITERS SAID

IT WAS A LEGITIMATE USE OF THE

MONEY, BUT MANY DEMOCRATS

DISAGREED. REPRESENTATIVE

WESLEY HARRIS SAYS THE MONEY

SPENT ON PORK PROJECTS SHOULD

HAVE BEEN USED TO BENEFIT THE

ENTIRE STATE. THAT MONEY IS

BEING SPRINKLED AROUND FOR PET

PROJECTS TO MAKE OTHER MEMBERS

ASLEEP IN THEIR COMMUNITY.

>> THAT'S NOT WHY WE EXPANDED

MEDICAID.

>> NOW WE DID ASK REPUBLICAN

BUDGET WRITERS TODAY FOR

INTERVIEWS, BUT THEY WERE NOT

AVAILABLE IN A STATEMENT.

THEY SAID THEY PRIORITIZE

CAPITAL PROJECTS, BEHAVIORAL

HEALTH AND WORKFORCE

DEVELOPMENT. THESE FUNDS ARE

BEING PUT TO GOOD USE AND WILL

BOLSTER NORTH CAROLINA'S HEALTH

CARE LANDSCAPE AS MORE PATIENTS

SEEK CARE SAYS SENATE LEADER