The thing that weighs most heavily on the minds of the citizens of my district is the ongoing COVID-19 crises. I hear more and more that parents want their children to be back in school, businesses are desperate to reopen, and workers want their jobs back so they can pay their bills. On the legislative front, we will be back in session soon to appropriate the second phase of COVID-19 relief funding. We also plan to extend unemployment benefits in several ways, beginning with the $300 supplement offered through President Trump’s recent executive order.
With so much going on right now, it’s challenging to write about all the relevant happenings. The following are some topics I believe you find interesting. Thanks for keeping up with what’s taking place in state government.
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Chuck Edwards, Senator
NC District 48
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On Wednesday, we finally received Governor Cooper’s budget. I say ‘finally’ because it’s four months late. Typically, the governor sends his proposed budget to the General Assembly by May during even-numbered years. This gives the legislature time to revise, negotiate, and pass the annual update before the new fiscal year begins on July 1. Cooper blamed the delay on Congress, saying he was waiting for additional relief money to come to North Carolina.
Governor Cooper’s budget adopts former Democratic Governor Beverly Perdue’s risky ‘spend now, pray later’ strategy. After the Great Recession, tax collections plummeted—the Democratic-led General Assembly and then-Gov. Perdue had to balance the budget by raising taxes and furloughing teachers. Cooper says his plan won’t require new taxes, but his proposed budget increases spending by over half a billion dollars. Under his plan, the state would take out almost $5 billion in new debt, only $1 billion of which won’t need taxpayer approval.
Last week, our nonpartisan fiscal analysis staff reported to the legislature and budget staff an unexpected and highly unstable tax “over collection” of $457 million. After the state moved the deadline for income tax filing from April 15 to July 15, it collected more taxes than expected. But fewer people ended up paying later, which means the state collected some money last year that economists predicted would come in this year. This does not mean the state has more money to spend. It means the state likely took in some money last year that it won’t take in this year. Fiscal analysis staff warned the amount could be a false gain. Cooper’s budget relies on $457 million from the state’s unappropriated balance, which is wrong.
We are eager to work with the House to move swiftly upon our return. On September 2, we return to session to address the next phase of COVID-19 relief. The Senate’s proposed budget will focus on education, unemployment, child care, and broadband.
Proposals may include:
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Increasing the state’s maximum unemployment assistance payment;
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Easing some regulations on daycare facilities to help meet the overwhelming demand for child care;
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Increasing the eligibility thresholds for Opportunity Scholarships, which provides funding for at-risk children to attend the school of their choice;
- Improving COVID health care access;
- Improving access to rural broadband;
- Other potential items.
North Carolinians should prepare for another budget fight between the governor and the legislature. Cooper has vetoed three budgets we have sent him. We overrode the first two budget vetoes, but Republicans lost their veto-proof supermajorities in the November 2018 election.
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UPDATE: NC Unemployment Insurance Benefits |
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On August 12, Governor Cooper sent a letter to General Assembly leaders, blaming legislators' inaction for the state being rated worst in unemployment benefits. The interesting part about that is the Department of Employment Security (DES) falls under the Department of Commerce, a cabinet agency under Governor Cooper. Meaning any decisions regarding DES falls on Governor Cooper's shoulders, not the legislature. Additionally, many North Carolinians became unemployed because of Governor Cooper's executive orders and 3-Phase plan.
Since President Trump announced his executive order that provides a plan for additional federal unemployment aid, I, along with my legislative counterparts, have pressured Governor Cooper to submit North Carolina's application to get these federal supplemental benefits as soon as possible. The plan sees the federal government providing $300 if the state shares the cost at $100.
Cooper previously complained about the use of disaster money to cover unemployment from what he declared a disaster that has justified multiple executive orders over the past four months. He also demonstrated his disregard for business owners and teacher pay raises if it advances his political agenda. So, it came as a surprise when he agreed to the offer. Cooper sought to bargain for higher state benefits for a more extended period in his response, in which he also argued against using CARES Act money for the state share.
On August 20, the Governor and his Department of Employment Security (DES) administration announced they submitted North Carolina's application to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for $300 per beneficiary grant funding for the Lost Wages Assistance program (LWA).
DES received federal guidance from FEMA and learned state unemployment insurance trust fund dollars may not be used to pay the optional $100 supplement match funds. DES has been working on reprogramming its benefits system to determine LWA eligibility and set up the accounting process necessary to access grant funds and make payments to assist North Carolinians as quickly as possible upon FEMA approval.
On August 21, FEMA approved NC's grant application for $321 million in federal funding that would allow eligible recipients to receive a $300 LWA payment for three weeks (benefit weeks ending August 1, August 8, and August 15, 2020). FEMA will assess the availability of funds for additional weeks of benefits. DES will provide updates on a payment timeline as more information becomes available.
The following eligibility requirements must be met for a person to receive the $300 in LWA:
- The claimant must be eligible for at least $100 per week in unemployment benefits from programs including state unemployment insurance, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, and Extended Benefits.
- The claimant must be unemployed or partially unemployed due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
DES will provide additional information about Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) in North Carolina as it becomes available and receives further guidance from FEMA.
