Still unable to reach agreement on a State Budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year, which began on July 1, North Carolina legislators passed a third “continuing resolution” this morning to maintain state funding at current levels through September 18. In the meantime, House and Senate budget leaders will continue negotiations on a $21.74 billion spending plan for the current state fiscal year.
NC Family continues to work on two specific items that are part of the budget negotiations:
- Defund Planned Parenthood: In light of the recent investigative video series by the Center for Medical Progress that has exposed the gruesome and inhumane practices of Planned Parenthood to harvest and sell the remains of aborted babies, NC Family is working with state lawmakers to ensure that no state taxpayer dollars are being used to fund Planned Parenthood; and
- Defeat Proposed Lottery Expansion: Despite the predatory and destructive nature of state-sponsored gambling, the State Senate’s budget proposal included measures to increase the advertising budget of the state lottery by 50 percent (an approximate $9 million increase) and to establish the sale of “E-Instant Games,” which are equivalent to online scratch-off tickets. NC Family is urging budget leaders to jettison this harmful and unnecessary proposal from the final state spending plan.
TAKE ACTION: If you have not already contacted your State House and Senate members about these critical issues, please go to our TAKE ACTION page and ask them to Defund Planned Parenthood and to Defeat Efforts to Expand the State Lottery.
