Scoop April 2013

State Employees Association of North Carolina The SEANC Scoop April 5, 2013 A Flurry of Bills Filed Ahead of Senate Deadline

Several bills of importance to state employees and retirees were introduced this week in the N.C. Senate ahead of Thursday’s filing deadline – most notably SB 618, which deals with changes to the State Personnel Act. SEANC leaders are meeting with Office of State Personnel officials to learn more and to protect the rights of state employees. Read more about this and the other bills filed in this week’s Legislative Update, found here.

Click here to read the April Reporter!

SAVE THE DATE! The Don Jones Memorial Golf Tournament will be held Aug. 9 at Keith Hills Golf Club in Buies Creek.

SEANC In the News

The News & Observer quoted a message sent from SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope to members Thursday about Gov. Pat McCrory’s plans to turn over administration of Medicaid in the state to for-profit companies. “McCrory stated the move would control costs, provide a better quality of care and increase efficiency,” Cope stated. “SEANC shares with the governor these goals for Medicaid, but we differ with the underlying premise that privatization is the key to fixing the Medicaid budget, providing better care or efficiencies.”

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Cope Meets With State Leaders

SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope has been meeting with state leaders. Cope discussed retirement and the State Health Plan with House Speaker Thom Tillis, prison closures in Gov. Pat McCrory’ budget proposal with Sen. Warren Daniels (RBurke), the State Health Plan and retirement with Rep. Jeff Collins (R-Nash) and various state employee issues with Office of State Personnel Director Neal Alexander.

SEANC Recruits New Members!

SEANC recruited nearly 200 state employees over the last two weeks. Congrats to our new members who made the choice to empower themselves, public services and the people who provide them. These new members were recruited statewide at Employment Security offices, DMV offices in Mecklenburg and Richmond counties, Harnett and Maury correctional institutions, Vocational Rehabilitation offices in Alamance, Johnston and Wayne counties, Department of Transportation offices in Sampson, Martin and Pitt counties, the UNC System, community college system and public schools systems across the state, Caswell, Murdock and O’Berry centers,

SEANC Hot Spots:

Member Discounts SEANC in the News SEANC Insurance Update Your Contact Info Calendar of Events www.seanc.org 800-222-2758

State Employees Association of North Carolina The SEANC Scoop April 12, 2013 More Than 370 Bills Filed in the House

The filing deadline for House bills was Thursday, and more than 370 bills were filed in the last week alone. SEANC’s Legislative Affairs team has been hard at work behind the scenes on business important to state employees. Read about this and more in this week’s Legislative Update.

Click here to read the April Reporter!

SAVE THE DATE! The Don Jones Memorial Golf Tournament will be held Aug. 9 at Keith Hills Golf Club in Buies Creek.

Scholarship Deadline is Monday!

The deadline to apply for a SEANC scholarship is Monday!

Applications must be submitted by April 15. Scholarships are awarded in three categories: financial need, merit and members only. Last year SEANC awarded 36 scholarships totaling more than $34,000. Click here for more information. You must be logged into the website to access the applications.

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SEANC Recruits New Members!

SEANC recruited 179 state employees over the last week. Congrats to our new members who made the choice to empower themselves, public services and the people who provide them. New members work at Guilford County Community Corrections, Maury and Pender correctional institutions, Alamance County Division of Employment Security, Pitt County Department of Transportation, Caswell Center, the Secretary of State’s office, Departments of Health and Human Services and Public Safety, the Administrative Office of the Courts, N.C. Central, East Carolina, UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. State, N.C. A&T State, Blue Ridge and Central Carolina community colleges and Harnett, Cumberland, Surry, Wilson and Winston-Salem/Forsyth county school systems. If you are reading this and are not a member, please consider joining today, or if you would like for a SEANC Member Action Coordinator to visit your worksite and provide a legislative update, contact Member Action Director Lynn Cote

Discount: Cirque Du Soleil

SEANC members can experience the pageantry of Cirque Du Soleil at Greensboro Coliseum later this month and save money at the same time. The discount applies to the April 17-21 performances, excluding Saturday. See this flyer for more information.

SEANC Hot Spots:

Member Discounts SEANC in the News SEANC Insurance Update Your Contact Info Calendar of Events www.seanc.org 800-222-2758

Broughton and Cherry hospitals, the Administrative Office of the Courts, Departments of Commerce, Public Instruction, Public Safety and Revenue and Department of Health and Human Services agencies across the state. If you would like for a SEANC Member Action Coordinator to visit your worksite and provide a legislative update, contact Member Action Director Lynn Cote.

Scholarship Deadline 10 Days Away!

The deadline to apply for a SEANC scholarship is just around the corner. Applications must be submitted by April 15. Awards are given in three categories: financial need, merit and members only. Last year SEANC awarded 36 scholarships totaling more than $34,000. Click here for more information. You must be logged into the website to access the applications.

SEANC Sniffs Out a Deal for Pet Owners

Pets can take a bite out of your budget. SEANC’s new partnership with VPI Pet Insurance should give your wallet, and your pet, some relief. Click here for more information, or call 1-877-738-7874 for a no-obligation quote.

Discount: Ripley's Aquarium

Save 50 percent on tickets to Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina! Take an adventure that will be remembered forever. Click here to learn how to save on your trip.

