RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) Saturday decried a “backroom” deal that would pull the plan for casinos in North Carolina and state Medicaid expansion from the upcoming state budget plan.
A message from Cooper on X (formerly Twitter) was in response to a plan that Democrat and Republican sources said would take those two measures out of the budget proposal — which is behind schedule and has yet to be approved.
UPDATE: EXCLUSIVE — NC Senate releases bill that authorizes 4 more casinos in state
The casino plan and Medicaid expansion would then be in one bill together, separate from the actual budget, a source from both parties told CBS 17.
Cooper’s statement said the plan is “the most brutally dishonest legislative scheme I’ve seen in my 3+ decades. People are right to be suspicious.”
So far, Democrats have not received many details about the plan. The details they have seen were described as “garbled” by one Democrat who spoke to CBS 17 Saturday.
UPDATE: EXCLUSIVE — NC Senate releases bill that authorizes 4 more casinos in state
Rep. Jason Saine (R-Lincoln) who is a top budget writer in the House confirmed the proposal, rumors of which began Friday night. Saine also said votes for the budget and the combined Medicaid/casino bill would take place on Wednesday and Thursday.
Here is the full statement from Cooper:
GOP demand for passage of their backroom casino deal in exchange for a state budget and Medicaid expansion is the most brutally dishonest legislative scheme I’ve seen in my 3+ decades. People are right to be suspicious. Something has a grip on Republican leaders and it’s not the people of NC. – RC
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D)
Medical marijuana is not a part of the budget proposal, Saine said.
UPDATE: EXCLUSIVE — NC Senate releases bill that authorizes 4 more casinos in state
A spokeswoman for House Speaker Tim Moore (R) had no comment Saturday in response to Cooper.
