[{"_1":2,"_121":-5,"_122":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,99,109],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6326844,"mediaKeyId","2323632-709250aa4d7d495c9a5d8e1082648dc3","parentId",2323632,"title","Lawmakers press details as senator seeks $3 million line of credit for Fargo veterans memorial center","audioSeconds",313,"startMs",2347000,"endMs",2660000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2323632-709250aa4d7d495c9a5d8e1082648dc3&start=2347&end=2660","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2323632-709250aa4d7d495c9a5d8e1082648dc3/thumbnail_2347000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6326844/North-Carolina/Lawmakers-press-details-as-senator-seeks-3-million-line-of-credit-for-Fargo-veterans-memorial-center","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326844-aca1df43ef265cff3a9123bea81e1042/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156118&Signature=c3gBhNiBmpAVnVLC7DHOW0itwE9AOAlrbJC5muMBPL-MZLOm5v2izQ8JiUk-VIWxAnDJuHZU24E5nRWBIxCSv9GINcXncFDpAH79m~yvOnFj4cUYhHiPO~5vB1X74aecfldrXTOfEbC4K8fC2gV7h4n6inUU3~qMZ4xKzvLnMALddH0TvNjgz7G3tFqBKGSpEUMOKGKrIb1LQnTHzY-5DzW5woCUiH-Zb~J0RpqtZt55GFTbDtXVi2KiihJjrR2y-5eFljWGfp0de~lxDHDuJDHPOap4b-NvpJ4K8Y3y8q6SBzcbDBt0yjGssEOglPEEt2Qfd3WUy2ieVCEKKEK60w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Carolina State Legislature","date","2025-02-17T00:00:00Z","article","Senators received testimony on Senate Bill 2265, a bill to provide contingent state assistance to complete a Veterans Memorial Center adjacent to Fargo National Cemetery.

Senator Scott Meyer, the bill sponsor (District 18), said private fundraising has generated roughly $1.5 million and architects estimate a roughly 7,400‑square‑foot building would cost about $500 per square foot plus site work. Meyer described the requested state support as a $3 million line of credit through the Bank of North Dakota so funds would not sit idle if the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) ultimately approves the project and assumes ownership and operating costs.

\"The VA then would assume the ongoing costs of owning, operating, staffing, and maintaining the facility,\" Meyer said. He and witnesses said Senator John Hoeven had worked with the VA and that the VA purchased 30 acres to expand the Fargo National Cemetery to 35 acres; witnesses said VA approval of the non‑profit’s proffer remains pending.

Jim McGrawlom, fundraiser and project coordinator for the Fargo Memorial Honor Guard, and Jason Hicks, commander of the Honor Guard, described operational problems at the site including lack of restrooms, no shelter for family members during ceremonies and insufficient parking. They said the nonprofit intends to build the facility on VA land and donate the completed building to the VA so the federal government will take over maintenance and operations after construction.

Committee members pressed several questions: why the federal government would not finance the building; whether the site and land ownership already are federal; what ongoing maintenance obligations would be; and how the proposed state line of credit would be repaid if the VA did not take the project. Witnesses and the sponsor said the VA owns the 35 acres and that prior federal funding does not include money for a building at this rural initiative cemetery.

Committee members also probed financial details, fundraising status, design changes (the building scale was reduced from an earlier 10,000 square feet to roughly 7,300–7,400 square feet), and contingency planning for site utilities. Nonprofit leaders said they expect to complete fundraising and begin construction as early as next fall and estimated completion by 2027 if state assistance and VA approvals align.

