By Senator Joyce Krawiec

Thank you very much for taking the time to stay informed on what is happening in state government. As you may be aware, the General Assembly recently wrapped up its 2015 legislative session. Now that the session is over, this is a good opportunity to share with each of you what the General Assembly accomplished during the 2015 session.
Autism Insurance Reform: First of all, there is some great news for children with autism. I am very pleased to let you know that the conference report for Senate Bill 676, “Autism Health Insurance Coverage,” has passed the Senate and is now awaiting the Governor’s signature. Since first arriving in the Senate, this bill has been a top priority of mine. I am grateful to Senator Apodaca for serving as a primary sponsor with me and helping to move this legislation through both the House and Senate. Furthermore, I am grateful to my colleagues in both chambers for recognizing the importance of this bill for families across North Carolina. Because of your support, many children in great need of effective autism treatment are one step closer to receiving it (pending the Governor’s approval).
Certificate of Need: Autism insurance reform is far from the only health-related issue we tackled this session. Many of you are aware of the terrible situation that has been faced by Yadkin Valley Community Hospital over the last several months, resulting in its closure. Many of these problems were simply the result of bureaucratic red tape, and not the fault of the hospital’s operators. This situation is clear evidence of what too much government can do, and why we are working to remove or relax ponderous regulations that stifle an organization’s ability to provide needed services to the community. In the case of Yadkin Valley hospital, those services are critical for Yadkin County, and it is imperative that we remove unnecessary regulatory hurdles and allow these doctors and nurses to return to work caring for those who need them.
In the closing days of the legislative session, my colleagues and I set to work making sure that language was included in Senate Bill 698 to address this issue. Thankfully, the new language gained legislative approval and is now awaiting Governor McCrory’s signature. I am grateful for everyone’s support, and am looking forward to the benefits it will yield for our local communities.
Medicaid Reform: Additionally, one of the major hurdles to fiscal stability for our state is our Medicaid system, which has run a severe deficit for years and created hindrances to properly funding of other important functions of state government. In response to these problems, lawmakers worked together with Governor McCrory to produce a plan to right the ship. I was honored to attend the bill signing ceremony with the Governor, and greatly appreciate the opportunity to serve on the conference committee that produced these excellent results. Once again, I am deeply grateful to my colleagues and everyone who worked hard to make this much-needed reform a reality.
Furthermore, we worked hard in the Senate to hold the line on spending, cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from earlier spending proposals. Also, we implemented additional tax cuts and reforms that reduce the tax burden on North Carolina families and small businesses by close to $400 million over the next two years. We once again addressed the teacher pay issue, raising starting teacher pay from $33,000 a year to $35,000. Education funding was increased by more than $530 million in the next year alone, and we continued working toward lowering class sizes to ensure students receive the individualized instruction they need to succeed. We also took steps to allow magistrates to recuse themselves from performing marriages because of religious objections, banned sanctuary cities within the state, forbade the sale of babies’ body parts, and passed sweeping changes to the state’s burdensome regulatory environment to support job creation.
Though the session ran longer than anticipated, it was very productive. While many things have been accomplished by the Republican legislature over the last several years, there is always much more work to be done. Your input and feedback are always appreciated, and please do not hesitate to call my office if I can ever be of service to you.