#ncga: A mad rush to leech on to the state employee health plan

Posted on by

moneycount Senator Bill Rabon is quite the trailblazer.  We reported earlier on his efforts to get the town employees of Southport — his hometown — onto the state employees’ health plan.  We had quite a few NCGOP apologists try to tell us it was no big deal — EVERYONE does it.   The problem with that spin?  The current statute shows ONLY THREE local governments whose employees are part of the state employee health plan.   (There are 100 counties and thousands of municipalities and communities  in The Tar Heel State.) 

State Rep. Michelle Presnell (R) appears to be following Rabon’s lead by trying to put several communities in her district onto the health plan.   Her bill would add HAYWOOD, MADISON, AND YANCEY COUNTIES AND THE TOWNS OF BURNSVILLE, CANTON, CLYDE, HOT SPRINGS, MAGGIE  VALLEY, MARSHALL, MARS HILL, AND WAYNESVILLE.  (Readers of this sitelegis are pretty familiar with the cast of characters in Haywood and Madison county governments.) 

First of all, how is this not a violation of the statute we discussed in this post?   Second of all, if this is such a great deal, why not open the plan to everybody in North Carolina? 

Party apologists try to explain this away by saying that we aren’t on the hook for any of this.  *RIIIIIIIIIIIGHT.*

Remember THIS bailout of the plan?  Where do you think those government employees get the money to pay those premiums?