Dear Friend,

On June 30th, our state budget expired. However, lawmakers have yet to pass a new budget for this fiscal year. Why? Because our leaders in both chambers are working to legalize four new casino cesspools in North Carolina and expand video lottery terminals to every county in the state as part of the budget deal.

Last week, budget negotiations broke down, as reported by WRAL, after 30 courageous Republican members of the House refused to vote for a budget that legalizes predatory gambling. By insisting that predatory gambling be part of the state budget, legislative leaders have threatened much-needed funding already agreed to in the budget for Pregnancy Care Centers and the Universal Opportunity Scholarship program. As we reported to you back in April, we were thrilled to see these needed initiatives be included in the budget, and we have worked very hard for many years to see them come to fruition.

However, our Republican leadership is now holding monies for pregnancy centers and universal school choice hostage unless legislators support casino cesspools and video lottery terminals. These family-values initiatives will die, if casinos and video lottery terminals keep the budget from passing.  As you know, Pregnancy Care Centers provide pregnant women with counseling and resources to ensure they choose life for their unborn children. Universal Opportunity Scholarships will empower every family in North Carolina with the opportunity to have their child attend the school that best fits their needs. To elevate the importance of casino cesspools and video lottery terminals above protecting unborn babies and universal educational choice, as well as a host of other good budget initiatives, is unconscionable.

After a weekend meeting of Republicans in the House, The News & Observer reported on Sunday that the House plans to vote on the budget without the predatory gambling provisions, while moving casino cesspools and video lottery terminals to a separate bill that includes funding the expansion of Medicaid.  That would allow conservative pro-family legislators to vote against casino cesspools and video lottery terminals without sacrificing unborn babies, school choice, and a lot of other good policies in the budget. 

Governor Cooper immediately tweeted his opposition to this proposal, and it is not clear if the Senate will agree to it either.

Predatory gambling is not a conservative value; it’s a destructive force that will leave a swath of devastation and destruction in our state by increasing addiction, crime, human trafficking, and family breakdown. At the end of the day—like many of you—we do not know whether they will include predatory gambling in the budget, or in a separate bill. We still don’t even know why they’re pursuing something so destructive to families and society.

We need to take action now. If you have a moment, could you CLICK HERE to CONTACT your legislators, and ask them to pass a pro-values budget WITHOUT predatory gambling?

Finally, please pray about the budget and our leaders.  Pray that God in His almighty mercy will cause gambling to fail. That God will protect those legislators who are courageously opposing casino cesspools and video lottery terminals and will allow them to prevail. That God will protect unborn babies and struggling school children by passing the funding for Pregnancy Care Centers and Universal Opportunity Scholarships that is in the state Budget.

Thank you for helping us in this battle to protect our families. 

Please consider acting today, as soon as possible! They may be making a decision as early as tomorrow!

Sincerely,

Tami Fitzgerald,
NC Values

PS: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Tim 6:10)