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Friday, February 1, 2019

SEANC highlights prison reform as legislative session opens SEANC brought prison reform to the forefront on the first day of session Wednesday, holding a press conference with Sen. Bob Steinburg (R-Chowan) to unveil the Select Committee on Prison Reform's report on ways to make our prisons safer. The report, “From the Inside: A SEANC Examination of N.C. Correctional Issues," was compiled from interviews, forums and a survey of Department of Public Safety employees. It gives lawmakers the truth on the problems plaguing our prisons from those who know it best – the workers on the inside. “We cannot and will not forget the lives we lost,” said SEANC President Jimmy Davis, a retired correctional officer said at the press conference. “We will carry their memory forward, as we seek not only justice for their families, but also as we work to protect the men and women who work every day in unsafe working conditions, and endure the daily assaults that come with working in our prisons.” Following the deadliest year in history for North Carolina corrections, SEANC created a committee of corrections employee and retirees in 2018 to give state employees a voice in ongoing efforts to reform our prisons. The committee’s report recommends changes needed from the legislature, the department and the employees themselves. Thanks to the report, prison reform dominated the headlines. Click below for a list of news articles on the topic. SEANC will continue to highlight the issue throughout the session.

Read more about prison reform

Hospitals launch attack on State Health Plan As expected, the state’s hospital executives have launched their attack on State Treasurer Dale Folwell’s strategy to cut reimbursement rates and save taxpayers and State Health Plan members almost $400 million. The hospitals have set up a dark money organization to run TV ads attacking the Plan with scare tactics and misinformation. We will continue to advocate for transparency and lower costs for the Plan. State employees and retirees deserve to know the truth — we are being overcharged for medical procedures to subsidize care for the uninsured. This new strategy, which was supported unanimously by the State Health Plan Board of Trustees, will allow hospitals to make an honest profit while allowing taxpayers and Plan members to save money. In coming days, we’ll be asking for your help. Please be on the lookout for additional emails on this issue. Also, The Reporter issue that you’ll receive soon will include further explanation of the Clear Pricing Project.

SEANC to host forum on planned DMV move The Department of Transportation announced this week that it is planning to move the Division of Motor Vehicles headquarters from the state capital to Rocky Mount, some 60 miles away. SEANC will host a listening forum with DMV workers from 4:30-7 p.m. Monday at the SEANC Central Office, located at 1621 Midtown Place, Raleigh, N.C. 27609. Stop by anytime to discuss the matter. If you work at the headquarters, please attend and bring your coworkers. Children and nonmembers are welcome. Dinner will be provided.

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Friday, February 8, 2019

SEANC action puts DMV move on hold for now Swift action by SEANC delayed a key vote to move the Division of Motor Vehicles headquarters from Raleigh to Rocky Mount. The proposal now faces greater scrutiny, but the fight is not over. SEANC hosted a forum on Monday for DMV employees about the relocation plan, which would add an extra 120 miles to the daily commute for hundreds of workers. Members expressed concerns about increased fuel and transportation costs, as well as potential conflicts with childcare arrangements, school schedules, and medical treatments. Others questioned the decision to choose a site with a high flood risk. The proposal was scheduled for a vote of the Council of State on Tuesday morning. As the SEANC forum concluded, Gov. Roy Cooper’s office informed SEANC that he would pull the issue from the agenda so they could gather more information about employees’ concerns. SEANC is the only association standing up for the DMV workers in this fight. Executive Director Robert Broome called the move “a disservice to taxpayers and the employees who work there” in a letter to the editor of the News & Observer. SEANC supports keeping the headquarters in Wake County, a position endorsed by the entire Wake County legislative delegation. Rep. Yvonne Holley (D-Wake), who represents the area where the current headquarters is located, and Rep. Rosa Gill (DWake) spoke at SEANC’s forum. The Council of State will take up the matter at its March 5 meeting. Please contact members of the Council of State in support of your fellow members at DMV.

Rose explains why State Health Plan changes are necessary The fight over reimbursement rates paid by the State Health Plan continues to heat up. SEANC has pushed for lower, more transparent reimbursement rates for a decade. District 12 Chairwoman Chenell Rose explains in this story on WFAE radio how unaffordable the State Health Plan’s dependent coverage is for members, and why she supports the Clear Pricing Project. State Treasurer Dale Folwell wrote an op-ed in The News & Observer today on the strategy, which will save members and taxpayers more than $400 million.

