Governor Roy Cooper has spent nearly three decades in public service protecting families, keeping communities safe, and working to create jobs and improve schools. The son of a school teacher, he knows that education creates opportunity and he has worked throughout his career to strengthen our schools and create a sound foundation for our state’s children.
Governor Cooper is working to help North Carolinians live healthier, more abundant and purposeful lives. His experience helping write and pass the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) showed the importance of getting coverage to keep families healthy. Governor Cooper is leading the charge to close the health care coverage gap by expanding access to Medicaid. This would cover over 500,000 North Carolinians, bring more than $4 billion into our economy, create thousands of health care jobs, and help control private insurance premiums, which are benefits a majority of other states are getting from expanding Medicaid.
Expanding access to health care would also combat the drug use crisis plaguing our communities. Governor Cooper put in place North Carolina’s first opioid action plan, served on the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, and signed the STOP Act to stop over prescription of highly addictive drugs.
Ensuring students have access to school nurses and counselors is critical to keeping North Carolina’s families healthy and safe. Governor Cooper’s budget proposed flexible funding for schools to hire at least 500 additional personnel to support youth mental health.
Whether it’s treating drug addiction or improving school safety, addressing mental health needs must be a top priority. Governor Cooper has also called for more resources to identify and treat mental illness and ensure North Carolinians can get the support they need.