The legislature will return in early September to appropriate needed funds, and maybe Congress will reach a compromise in the meantime. Those people who can't return to work because of the shutdown or because their employer has gone out of business will still get assistance for a few more weeks.
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Senator Edwards' Recent Appointments |
One of the ways that a legislator can help make a more significant difference for their district and across the state is through a board, committee, and commission appointments.
Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) has appointed Sen. Chuck Edwards to serve on the North Carolina Travel and Tourism Board, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Unemployment Insurance, and the Social Services Regional Supervision and Collaboration Working Group.
NC Travel & Tourism – Member
With tourism being so vital to the economic health of Western North Carolina, I am enthusiastic and honored to have been reappointed for a second term on the NC Travel & Tourism Board. The COVID-19 pandemic has delivered a punishing blow to this once thriving industry. I'm up for the challenge to help bring it back.
Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Unemployment Insurance – Co-chair
North Carolina unemployment insurance reform was an important issue that propelled me into the political arena. I am pleased to have been appointed to serve as co-chair for the Oversight Committee on Unemployment Insurance. I am eager to accept this challenging oversight responsibility. Thousands of people in our community waited weeks and months for the Cooper Administration to send out unemployment checks earlier this year, and I intend to aggressively oversee the Cooper Administration's dismal performance in serving the unemployed.
Social Services Regional Supervision and Collaboration Working Group – Co-chair
In 2017, the North Carolina General Assembly enacted Session Law 2017-41, also known as Rylan's Law, to address gaps and flaws identified within the State's child welfare system. Chairing a social services supervision committee was not in my vision when I ran for NC Senate. However, many of us in Raleigh come to realize that we find some issues to tackle, and sometimes those issues find us. I've learned of too many situations where child protective services are failing NC children. This is why I introduced Senate Bill 708 - 'A Law for Lyn,' have publicly challenged some of our systems, and fought to amend abuse, neglect, and dependency laws. I'm glad for my newest role - where I can help make more of a difference for defenseless children.
View the full list of committees I'm assigned to HERE
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Post Office Panic & Mail-In Voting |
In case you missed it last week, a lot of fear and misinformation have been spreading throughout social media the past few days about the post office. The integrity of elections serves as a cornerstone of a thriving democracy, and Democrats will do everything in their power to skew that truth with this conspiracy theory by claiming absentee voting and universal mail-in voting are the same things (hint: they are not).
When Congress passed the CARES Act earlier this year, it allocated over $10 billion to support the USPS and that funding would effectively sustain its operations until 2021. So why is Nancy Pelosi calling members of Congress back to pass an additional $25 billion in funding when the USPS was already given a cash infusion? The U.S. Postal Service indeed has a long history, and at the same time, it also has a rap sheet that raises both eyebrows and questions. Nancy Pelosi and her Democrat colleagues are quick to jump on the offensive and claim that the USPS is in dire need of funding, but when it comes to supporting their argument, they cherry-pick the facts. In a 2019 analysis released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), it was reported that the USPS had lost over $69 billion in revenue over the past 11 years – an average of just over $6 billion per year. Plus, its overall employee benefits constitute close to 80% of their overall operating costs. Throwing money at the USPS won't solve its inefficiencies, and if anything, it will only exacerbate its existing problems.
Over the past few weeks, I have received numerous emails and phone calls into my office about voting by mail in North Carolina. Some are indicating they don't want mail-in voting in North Carolina, while others are indicating they needed to vote by mail due to health concerns or other circumstances.
Absentee voting is safe and secure. Absentee ballot systems require voters to personally request that their supervisor of elections send them a ballot. When a voter requests an absentee ballot, it will often trigger an alert in the state's voter database if that voter shows up to vote in person during early voting or on Election Day. That is protection against double-voting. North Carolina is a state where, alongside in-person voting, we have absentee voting by mail. There is no excuse needed to request a mail-in ballot. North Carolina already ensures that every person will get to vote, whether that means in-person or by mail, you get to choose.
In the universal mail-in ballot system proposed by California and Nevada, and which Democrats want to impose nationwide in an election less than three months away, actual ballots – not ballot applications – are mailed to everyone on the voter rolls. That is an open invitation to fraud, especially in states and counties with inaccurate voter rolls. Imagine sending driver's licenses to every resident over the age of 18 regardless of whether they had applied for one or their criminal status.
The deadline in North Carolina to request an absentee ballot for the November general election is on Tuesday, October 27, and your ballot must be postmarked on or by Election Day.
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NEA Ranks NC #1 in Education Funding |
The National Education Association, the parent organization of the far-left N.C. Association of Educators’ (NCAE), ranked North Carolina top in the Southeast on a host of important education funding metrics.
Here are a few of the topline rankings for North Carolina:
- 2019-20 increase in K-12 funding: #1 in the Southeast (#7 in the country)
- 2019-20 increase in K-12 funding per student: #1 in the Southeast (#6 in the country)
- 2018-19 increase in public school instructional staff salaries: #1 in the Southeast (#4 in the country)
- 2018-19 increase in teacher salaries: #1 in the Southeast (#3 in the country)
As a reminder, North Carolina provided teachers with the third-highest salary increase in the entire country for five years, until Gov Cooper’s veto stopped the streak last year.