Emerging Leaders prepare 300 lunches for community The State Emerging Leaders Committee hosted a #HashtagLunchbag event in Raleigh on Saturday, February 2. Over 60 participants made and packed over 300 sandwich bags that were distributed in Raleigh to those in need. Thank you to everyone that attended and a special thank you to District 41, District 64 and Sam's Club for donating to the event.

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Friday, February 15, 2019

It's time to stand up for affordable healthcare! It’s time for SEANC members to show their support for transparency and affordability in our State Health Plan. At 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 19, the House Health Committee will hear testimony about the Clear Pricing Project. Let’s show lawmakers that we’re tired of overpaying for our health care. Sign up today to attend this important hearing. SEANC supports the Clear Pricing Project (CPP), an initiative to stop greedy hospital executives from overbilling state employees and retirees. The CPP will save taxpayers $300 million and put more than $60 million back in the pockets of State Health Plan members every year. State Treasurer Dale Folwell will testify about the initiative on Tuesday. Treasurer Folwell and the State Health Plan Board of Trustees unanimously backed the CPP last October. High-paid hospital executives and their legion of lobbyists oppose SEANC’s efforts to shine a light on the true cost of health care. By keeping their costs secret, hospitals continue to pad their profits on the backs of you and your family. Legislators need to know that SEANC members have had enough. Will you make your voice heard in Raleigh on Feb. 19?

I will stand up for affordable healthcare

SEANC speaks out on DMV move The proposed move of the Division of Motor Vehicles headquarters to Rocky Mount met opposition Tuesday from SEANC District 43 member Nicole Hunter and lobbyist Flint Benson at the House Transportation Appropriations Committee meeting. Hunter told the committee that while she loved her job, moving would have "a serious economic impact on those of us doing what we're supposed to do – just taking care of community and family. You're going to make a person choose between family and work. That's not fair." If you oppose moving the DMV headquarters to Rocky Mount, take action today and contact the Council of State.

Senate forms committee on prison safety Senator Bob Steinburg (R-Chowan) will chair a new committee tasked with making prisons safer for state employees. Senate leaders announced the creation of the Select Committee on Prison Safety on Wednesday. The committee was created in response to SEANC’s release of a report detailing the problems at our prison as members see them, along with recommendations for change.

SEANC breaks record in midterm election! The numbers are finally in, and SEANC members set a new record for turnout in the 2018 midterm election! A whopping 82 percent of SEANC members voted last November, nearly 30 percentage points higher than the general population turnout of 53 percent and 7 percentage points higher than our election goal to turn out 75 percent of all registered members. In fact, more SEANC members voted in 2018 than in the 2016 presidential election. With 82 percent of EMPAC-endorsed candidates declaring victory, our exceptional turnout reinforces the voting power of state employees and retirees when we work together to elect officials who will stand with us. We must hold our legislators accountable on the issues that matter most to state employees and retirees in this legislative session.

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Friday, February 22, 2019

Tell your legislators to support Clear Pricing! Hospital executives been allowed to hide their costs and overcharge state employees and retirees to pad their profits for too long. State employees are paying eight times what Medicare patients pay for some procedures. It's time for transparency in the State Health Plan and cost savings for plan members and taxpayers. It's time for the Clear Pricing Project. As SEANC Executive Director Robert Broome explains in the video above, at the heart of the Clear Pricing Project (CPP) is "reference-based pricing." Reference-based pricing ties the rate we pay for service to a widely used benchmark and adds a comfortable margin for hospitals to operate. In this case, the State Health Plan will reimburse providers at Medicare rates plus a 77 percent margin. The CPP will save taxpayers $300 million and put more than $60 million back in the pockets of State Health Plan members every year. We need you to reach out to your legistators today to tell them to support Clear Pricing for the State Health Plan.

Tell legislators to support Clear Pricing

SEANC members share their stories from attack at Pasquotank This week we heard the harrowing story of two correctional officers who were on duty on Oct. 12, 2017 at Pasquotank Correctional Institution when four state employees were murdered by inmates attempting to escape. District 69 members Sgt. Curtis Casper and Officer George Midgett recounted the events of the attack. Also, the Charlotte Observer reported that overtime for correctional officers has doubled since 2016 and increased by 10 times since 2011.

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