Republicans United on Key Issues
04/21/2009 | 07:16 PM
Differ with Democrats on Health Plan Bailout, Sex
Education, Government-Financed Campaigns
RALEIGH, N.C. – Legislative Republicans hosted a news conference today highlighting differences with Legislative Democrats on the State Health Plan bailout, changes to the sex education curriculum and public financing for municipal campaigns.
The State Health Plan, SB 287, was unanimously opposed last week by House Republicans and last month by Senate Republicans for several important reasons:
House Republicans warned last July of an impending crisis in the state employees’ health insurance plan, but were ignored by Democratic leaders. The political consideration of the November 2008 general election resulted in no timely action by the Democrats.
Democrats rejected multiple warnings from Republicans over the past several years to begin putting aside necessary funding for retiree health benefits, even in years with large surpluses.
By raising the premiums for dependents, Democrats are driving away younger, healthy workers necessary to maintain the plan’s long-term viability.
Democrats killed a Republican proposal to put oversight of the health plan in the Governor’s Office. The plan’s current instability can be directly attributed to the failures of adequate oversight by legislative leadership.
“Legislative Democrats are bailing out the bankrupt government-run State Health Plan at a tremendous cost to North Carolina’s taxpayers and state employees,” said Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham.) “This legislation harms North Carolina families by costing taxpayers over $700 million, hiking premiums 10 percent per year for dependents of state employees and increasing co-pays and deductibles.”
House Democrats passed the misnamed “Healthy Youth Act, HB 88” last Thursday with all Republicans and a few conservative Democrats in opposition. This bill opposes the current abstinence before marriage sex education curriculum with a so-called “comprehensive” curriculum for middle school students.
Republicans forced Democrats to make several changes to what House Republican Leader Paul Stam (R-Wake) called “an otherwise bad bill” during committee consideration and floor debate. As a result, students will no longer be forced to take the “comprehensive” sex education curriculum if a parental consent form is not returned. The original bill language required most students to take the “comprehensive” curriculum. House Republicans also succeeded in having the bill’s sponsors remove language requiring middle school students to be taught respect for “long term committed relationships” as an equivalent to marriage.
“While these amendments improved the bill, it does not change the facts. Using the term ‘comprehensive’ as the title for the prescribed curriculum will suggest to teachers that they encourage middle school students to experiment with various forms of risky behavior. That is the approach of the National Guidelines on Comprehensive Sexuality Education,” said Stam.
The third bill, with final action expected today, is HB 120, “Public Financing for Municipal Campaigns.” House Republicans unanimously oppose this bill because it forces taxpayers to finance local politicians’ campaigns. “This is clearly a free speech issue,” said Stam. “Taxpayers will be forced to fund the campaigns of candidates they do not support and whose message they deem offensive. As Thomas Jefferson said, ‘To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves is sinful and tyrannical.’”
“With the fiscal problems currently facing our state and local governments, the last thing we need is a new spending plan to line politicians’ pockets,” said Berger.
RALEIGH, N.C. – Legislative Republicans hosted a news conference today highlighting differences with Legislative Democrats on the State Health Plan bailout, changes to the sex education curriculum and public financing for municipal campaigns.
The State Health Plan, SB 287, was unanimously opposed last week by House Republicans and last month by Senate Republicans for several important reasons:
House Republicans warned last July of an impending crisis in the state employees’ health insurance plan, but were ignored by Democratic leaders. The political consideration of the November 2008 general election resulted in no timely action by the Democrats.
Democrats rejected multiple warnings from Republicans over the past several years to begin putting aside necessary funding for retiree health benefits, even in years with large surpluses.
By raising the premiums for dependents, Democrats are driving away younger, healthy workers necessary to maintain the plan’s long-term viability.
Democrats killed a Republican proposal to put oversight of the health plan in the Governor’s Office. The plan’s current instability can be directly attributed to the failures of adequate oversight by legislative leadership.
“Legislative Democrats are bailing out the bankrupt government-run State Health Plan at a tremendous cost to North Carolina’s taxpayers and state employees,” said Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham.) “This legislation harms North Carolina families by costing taxpayers over $700 million, hiking premiums 10 percent per year for dependents of state employees and increasing co-pays and deductibles.”
House Democrats passed the misnamed “Healthy Youth Act, HB 88” last Thursday with all Republicans and a few conservative Democrats in opposition. This bill opposes the current abstinence before marriage sex education curriculum with a so-called “comprehensive” curriculum for middle school students.
Republicans forced Democrats to make several changes to what House Republican Leader Paul Stam (R-Wake) called “an otherwise bad bill” during committee consideration and floor debate. As a result, students will no longer be forced to take the “comprehensive” sex education curriculum if a parental consent form is not returned. The original bill language required most students to take the “comprehensive” curriculum. House Republicans also succeeded in having the bill’s sponsors remove language requiring middle school students to be taught respect for “long term committed relationships” as an equivalent to marriage.
“While these amendments improved the bill, it does not change the facts. Using the term ‘comprehensive’ as the title for the prescribed curriculum will suggest to teachers that they encourage middle school students to experiment with various forms of risky behavior. That is the approach of the National Guidelines on Comprehensive Sexuality Education,” said Stam.
The third bill, with final action expected today, is HB 120, “Public Financing for Municipal Campaigns.” House Republicans unanimously oppose this bill because it forces taxpayers to finance local politicians’ campaigns. “This is clearly a free speech issue,” said Stam. “Taxpayers will be forced to fund the campaigns of candidates they do not support and whose message they deem offensive. As Thomas Jefferson said, ‘To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves is sinful and tyrannical.’”
“With the fiscal problems currently facing our state and local governments, the last thing we need is a new spending plan to line politicians’ pockets,” said Berger.