The Irrelevance of Pat McCrory, Part II

RALEIGH – The Republican-controlled N.C. Senate gave initial approval Monday night to a bill that would keep the state government from carrying out elements of President Barack Obama’s federal health care overhaul despite the reservations of new Gov. Pat McCrory.

The party-line 31-17 vote in favor of the legislation occurred when Republican Senate leaders decided to move ahead with the bill despite receiving a letter hours earlier from McCrory’s legislative lobbyist urging more time to consider how the current bill could harm the state financially.

“We believe additional time is necessary to evaluate the serious financial ramifications of (the bill) to North Carolina taxpayers,” said former N.c. Rep. Fred Steen, officially the governor’s legislative liaison.

But legislative leaders said the content of the bill – to block expansion of Medicaid under the health care overhaul and leave it to the federal government to build the state’s online marketplace for health insurance – was important enough to move ahead. The second of two required votes was expected before the bill heads to the N.C. House....

[Source: Rocky Mount Telegram, emphasis added]

"The Irrelevance," Part I