Senator Bryant Calls for Action on Economic Agenda, Expansion of Medicaid
With crossover behind us and all eyes turned toward budget drafting, Senator Bryant and Senate Democratic Colleagues are pushing GOP leadership to stop focusing on divisive social issues, and instead focus on legislation that will bring jobs and economic development to North Carolina.
Raleigh, NC – Senator Bryant and Senate Democratic Colleagues are calling on GOP leadership to push an agenda that works for all North Carolinians, focusing on economic development and job creation, public education, and tax relief for working and middle class families.
Senator Bryant and colleague Senator Ben Clark have introduced Senate bill 354, the North Carolina Health Care Jobs Initiative. This bill will expand Medicaid in North Carolina, bringing hard earned taxpayer dollars back to this state in order to ensure that over 500,000 uninsured individuals have access to high quality and affordable health care and bring over 43,000 jobs to the state by 2020. More than half of the new jobs would be in the health care field, with others in construction, retail and wholesale, professional/scientific/technical and food and beverage. While Medicaid expansion would directly benefit the health care sector, the economic benefits of job creation at this level will ripple through our economy when health care providers purchase additional goods and services, and use new incomes to pay mortgages, buy groceries, pay taxes, and so on.
“Expanding Medicaid in North Carolina is just common sense. Medicaid Expansion will not only ensure health coverage for over 500,000 North Carolinians who are currently without health care, but it will also return our tax dollars to this state and create much needed jobs here at home. By not expanding Medicaid, North Carolina is losing out on $1 billion in state and county revenue and over 43,000 jobs in the next five years. Senator Clark and I have introduced just one of many Medicaid Expansion bills this session, and it is my sincere hope that GOP leadership will move forward with discussion on this extremely important decision. While the rest of the country is coming out of the Great Recession, North Carolina is still waiting for its comeback. We cannot continue to sit idle on this legislation that will bring much needed relief and security to the people of North Carolina,” said Sen. Angela Bryant.
In addition to Medicaid Expansion, Senator Bryant has also sponsored legislation to increase the minimum wage (Senate Bill 39), provide working families with much-needed paid sick leave (Senate Bill 339), and has already successfully championed legislation through both chambers that allows Duke Energy to acquire NCEMPA assets, which will vastly reduce electricity rates for rural customers and could reduce rates for all energy customers across the state.