Posted: 6:30 a.m. today Updated: 6:51 a.m. today<\/p>\n
Raleigh, N.C. Good morning, and welcome to Today @NCCapitol for Tuesday, Feb. 12, WRAL's roundup of what you need to know about North Carolina state government this morning. <\/p>\n
SENATE UNEMPLOYMENT:At 2 p.m., the state Senate will take the first of two floor votes on the remake of North Carolina's unemployment program. The bill, which cuts state benefits and would lead federal regulators to cut extended benefits for those who have been unemployed longer than 26 weeks, has come under criticism from Acting U.S. Labor Sec.Seth Harris. <\/p>\n
\"If enacted, the legislation also would cut off all federally funded Emergency Unemployment Compensation that is, benefits after 26 weeks of unemployment to 170,000 unemployed North Carolinians. This cutoff is automatic under federal law,\" Harris wrote in a news release. <\/p>\n
Assuming the Senate passes the measure today, a final Senate vote on Wednesday would send the bill to Gov. Pat McCrory. WRAL.com will live stream the Senate floor session at 2 p.m. Check the Video Central box on the home page. <\/p>\n
HOUSE SESSION: Also at 2 p.m.,the House will vote on a constitutional amendment restricting governments' ability to exercise eminent domain, the power to take land from property owners. If it passes, the measure will next go to the Senate. <\/p>\n
HOUSE HEALTH CARE:The House Health Committee will take up the bill blocking North Carolina from expanding Medicaid or participating in the health insurance exchanges created by the federal Affordable Care Act. <\/p>\n
Individual House Republicans have expressed different sentiments on the bill. Early after it was passed by the Senate, House Speaker Thom Tillis said the chamber would carefully consider the measure to take into account objections raised by Gov. Pat McCrory. The Republican governor was worried North Carolina could lose federal funding for a benefits computer system if the bill became law as passed by the Senate. <\/p>\n
Rep. Jim Fulgham, R-Wake, said on Saturday's edition of On the Record that he would slow down the bill because he had questions about how the state would care for those without health insurance. And leaders of the Health Committee last week said they would at least make a few tweaks in order to deal with McCrory's concerns. <\/p>\n
However, late Monday, health care advocates said they had been told the bill would push through committee without being amended and could go straight to the House floor. <\/p>\n
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Today @NCCapitol: Health care, unemployment, and the Red Route<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Posted: 6:30 a.m. Continue reading