VOLUME 9 ISSUE 19 | THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2024
NSJONLINE.COM
Bienvenue en Charlotte The Hornets drafted French forward Tidjane Salaun with the sixth overall pick in last week’s NBA Draft. The 6-foot-9 Salaun was one of five players from France selected, including Atlanta Hawks’ first overall pick Zaccharie Risacher. For more, turn to NSJ Sports JULIA NIKHINSON / AP PHOTO
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Tillis, Budd raise concerns over NC Medicaid pilot program
BRIEF this week
Perry resigns from state Senate Raleigh State Sen. Jim Perry (R-Kingston) resigned Tuesday after he previously announced he would not seek reelection. “It is a special privilege to serve in the North Carolina Senate,” Perry, the Senate majority whip, said in a press release announcing his resignation. “I am incredibly thankful to have been chosen for this wonderful honor and life experience.” Perry was in his second full term in the Senate, having been appointed in 2019 to replace retiring Sen. Louis Pate. State Republicans selected him to serve as majority whip in 2021. Before his time in the Senate, Perry was a business executive in the dental industry. His business and health care background meshed well with his committee assignments in the Senate, which included chairing the Senate Finance Committee. He also served on the Commerce and Insurance, Health Care, Redistricting, and Rules committees. “I am thankful to my family for enduring the demands of serving in the North Carolina General Assembly over the course of my three terms,” said Perry. He had cited family as a driving factor in his decision to not seek reelection. “I am entering a season of life where I will need more time to support those closest to me,” he said. Perry said in December 2023 that he intended to return to the private sector after his term ended. He had been injured in a hunting accident last fall but said in a December statement that his “personal health is fine” and the incident was “not the basis for my decision.” “Jim has been a valuable member of our caucus since his first day in the Senate,” Senate Pro Tempore Phil Berger said at the time of Perry’s announcement in December. “His tireless work ethic and willingness to dig into the details have made a lasting impact on health care and finance policy in the state.”
NC House passes ‘gas station heroin’ bill unanimously “I first learned about the dangers of tianeptine from families in my district whose kids have become addicted to it. This is an important bill to protect our kids from accessing this dangerous substance.” Rep. Erin Paré (R-Wake)
The bill would add tianeptine to the controlled substance list By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — The North Carolina House unanimously passed a bill that would add the drug tianeptine, often referred to as “gas station heroin,” to the state’s controlled substance. Tianeptine is an antidepressant-type drug with opioid-like effects that requires a prescription in most European nations but not in the United States. Rep. Erin Paré (R-Wake), one of House Bill 903’s primary sponsors, said during her floor remarks that the FDA first started warning about the dangers of the drug in 2018. She said tianeptine is linked to a rise in overdose deaths across the country and that use of the substance can lead to loss of consciousness, seizures and serious health problems.” “And, sadly, families right here in North Carolina are dealing with this growing problem with their kids,” Paré said. She added that “at least eight states so far have moved to ban tianeptine,” and North Carolina should be next. See HEROIN, page A2
About $110 million has been spent on Healthy Opportunity Pilot, a program some legislators say is rife with failures
funding for the HOP pilots was authorized over a five-year period that ends Oct. 31. NCCARE360 is the “first statewide network that unites health care and human services organizations with a shared By A.P. Dillon technology that enables a coorNorth State Journal dinated, community-oriented, person-centered approach for RALEIGH — North Caroli- delivering care” in North Carna’s U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis and olina. The platform’s website Ted Budd have called for a re- says it is a “strong public-priview of the state’s vate partnership” Medicaid Reform between the North Section 1115 WaivCarolina Departer Demonstration “Despite ment of Health and by the U.S. Depart- significant Human Services ment of Health and and the Foundation investment from for Health LeaderHuman Services, citing concerns NCDHHS that ship and Innovation about the program’s was specifically with an implemencost-effectiveness tation team made and operational is- allocated up of United Way of sues. North Carolina/NC to HOP, it In a letter dated 211, Expound DeJune 12, to U.S. De- has become cision Systems, and partment of Health apparent … that Unite Us. and Human Serthe senaNCCARES360 is torsWhile vices (DHS) Secexpressed their retary Xavier Bec- failing to meet commitment to enerra, the senators the day-to-day suring effective use highlighted specifof federal and state ic problems with needs of resources, they also the Healthy Oppor- (participants.)” questioned the protunity Pilot (HOP) gram’s high costs program and its as- Sens. Thom Tillis and reported opersociated technology and Ted Budd ational challenges. platform, NCCAThe letter says RE360. the HOP program, designed to Per the letter, the HOP pro- address health care and social gram was set up as a way to “test needs in North Carolina, has and evaluate the impact of pro- spent approximately $110 milviding select evidence-based, lion to serve 13,000 North Carnon-medical interventions to olinians, amounting to more high-need Medicaid beneficia- than $8,400 per person. ries using Medicaid dollars.” Up to $650 million in Medicaid See MEDICAID, page A8
34 counties receive America 250 celebration grants Just under $900,000 in grants were awarded for 2024-25 By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources has announced 34 counties are recipients of just under $900,000 in grants aimed at commemoration of the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary in 2026 of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) said in a release that the grant projects include “new cultural events, physical and digital exhibits, historical markers, and more all inspired by North Carolina’s revolutionary history and the themes of America 250 NC.” “These America 250 grants will serve as catalysts for local
AP PHOTO
Members of Catawba County’s Newton-Conover High School Band participate in American Bicentennial parade in Washington, D.C., on July 3, 1976. North Carolina is planning for the United States’ 250th anniversary in two years with the America 250 initiative. participation in the nationwide commemoration of our nation’s founding,” said DNCR Secretary Reid Wilson. “We look forward to working with communities across the state to build a memorable and meaningful celebration for all North Carolinians.”
According to the grant tracking map on the America 250 NC website, the grants were issued for Alamance, Avery, Bertie, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Camden, Chatham, Chowan, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Davidson, Forsyth, Gaston,
Gates, Guilford, Halifax, Haywood, Hertford, Hoke, Johnston, Jones, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Onslow, Orange, Pasquotank, Pender, Pitt, Rockingham, Wake and Watauga counties. The America 250 community and county grants awarded span several projects to celebrate America 250 in the state. Grant applications for the 2025-26 fiscal year will open in August. Guidance for counties to participate in future grant applications can be found at america250.nc.gov/grants. For more information on America 250 and events across the state visit america250.nc.gov.
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