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RALEIGH, N.C. North Carolina on Monday became the 40th state to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, the latest sign of how Republican opposition to the health measure has weakened more than a decade after President Barack Obama signed it into law.

Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, signed legislation expanding the states Medicaid program during a sunny afternoon ceremony on the lawn of the Executive Mansion, days after the Republican-controlled legislature gave final approval to the measure. He was surrounded by patients, advocates and some of the same Republican leaders who had previously blocked expansion in the state.

The bill will expand Medicaid to adults who make up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $41,000for a family of four. State officials say the expansion will cover an estimated 600,000 people. It will take effect when the state adopts a budget, likely by June, Mr. Cooper said in an interview before the signing ceremony.

Today is a historic step toward a healthier North Carolina, the governor declared before signing the measure. When areporterpressed him on when the expansion would take effect, he said, Its only a question of when, not if.

It has been nearly 11 years since the Supreme Court ruled that states did not have to expand Medicaid the government health insurance program for low-income people under the Affordable Care Act. Nearly half the states opted out. More recently, progressives have helped to expand Medicaid in seven states all of them with either Republican-controlled or divided governments by putting the question directly to voters; in November, South Dakota adopted Medicaid expansion via the ballot box.

But getting Republican elected officials to abandon their opposition to expanding the program has not been easy. The last state where a Republican-controlled legislature voted to expand Medicaid was Virginia, in 2018. The governor at the time was a Democrat, Ralph Northam.

The battle over Medicaid has been particularly intense in North Carolina. Supporters of expansionconducted hundreds of Moral Mondays protests at the State Capitol. In 2014, the Republican mayor of a town that lost its hospital walked all the way to Washington to build support for expansion.

Mondays bill signing leaves just 10 states all with divided or Republican leadership, and most of them in the South that have yet to expand Medicaid. Advocatessay they now have their sights set on Alabama, where Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, can expand her states program with her own authority.

In North Carolina, there are various reasons for Republicans recent change of heart. Much of the opposition in the state and elsewhere has beenbothideological and partisan a reflection of Republicans deep distaste for Mr. Obama. Butit is now clear that the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, is here to stay. Republicans in Washington have been unable to repeal the law and appear to have largely given up fighting it, helping to pave the way for expansion in North Carolina.

The argument that this is somehow an endorsement of Obamacare is losing a lot of political currency, even among conservatives, said Frederick Isasi, the executive director of Families USA, a health care advocacy group based in Washington.

Hospitals, especially struggling rural ones, are eager for the extra revenue that Medicaid reimbursement will bring. The federal government picks up 90 percent of thecosts of reimbursement under the expansion, and in North Carolina, hospitals will pay the other 10 percent. The state has revamped its Medicaid program, moving it from a fee-for-service program to one that relies on managed care a long-sought goal of Republicans.

This has been a long day coming, but its been as a result of a lot of reforms, Tim Moore, the speaker of the states House of Representatives and a Republican, said during the signing ceremony. The changes, he said, allowed us to be in the position that were in today to be able to expand this coverage.

For Mr. Cooper, who is in his second term and has been mentioned as a possible future Democratic candidate for Senate or even president, the bill signing was a significant victory. He sought to expand Medicaid when he first took office in 2017, and Republicans sued in federal court to stop him from doing it.

The push for expansion picked up steam last year, when the states House and Senate approved separate measures. But the two chambers were unable to reconcile differences.

The signing ceremony on Monday was at turns poignant and celebratory. Cassandra Brooks, who operates Little Believers Academy, a day care center in the Raleigh area, choked back tears as she recalled two of her teachers who had died, she said, because theycould not afford health care.

They were excellent early childhood teachers who didnt have health insurance and passed away due to preventable health conditions, she said. She cast the expansion measure as a boon to small businesses that operate on thin margins and cannot afford to offer their employees coverage.

Heres toMedicaid expansion in North Carolina, she said. Heres to supporting small business in North Carolina. Heres to continued growth in North Carolina. I believe in North Carolina.

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North Carolina Expands Medicaid After Republicans Abandon Their ... - The New York Times

For proponents of capital punishment, the scarcity of execution drugs has become a problem. Pharmaceutical companies generally want their medications to be used to save lives, not deliberately kill people, so theyve taken steps to prevent state officials from using their products in state-sanctioned lethal injections.

This has led some states where officials are especially eager to put people to death to give fresh looks to deadly methods that the United States had previously left behind. As the Associated Press reported, one of the nations reddest states has now done exactly that.