Republicans have increased public school funding since coming into power in 2011. Education funding in North Carolina has increased by $968 per student in just four years and $1,748 per student in nine years. The total K-12 authorized budget increased from $7.6 billion in 2011 to $9.8 billion in 2019. |
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Forest v. Cooper Lawsuit Dropped |
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A Superior Court judge has rejected Lt. Gov. Dan Forest's attempt to throw out some of Gov. Roy Cooper's executive orders linked to COVID-19. The Forest v. Cooper case challenged eight executive orders. The lieutenant governor argued that Cooper should have submitted those orders to the 10-member Council of State for consultation and concurrence. Forest also argued that the governor violated state law limiting the government's powers to enact a quarantine lasting longer than 30 days. A longer quarantine requires court approval, according to Forest's argument. Judge James Gale disagreed with Forest's reasoning.
Lt. Gov. Dan Forest dropped his lawsuit against Gov. Roy Cooper. Forest's decision not to continue the legal challenge comes shortly after Judge Gale refused to grant a preliminary injunction in the case. Instead, Lt. Governor Dan Forest tweeted, "I did my part. If y'all want your freedoms back, you'll have to make your voices heard in November."
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NC Opportunity Scholarships |
The educational fate of more than 11,000 students is in the hands of a judge. Thousands of students rely on N.C. Opportunity Scholarships to attend private school. The N.C. Association of Educators (NCAE), a left-leaning teachers’ organization, is suing to get rid of the scholarship program.
Meaning it’s now up to a judge to decide whether 11,259 students can attend their school of choice, or if parents and families will be forced to scramble at the last minute to ensure their child receives the instruction best suited for them.
Polling shows huge support for school choice and Opportunity Scholarships, especially among Black Democrats.
Despite the massive support for the program and the clear inequities it seeks to resolve, Gov. Cooper is still fighting to defund Opportunity Scholarships. Could it be more about his allies in the far-left N.C. Association of Educators than the best needs of children?
Background on Opportunity Scholarships: This program provides up to $4,200** per student (each school year) toward a private school education for low-income parents in our state. The families that receive these scholarships have a median household income of about $31,000. While North Carolina ranks #1 in the Southeast for increased K-12 funding and per-pupil spending, increased funding does not always equate to better outcomes. An Opportunity Scholarship is for hardworking families who believe that private school is the best educational option for their child. The far-left North Carolina teachers' union (NCAE) filed suit earlier this year to stop this program, even though in 2014, the Supreme Court upheld its existence.
**The average amount of state-level funding that is allocated towards each traditional K12 student is approximately $6,480. Therefore, the state saves about $2,140 on each student per year by allowing low-income parents the ability to utilize an opportunity scholarship. Opportunity Scholarships have saved the state tens of millions of dollars since 2013.
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For business and non-profit organizations that experienced interruption due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, $15 million in federal relief money in the new Job Retention Grant (JRG) Program may be able to offer assistance. Under the JRG program, businesses are eligible for grants of up to two months of the eligible entity's average monthly payroll costs from 2019, plus an additional 25% of that amount, up to $250,000 if they haven't already gotten support from another program like the Paycheck Protection Program.
The NC Department of Commerce is accepting applications from now until Tuesday, September 1, 2020 at 11:59pm. No applications will be accepted after that time.
To qualify to receive these grant funds, your organization:
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Did You Know...You May Have Unclaimed Cash |
Unclaimed property funds are escheated (turned over) to the NC Treasurer for safekeeping. These funds consist of bank accounts, wages, utility deposits, insurance policy proceeds, stocks, bonds, and contents of safe deposit boxes that typically have been abandoned for 1 to 5 years. Funds become unclaimed because the company loses track of the consumer, due to an incorrect address or other missing information." This money is owed to you and simply requires you to claim it.
You may search for unclaimed property by visiting www.NCCash.com. If you have questions or concerns regarding the privacy of your information or the legitimacy of this website, please call the Unclaimed Property Division office at 866-NCCash1 (866-622-2741). Claims are processed in the order they are received. The current processing time is between 90 to 120 days. Applicants will be notified via email if/when the claim is approved for payment. |
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Let's talk about the 2020 Census. If you haven't heard, the U.S. Census Bureau's plans to wrap up early -- at the end of September -- but North Carolina's response rate remains so low that about $75 billion in federal funding coming back to our state is at stake. That's money we can't afford to lose. The Census is, in a way, a competitive program -- communities that don't participate in essence waive access to funds allocated on census results. Communities benefit when they participate in the Census.
Also, a new congressional seat is at risk if North Carolinians don't fill the Census. Currently, about 1.2 million (43%) of North Carolina households have not completed the 2020 census. There are only nine questions, and it takes about 10 minutes to complete the questionnaire. I encourage everyone to complete their census survey as soon as possible and remind other relatives and friends to complete theirs. Keep spreading the word - This is so important!
You can complete the censuses using one of the following methods:
2- English by phone (844) 330-2020
3- Spanish by phone (844) 468-2020
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