No formal committee vote on the bill was recorded in the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Appropriations - Human Resources Division - Feb 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Senators received testimony on Senate Bill 2265, a bill to provide contingent state assistance to complete a Veterans Memorial Center adjacent to Fargo National Cemetery.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature North Carolina, North Carolina","taxId",77692,"location","North Carolina","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6326847,"Senate panel reviews bill to fund apprenticeship start-up grants up to $3,000",130,459000,589000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2323632-709250aa4d7d495c9a5d8e1082648dc3&start=459&end=589","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2323632-709250aa4d7d495c9a5d8e1082648dc3/thumbnail_459000.jpg","/articles/6326847/North-Carolina/Senate-panel-reviews-bill-to-fund-apprenticeship-start-up-grants-up-to-3000","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326847-7eb2b42106f6d7c179cd21244be3c81e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156118&Signature=HZo63jdcsPQSR6dYFUapzVU5Xs6hu1z3T8naZOXLQT16-~dC0wOq~j-tKaE7zrSg1li~p1rgX5D5tyOVvkV3K4rhFfW5TB3RE1mpxUwZdcrCDnCCgFCTrgkzOIQdnF1RPqwJNKQO5pFQT9doqb6DjyAjSm2Ej41kYCqsqchlWiCr2UruJmRJ~YB0fzeptErw7Lm1a99OdclmTtMHNwmnUKtdAF27Ei5ZJZfwQPeYPU5y1cpmBedOuU7vuJHG5uyyAeTBkb2LFCdZyIu85QWp3XHXG7Tdf9E~kUfBMoWDFIpc5mnpmUfGgEgYgaaHAEgtRVhAkkZ2m9~Frqqi30uXbg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","State senators heard details of Senate Bill 2239 on a proposal to create a state grant program to help people entering registered apprenticeships cover start‑up costs such as tools, clothing and related instruction.

Josh Baucher, State Senator for District 44 and sponsor of the bill, told the Senate Appropriations Human Resources Division the measure grew from last year’s effort to let North Dakota Scholarship dollars support apprenticeships. Baucher said some prospective apprentices were excluded from the scholarship because the scholarship’s statute requires a 2.75 minimum GPA.

\"Several of the students who wish to access the North Dakota Scholarship for their registered apprenticeships didn't actually qualify for the scholarship because of GPA requirements,\" Baucher said. He described SB 2239 as an alternate pathway to address that gap by creating a grant of up to $3,000 within the first three years of a registered apprenticeship, with flexibility for how funds are used across that period.

Wade Sick, State Director for the Department of Career and Technical Education, and other committee members described the structure of registered apprenticeships as three components: on‑the‑job training, related technical instruction (generally about 144 hours), and progressive pay increases. Sick said apprenticeship participants can be as young as 16 under child labor rules when enrolled in a registered apprenticeship and that apprenticeships have expanded beyond traditional trades into health care, technology and public service.

Committee members raised questions about how eligibility, enrollment and progress would be determined. Baucher and Sick said the bill would rely on the Department of Labor and coordinating entities such as Career and Technical Education to vet apprenticeship sponsors and set program guidelines. The committee and witnesses also discussed outreach and employer recruitment, and a companion bill in the other chamber to create an Office of Apprenticeship to help employers set up programs.

No formal vote on SB 2239 was recorded by the committee during the hearing.

The measure as described would create a state‑level grant program targeted at registered apprenticeships, separate from the North Dakota Scholarship program and intended to reach nontraditional students, career‑changers and others excluded by GPA limitations.

Senators who led the discussion said they view the proposal as supporting workforce development goals and making apprenticeships more accessible to a broader pool of applicants.","A Senate human resources subcommittee heard testimony on Senate Bill 2239, which would create a state grant to help apprentices with up‑front costs; sponsors said the $3,000 cap is flexible across a three‑year apprenticeship window and is designed to reach people excluded by scholarship GPA rules.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6326830,"Subcommittee sends due‑pass on bill to expand Medicaid dental coverage at FQHCs",0,6732000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2323632-709250aa4d7d495c9a5d8e1082648dc3&start=6732&end=6732","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2323632-709250aa4d7d495c9a5d8e1082648dc3/thumbnail_6732000.jpg","/articles/6326830/North-Carolina/Subcommittee-sends-duepass-on-bill-to-expand-Medicaid-dental-coverage-at-FQHCs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326830-6cafbd0dab6cecf1ab2dab3b9fefe797/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156118&Signature=CJk2hUGJjbugXovEefXqRLmYXG9V-zNTG3X8vTSNtQNlbKseAtMAmE1Xg5bshItFBKUJ6jhvVMMpPloJ1bPagxCxFrjwBATnaohQvxXKP4DMF3ZgUlVCiKUBhE1ur3X-hsEn9AqJsfpQuuewmE0kBrXTbFGDTj6ZhDnLpVqtysYg~ZcK6azMXpxyN9-PEGu5QNFxJS0bJxnPfVoYtXHrpGRgTCeg4rtcpL02SOXZeDDLg6C9nECMENuli~l0iuEfU-ugktk7u9U9SOy4vKnU4PpoYqCqw3Gch62nuL7dnz6lLYvrEbQZI3GHJgewGMjdvyeoij1FDLW6CNajkZGo5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senators voted to advance legislation that would extend Medicaid dental coverage under Medicaid expansion to services provided by federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and related providers.