Republican Gov. Brad Little signed a bill allowing execution by firing squad, making Idaho the latest state to turn to older methods of capital punishment amid a nationwide shortage of lethal-injection drugs. The Legislature passed the measure March 20 with a veto-proof majority. Under it, firing squads will be used only if the state cannot obtain the drugs needed for lethal injections.

The AP, citing information from the Death Penalty Information Center, added that four other red states Mississippi, Utah, Oklahoma, and South Carolina also have laws allowing firing squads if other execution methods are unavailable, though South Carolinas law is currently on hold until ongoing litigation is resolved.

The shortage has prompted other states in recent years to revive older methods of execution. Only Mississippi, Utah, Oklahoma, and South Carolina have laws allowing firing squads if other execution methods are unavailable, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Idaho, in other words, is joining a small club.

The APs report added:

Idaho Sen. Doug Ricks, a Republican who co-sponsored that states firing squad bill, told his fellow senators Monday (3/20) that the states difficulty in finding lethal injection drugs could continue indefinitely, that he believes death by firing squad is humane, and that the bill would help ensure the rule of law is carried out. But Sen. Dan Foreman, also a Republican, called firing-squad executions beneath the dignity of the state of Idaho. They would traumatize the executioners, the witnesses and the people who clean up afterward, he said.

Theres a broader significance to this debate that extends well beyond the Gem State.

Over the course of generations, theres been a slow effort to make state-sanctioned executions more civilized. Theres been an evolution of sorts, from axes to guillotines. Then there were nooses, followed by firing squads. This gave way to electric chairs, and finally, lethal injections.

The underlying idea was to make the killing of human beings less gruesome and more sterile, less violent and more peaceful. Proponents of the executions could take some solace in this evolution, as if the process of making the killings less ghastly somehow added a degree of legitimacy to the larger endeavor.

The new state measure in Idaho serves as a reminder: The arrow does not always move in a straight line. Sometimes, officials take steps backwards, indifferent to the goals of sterility.

To be sure, there are often incidents in which police officers shoot civilians, but capital punishment offers a qualitatively different dynamic. Officials in Idaho envision a system going forward in which the state will put an unarmed civilian who is no longer a threat in front of guns, at which point officials will open fire until the unarmed civilian is dead.

This wont be the result of an unpredictable confrontation; it will be a vaguely sanitized shooting.

I appreciate the fact that a GOP state senator said firing-squad executions are beneath the dignity of the state of Idaho, but the complaint was incomplete: This is beneath the dignity of anyone, anywhere.

Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MSNBC political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics."

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Republican governor signs firing squad execution bill into law - MSNBC

Lawmakers backed a plan Monday that proponents call a necessary first step toward better understanding persistent homelessness, which out-of-town legislators get an up-close view of while in downtown Atlanta for the three-month session.

But critics argue the Senate bill steps on the authority of the local officials grappling with the complicated issue in their communities and say it will indirectly criminalize homelessness and poverty.

The bill passed with a 99-to-76 vote that largely fell along party lines after a lengthy and emotional debate about how best to compassionately address homelessness. The Senate then gave it final passage late Monday with a 36-to-20 vote that included a few Democrats, sending it to the governors desk.

When I come here from Rome and I get off of the interstate, I can always count on someone coming up to my car and asking me for money, said Rep. Katie Dempsey, a Rome Republican and the bills sponsor. Theyre not always very nice about it either. Ive had my car scratched. Ive had them jump on it.

Dempsey says the bill is meant as a start.

The measure requires the state auditor to inspect how public funding allocated to help unsheltered Georgians is spent statewide. Sen. Kim Jackson, a Stone Mountain Democrat who served on a Senate study committee that explored homelessness last year, tried unsuccessfully to strip the bill down to just the audit, which she says has the support of nonprofits as well as lawmakers from both parties.

I strongly encourage you, lets be deliberative, Jackson said to her colleagues Monday night. Once we have a full audit, then we can make some calculated and important choices and decisions about how to best use that money.

It would also bar hospitals and local authorities from dropping people off in another county, unless the individual previously resided there or arrangements were made with another organization.

And the proposal gives the state attorney general the authority to step in if local officials try to block the enforcement of ordinances prohibiting unauthorized public camping, sleeping, or obstruction of sidewalks if they have those laws on the books. Those cities and counties could then be ordered to reimburse the state for any costs incurred.

Dempsey, who oversees the human resources spending on the House Appropriations Committee, said she is troubled by reports of beds going unoccupied at shelters, particularly in Atlanta.

