Gov. Roy Cooper has decided to oppose a plan advanced by Republican state lawmakers to condition the state’s long-planned Medicaid expansion on passage of a proposal to dramatically expand casino gambling in the state. According to an administration official with direct knowledge of the decision, the governor was reaching out Tuesday afternoon to convey that information directly the bill’s principal champion, state Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger.
The decision by Cooper comes as little surprise. On Monday Cooper took to the X social media platform to blast the proposed pairing of the two unrelated subjects, saying:
“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”