Sponsor testimony in favor said the measure fills access gaps for patients who use FQHCs and that the 90/10 federal match for Medicaid expansion makes the program affordable. Witnesses from the FQHC community and the Fargo‑area chamber urged the committee to advance the measure to provide oral‑health access for people served by community health centers.

Committee members discussed workforce constraints including whether private dentists would accept the additional patients and whether expanded payment options would attract more dentists to participate. One senator expressed concern about price shifts for self‑pay patients if Medicaid expansion increased demand for provider capacity; other senators argued the market could respond and the federal match made expansion an attractive investment.

The subcommittee moved a due‑pass recommendation and the clerk called roll; the motion carried and the bill will be taken to the full committee for further consideration.","The subcommittee gave a due‑pass recommendation for legislation to expand Medicaid dental services at federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) under Medicaid expansion; sponsors and witnesses said expansion could increase access where providers participate but members noted workforce shortages may limit service availability.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":92,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":94,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6326835,"Committee hears continuation of $25 monthly insulin cap for PERS members; fiscal impact estimated small",508,7240000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2323632-709250aa4d7d495c9a5d8e1082648dc3&start=6732&end=7240","/articles/6326835/North-Carolina/Committee-hears-continuation-of-25-monthly-insulin-cap-for-PERS-members-fiscal-impact-estimated-small","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326835-5d477e30cf07d4340d100522f0548e83/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156118&Signature=VnPH2MlUjen1qHtyPhd-R0al5WEhNUrv1jomAkq1mykDwT7-ogTRw48F9Klzbp1ikNwSwq~XZrsq5AoDWO7D8Z2aJK86uHbSHLMYh~uDBxvg1gYOut5vmu7rrBOAzg-3LXHvgwyPz41Gn2slkT775xtvYMiYvHETaN8AP81RyNWgAgWHYO-~i5yD8Mz5Awuzqtq9w83M8mLcLg3ZVU4~~KASGt3Vz6z6xiMRofPlV8uY0s6qp-ME3Mm6g1dMa4iKwBMVzyBp-gYVBw-~DUo2zGdL83RwvVeUgHij-IJvPIWs9XZTaswTa-CBns~iWosv2zAQTx2yLP1g-mE-yW5x4w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lawmakers reviewed a proposal to continue a $25 monthly cap on insulin and related diabetic supplies for members of the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) health plan.

Senator Cleary, the bill sponsor in committee, said the provision mirrors a commercial bill in the House but the committee amendment limits the mandate to the PERS plan. Rebecca Fricke of the Public Employees Retirement System testified about the pilot program PERS ran during the current biennium and the actuarial estimate for continuing the cap.

Fricke said the pilot (January–June 2024 data) showed the plan experienced a modest increase in plan costs while directly reducing out‑of‑pocket spending for insulin users. Deloitte, PERS’ independent actuary, priced continuation of the program for the next biennium at an estimated 0.12% increase in premiums, which Fricke said equates to about $2.07 per contract per month. The fiscal note breaks that total into the share for state general funds, special funds and political subdivisions that participate in the plan.

Committee members asked whether the cap applied to Medicare Part D beneficiaries and Fricke clarified the federal Inflation Reduction Act already imposes a $35 monthly cap in Medicare Part D; the PERS proposal excludes Medicare retirees for that reason.

Discussion noted manufacturers had lowered some insulin list prices during the pilot, which reduced the projected cost pressure, and members raised policy questions about whether the state should extend a similar cap to the commercial market rather than only continue it for PERS.