We should not have cities who are looking away as people choose or feel they must find different places to put their head every night, she said.

But Democrats argued the proposal takes the wrong approach and will pressure cities and counties to step up enforcement of their ordinances, which they say amounts to criminalizing homelessness.

At the end of the day, if you know that the attorney general is going to step in and prosecute a case that they believe you should have prosecuted and you dont want to spend the money on that, youre going to be incentivized to prosecute that case, said Rep. Ruwa Romman, a Duluth Democrat.

Rep. Roger Bruce, an Atlanta Democrat, called it just another hate-filled bill during Mondays debate.

People dont like to just be candid, but you got to be candid: Its a hate-filled bill, a bill to punish people for helping people who need help. That is mean. Thats just not the right spirit for any of us here, Bruce said.

Stacey Evans, an Atlanta Democrat, told her colleagues their focus was misplaced and that lawmakers should instead be focused on the issues underlying homelessness that can be tackled on the state level.

If you want to do something about the city of Atlantas homelessness situation, how about you move your butt to Atlanta and run for office? Evans said.

Rep. John LaHood, a Valdosta Republican who chaired the committee that advanced the measure, countered that the bill particularly the audit would help give lawmakers more clarity moving forward. But he justified the other parts as also being necessary.

We want to be sure that the cities in this state dont become like Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, where we encourage people to sleep on the street. Lets do something about it, LaHood said. Were not criminalizing poverty. Were looking for solutions.

The proposal emerged from a multiyear effort pushed by state Sen. Carden Summers, a Cordele Republican who chaired a study committee on homelessness last year and who is the Senate sponsor.

The bill aims to decrease the number of homeless people sleeping on the street and help them find safety in a shelter or a mental health facility, if needed, Summers said. But the south Georgia Republican sparked controversy last session when he first floated a proposal to impose misdemeanor offenses for camping on public property.

The House also passed a bill designed to build on last years major mental health bill, but that appears stalled in the Senate.

A handful of advocates lined up to testify at a recent subcommittee meeting, and many said they welcome the audits.

We welcome any audits, and we would all support making sure that were spending money in an effective way, Brad Schweers, the executive director of Intown Collaborative Ministries said.

But the advocates at the hearing said policymakers should focus more on proven methods that help homeless people find affordable housing, especially in cities like Atlanta where rent skyrockets each year.

Like Intown Collaborative Ministries LIFT 1.0 program, which has helped about 450 people find affordable housing. Tracy Woodard, a case manager at Intown Collaborative Ministries, says much of the funding they received this year will be put toward LIFT 2.0.

Unfortunately, the biggest barrier is the lack of affordable housing, Georgia is no longer affordable. Woodard said, Before the pandemic, I could take my clients and find places for them that were about $500 a month, which you can do if youre on Social Security benefits. That has completely changed.

I can go down all the way to McDonough and I cant find anything, I cant find a rented room for less than $800 a month. So affordable housing is our biggest barrier, Woodard said.

Daniel Page is a Georgia citizen who said he experienced homelessness after being hospitalized from 2014 to 2015 for infections of his diabetic ulcers. Page is one of Woodards clients and he testified at the hearing on how the LIFT 1.0 program helped him find a permanent home.

I was able to get by and exist. It took several years until I found, you know, permanent housing. And what helped me with the permanent housing was kind of what used to be called Section 8, Page said, You pay 30% of your security check for housing, and you dont have to worry about anything else. And Im able to live doing that.

Cathryn Vassell, CEO of the nonprofit Partners for Home an Atlanta-based non-profit in the Homeless continuum of care was amongst the string of advocates.

Vassell said much of the funding her organization receives comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to the tune of about $10 million. And most of that is allocated to sustain permanent housing options, especially for people with disabilities who need their income subsidized.

So that 10 million goes to support permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing. And that funds about 1000 units of housing for individuals. And as people move out of that housing, we replace or fill those units as people move out with people who are currently homeless.

Summers said that the audits could help boost funding for homelessness, especially in rural communities.

Homelessness is not indigenous to Atlanta, its everywhere. And were dealing with it in our community. And we had cities and counties, representatives, commissioners come up to testify that theyre not getting any funding. In Ben Hill County, in Irwin County, in Coffee County and Valdosta they need help.

Dempsey framed this years bill as a path toward other potential state-level changes, such as changing the minimum wage.

Supportive housing is the No. 1 thing we have, but we cannot afford to have enough supportive housing opportunities for all of the homeless people in our state, Dempsey said. So what are the steps we can do to understand who they are, where they are, what their needs are?