State Employees Association of North Carolina The SEANC Scoop April 19, 2013 Retirement Bill a No Go for SEANC

With filing deadlines passing in the N.C. House and N.C. Senate, activity heated up in state government this week. SEANC turned out in full force at this week’s Retirement Systems’ Board of Trustees meeting to voice its objections to House Bill 381, a bill that would allow the state treasurer to create another retirement system to compete against the current Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System. Also, SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope continued his meetings with agency heads. For more on this week in state government, read this week’s Legislative Update.

Click here to read the April Reporter!

SAVE THE DATE! The Don Jones Memorial Golf Tournament will be held Aug. 9 at Keith Hills Golf Club in Buies Creek.

SEANC Meets with DPS on Prison Closures

With the budget debate in its early stages, SEANC Legislative Affairs Director Ardis Watkins, Member Action Director Lynn Cote and Lobbyist Mitch Leonard met with the Commissioner of the Division of Adult Correction David Guice this week to discuss the closing of five prisons as part of Gov. Pat McCrory’s budget proposal. SEANC is also planning to hold a town hall forum on the closings in coming weeks at Western Youth Institution in Morganton. Once the date is set, we will announce it in the SEANC Scoop.

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Meet Your SEANC Lobbyist: Ardis Watkins

SEANC is launching a new weekly feature to introduce members to the people who represent their interests in Raleigh. This week, we take a look at Ardis Watkins, SEANC’s Legislative Affairs Director. Watkins has been on the SEANC staff for 12 years and was a state employee herself before taking on her current role. She’s also a rather accomplished country music singer! Click here to read more on Watkins.

Discount: The Lion King

SEANC members receive a special pre-sale offer for tickets to The Lion King and up to a 15-percent discount for select performances Aug 6-Sept. 1. Tickets go on sale to the general public April 26 so buy yours today to take advantage of this special offer.

SEANC Hot Spots:

Member Discounts SEANC in the News SEANC Insurance Update Your Contact Info Calendar of Events www.seanc.org 800-222-2758

State Employees Association of North Carolina The SEANC Scoop April 26, 2013 Legislative Update

SEANC lobbyists joined with doctors and health care consumers this week in support of House Bill 177, which could allow for outpatient surgical clinics in the state, a move that would save the State Health Plan more than $50 million each biennium. Also this week, SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope met with Department of Transportation Secretary Tony Tata, and SEANC’s Legislative Affairs team kept acted on several bills of significance for state employees. Read more in this week’s Legislative Update.

Click here to read the May Reporter!

SAVE THE DATE! The Don Jones Memorial Golf Tournament will be held Aug. 9 at Keith Hills Golf Club in Buies Creek.

Patients First NC Fights Hospital Monopolies

Facebook!

As mentioned in the update, SEANC, the North Carolina Orthopaedic Association and North Carolina Society of Eye Physicians & Surgeons joined together to launch Patients First NC on Thursday in support of House Bill 177. Patients First NC offers a free market solution to reduce health care costs that maintains the quality of care for patients.

Click here to read more about the coalition, and be sure to follow Patients First NC on Twitter and “like” us on

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Meet Your SEANC Lobbyist: Chuck Stone

In this week’s installment of “Meet Your SEANC Lobbyists,” we introduce you to Chuck Stone, SEANC’s point man for all things health care. Stone retired after 31 years at the Department of Health and Human Services in 2004 and has been a member of SEANC and its predecessor organization since 1974. He was even SEANC’s president in 1997-1998.

These days he is charged with keeping a watchful eye on your health care and also lobbies on any other matter important to state employees. Read all about Chuck here.

Youth Council Pitches In at SECU Family House

The SEANC Youth Council volunteered Thursday at the SECU Family House, a home where families can stay while loved ones seek treatments at UNC hospitals. Council members cleaned the house inside and out, cooked a delicious dinner and even took care of the dishes. They also presented the house with $726 donated by 11 districts. If you are age 40 or younger, contact SEANC’s Member Strength Department today to join the Youth Council!

SEANC Hot Spots:

Member Discounts SEANC in the News SEANC Insurance Update Your Contact Info Calendar of Events www.seanc.org 800-222-2758

SEANC Recruits New Members

SEANC’s Member Action Department recruited 120 new members in the last week from work sites all over the state, including Caswell Developmental Center, Central Carolina, Piedmont Technical and Pitt Community Colleges, Guilford, Wake, Clay, Bertie and Vance County school systems, East Carolina University, UNC-Chapel Hill and UNC Hospitals, N.C. State University, N.C. A&T State University, UNCGreensboro, the Departments of Commerce and Public Instruction, the Office of the State Controller, Central Prison, Albemarle, Brown Creek, Caswell and Lanesboro correctional institutions, Pender County Probation and Parole, Cherry Hospital, Buncombe County Vocational Rehabilitation and the N.C. Cooperative Extension.

If you would like for a SEANC Member Action Coordinator to visit your worksite, contact Member Action Director Lynn Cote.

Discount: Stomp the Musical

Get discount tickets to “STOMP: The International Sensation” at Greensboro Coliseum on April 30! Click here to find out the discounts and the special offer code.