The committee did not take a final vote on SB 2370; members set the bill aside pending further consideration and to wait for a committee member to return.","Senate Bill 2370 (as amended) would continue an existing $25/month cap on insulin and diabetic supplies for members of the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) health plan; the system’s actuary estimated a 0.12% premium increase (about $2.07 per contract per month) if the program continues for the next biennium.",{"_33":110,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":111,"_41":112,"_43":113,"_45":114,"_47":115,"_49":116,"_51":117,"_53":118,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":119,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":120,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6326840,"Committee advances bill to let infants live with incarcerated mothers in Heart River Correctional Centre nursery",3846,2674000,6520000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2323632-709250aa4d7d495c9a5d8e1082648dc3&start=2674&end=6520","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2323632-709250aa4d7d495c9a5d8e1082648dc3/thumbnail_2674000.jpg","/articles/6326840/North-Carolina/Committee-advances-bill-to-let-infants-live-with-incarcerated-mothers-in-Heart-River-Correctional-Centre-nursery","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326840-8d6b64a5ad7a36d68ca18503645ee528/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156118&Signature=dgQ1nxPJTHsKpVcq8rL09cIw7Jgk~zk53PmhiZxmNjwNhNUA2M7cXpZELTXgNCQeBRpQi2IV7k9HZYrrHVrnAW9xJAqKBMMiBh6JGs9T64oGV85h-qpjrUBEVLYGgly0nMJdHHQAi9NBg3HUqkGe-k2lOLP0JD1D0xJVz44ZldeTglgTD4QrNVLKWWJ5AuGIQQvLudB0OhVrhUQ0-W9EzBImSNd70EwaPEft2M25-1IRXg~aH51BD0ji3~IesYvP9UGdXH1NUN4bk9l6YhN0LG4lCvxpFnfCu-1b~ibvcFG4behWesoAnoYfv6N6xzXXupECrXLcv1dyN40UFugILA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Appropriations Human Resources Division voted a due‑pass recommendation for Senate Bill 2,352, which would authorize children to reside with their incarcerated mothers at the Heart River Correctional Centre in designated nursery apartments for up to 18 months.

Cheryl Thomas, women’s services manager for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCR), told senators the $100,000 fiscal note attached to the bill covers initial supplies and start‑up items such as diapers and furniture; she said some supplies could come from donations and federal grants. Thomas said the program’s intent is to normalize parenting responsibilities for mothers while protecting child safety and to reduce future foster‑care placements.

\"We do feel at the DOCR this is a very important bill to ultimately maintain and foster that modeling and relationships and ultimately growing those stronger bonds between moms and babies,\" Thomas said. She outlined proposed screening, application and supervision elements, and said the new women’s facility would include four apartments intended for nursery use.

Senators discussed liability, eligibility, the age cutoff and the practical operations of a nursery in a corrections setting. Witnesses and legislators cited research supporting mother–infant bonding and noted other states operate similar programs; Thomas said Missouri recently opened a nursery and New York operates a long‑standing program that began in 1901.

Senator Mather moved a due‑pass recommendation and Senator Cleary seconded. The clerk called the roll. Recorded yes votes during the roll call included Senator Clary, Senator Deaver, Senator Makram and Senator Mather; the chair announced the motion carried and the bill will be reported out with a due‑pass recommendation.

Committee testimony estimated the initial fiscal placeholder at $100,000 and noted potential ongoing costs would be included in future DOCR budget requests; DOCR testimony also projected lower long‑term child welfare costs relative to foster care if children remain with their mothers in a supervised program.","The Senate subcommittee gave a due‑pass recommendation to a bill authorizing mothers at the Heart River Correctional Centre to reside with their children for up to 18 months in a planned four‑apartment nursery; sponsors and agencies said the program aims to strengthen bonding, reduce foster‑care costs and lower recidivism trends.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lawmakers press details as senator seeks $3 million line of credit for Fargo veterans memorial center

Senate panel reviews bill to fund apprenticeship start-up grants up to $3,000

Subcommittee sends due‑pass on bill to expand Medicaid dental coverage at FQHCs

Committee hears continuation of $25 monthly insulin cap for PERS members; fiscal impact estimated small

Committee advances bill to let infants live with incarcerated mothers in Heart River Correctional Centre nursery