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Republican lawmakers back plan to tackle homelessness that critics ... - Georgia Recorder

Despite lingering concerns about the citys pandemic protocols, leaders of the Republican Party of Texas chose San Antonio over Fort Worth to host its 2024 state party convention.

The state convention is where the party elects its leaders, determines its platform and policy objectives and sets party rules. In a presidential year, the party also chooses its delegates to the electoral college.

The event is expected to take place May 23-25 of next year, with the majority of the meetings hosted at the Henry B. Gonzlez Convention Center. The state GOPs executive committee selected San Antonio for the gathering in a special meeting April 26, 2022.

Spokesman James Wesolek said the 2022 GOP convention in Houston drew more than 10,000 attendees. The party expects a larger turnout in San Antonio because of the 2024 presidential race.

San Antonio last hosted the state GOP convention in 2018, a midterm election year when U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz faced a tougher than expected reelection race against Democrat Beto ORourke, then a member of Congress.

That same year the City Council passed on bidding to host the 2020 Republican National Convention, citing potential disruptions caused by then-President Donald Trump and his supporters.

Members of the State Republican Executive Committee, which includes one male and female representative from each state Senate district, heard competing pitches from the two cities marketing arms more than a year ago at their quarterly meeting in Austin.

Through a virtual presentation, Melanie Hoover, assistant vice president of convention sales and services for Visit Fort Worth, talked up her citys dedication to staying open for business throughout the pandemic.

RPTs 2020 convention was canceled by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner days before it was supposed to take place, due to COVID-19 concerns.

Weve been so just blessed to have Gov. Abbott and everything that hes done for our economy, Hoover said. When Nevada shut down, we were able to host the National Finals Rodeo had we not hosted that event, we in Fort Worth, Texas, would not be where we are today as far as welcoming business back.

Alysia Roden, who was the director of sales for Visit San Antonio at the time, attended the SREC gathering in person in February 2022 and stressed the citys appeal to visitors who might want to extend their stay through the Memorial Day weekend. After her presentation she faced questions about the citys pandemic precautions.

Does San Antonio follow the governors requirements, such as mask mandates or do the local governmental authorities do things we need to be aware of? one man asked.

City and county leaders fought Abbott throughout the pandemic to be able to enforce local mask mandates. But Roden assured the SREC members, once you rent the convention center, its your space, your facility, you set the protocols.

God help us all, by 2024 I really hope that this is in our rearview, she said.

Karen Marshall, who represents part of San Antonio on the SREC and serves on the body Convention Planning Committee, said she expects the gathering to take up the entire convention center in 2024. Members of that committee plan to do a walk-through in the coming weeks.

Being a presidential year, and because so many people just like visiting San Antonio, it will host a couple thousand more delegates than the year before, Marshall said.

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San Antonio to host 2024 Republican Party of Texas convention - San Antonio Report

Jill Lochner, a Republican from Saratoga County, with one of her three sons on a hike in the Adirondacks. Photo courtesy of Jill Lochner

Mar 28, 2023

Back when Elise Stefanik was first elected to represent the North Country in Congress in 2014, Jill Lochner said she liked what Stefanik stood for.

"She presented herself as a moderate, more like myself," said Lochner, "but shes taken a turn and shes become increasingly far-right and ultra-MAGA since then."

Stefanik is one of Donald Trumps most loyal supporters. Since shes made that shift, her standing in the Republican party has skyrocketed. As conference chair, Stefanik is now the third-ranking Republican in the house.

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Lochner has never been elected to public office. Shes worked in special education and government consulting. Like Stefanik, Lochner now lives outside the 21st Congressional district, in the town of Greenfield just west of Saratoga Springs.

Lochner is running partly because shes frustrated by Stefaniks rhetoric in recent years, which she describes as "hateful and divisive."

I think we need to get back to respectful conversation, debate, dialogue," said Lochner. "I also dont believe that being a Republican means I need to hate and constantly criticize Democrats."

Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik declared victory at her election night party at the Queensbury Hotel in Nov. 2022. Photo: Emily Russell

"I believe that the government should stay out of womens bodies and those choices should be made between a woman and her doctor," said Lochner.

In order to get on the Republican primary ballot next summer, Lochner says she needs about 1,300 petition signatures. Stefanik hasnt been challenged in a primary since she first ran in 2014. Since then, she's defeated every Democrat by a double-digit margin and raises millions of dollars each election cycle.

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Meet the moderate Republican who wants to primary Rep. Stefanik - North Country Public Radio