Tragic officer deaths in Charlotte, Gov. Cooper’s budget, Medicare Advantage and more

Four law enforcement officers, including two members of an elite team from the Department of Adult Correction (Sam Poloche and Alden Elliott), died in an ambush while serving a warrant last Thursday in Charlotte. In this episode, we discuss the prevalent risks and sacrifices of these and other public workers daily. 

We also discuss Gov. Roy Cooper's state budget proposal, released last week, which included pay raises, retention bonuses, and a bonus for retirees. We discuss a study highlighting the disparity between the cost of living in cities like Raleigh and the salaries of state employees, and how the N.C. Senate's bill to spend nearly a half-billion dollars on private school vouchers will impact funds available for raises and COLAs if it passes the House. 

We also talk about potential DMV privatization and last week's State Health Plan and retirement systems meetings, including a major increase in premiums for the state's Medicare Advantage plans.