Latest news with #LucianaPerezUribeGuinassi
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
NC lawmakers call for new look at psychedelic drugs for mental health therapy
Good morning and welcome to Under the Dome. I'm Ronni Butts and here's what's been happening in North Carolina politics. First, a dispatch from Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi on Senate Bill 568, a proposal to create a task force to study how North Carolina could integrate psychedelic-assisted therapies into its mental health system — if federally approved. The bill is receiving bipartisan support and is backed by Sen. Sophia Chitlik, a Durham Democrat, and Sen. Bobby Hanig, a Powells Point Republican. At a Tuesday press conference, Sally Roberts spoke in favor of the bill. She said she has two resumes. One reflects her achievements: two-time world bronze medalist in women's wrestling, special operations combat veteran, business founder. The other tells a different story — multiple surgeries, seven concussions, two traumatic brain injuries, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Her PTSD, she said, didn't come from military service or wrestling, but from being abducted and sexually assaulted at age 5 while playing outside. 'That put me on a life trajectory of that of a fighter and of a warrior,' she said. During the pandemic, stress from her business career overwhelmed her. She began experiencing memory loss. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offered 'tips and tricks' to cope, but those didn't help, she said. When that failed, she was prescribed a 'cocktail of medication,' which initially felt like 'being strapped to a rocket booster' — until she 'crashed,' and 'crashed spectacularly,' she said. Desperate, she tried something new, and traveled abroad for psychedelic therapy. She said Ibogaine, a psychoactive substance that's not legal in the United States, gave her 'a second chance at life, a do-over.' Luke Focer, a former Marine sniper and intelligence professional with seven combat deployments, also spoke in support of the bill. Focer, who works with Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS), said VA care and dozens of medications failed to ease his PTSD, anxiety, suicidal ideation and more. He was approved for a grant by VETS to undergo psychedelic-assisted therapy in Mexico using Ibogaine — a treatment he said saved his life. 'This is not a red or blue issue,' Focer said. 'This is an American issue.' Since 2001, more than 125,000 U.S. veterans have died by suicide, and the VA reports that 29% of veterans from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq will experience PTSD. Other states are looking into psychedelics as therapy. Texas most recently launched a state-backed research consortium focused on Ibogaine — which sponsors call the largest public investment in psychedelic research. Alaska and Nevada have passed similar task force bills. As for its chances of passing into law this year? Hanig said there's 'quite a bit of support in the House and Senate — bipartisan support for it.' The bill missed a key deadline to move forward, but its language could be added to other bills that did survive. — Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi Senate Bill 50, which would eliminate the permit requirement for concealed carry of a handgun, passed the House Rules Committee in a close vote Tuesday and is on the calendar today for a potential House vote. But at least two House Republicans oppose the bill. Republican Reps. William Brisson and Ted Davis voted against the bill in Rules, and a few more Republicans left the committee room just before the 12-to-10 roll call vote. Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan has the story here. Without every single Republican and at least one Democrat, the House cannot overturn a likely veto from Democratic Gov. Josh Stein. In the past, Republican House and Senate leaders have not even called for a vote if they don't think they have a supermajority of support. The House session Tuesday afternoon started an hour late because Republicans' caucus meeting ran an hour over time. — Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan Two senators were joined by a Fayetteville City Council member at a Tuesday news conference in support of legislation that would ban 'ghost guns,' which are made in parts and don't have traceable serial numbers. Senate Bill 409 would ban ghost guns and untraceable firearms. Sen. Val Applewhite of Fayetteville, who filed the bill in March with Raleigh Democratic Sen. Jay Chaudhuri, spoke at the news conference. Regulating ghost guns 'is not about infringing on lawful gun ownership,' Applewhite said. 'This is about untraceable, unserialized weapons, often assembled in basements or garages, that are increasingly finding their way into the hands of people with no intention of using them responsibly,' she said. 'These are weapons with no paper trail, no accountability and no way for law enforcement to do their jobs effectively.' Fayetteville City Council member Courtney Banks-McLaughlin serves on the Governor's Crime Commission. Her daughter, Coryonna Treasure Young, was accidentally shot and killed at 15, in 2022, by a ghost gun. 'They are selling these parts and making it out of 3-D printers,' she said. 'They have no serial numbers, no background checks are required. 'Our daughter, Corianna, should have graduated on Wednesday,' she said. 'She should have been in her cap and gown.' The bill has not moved forward. — Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan The state Senate on Tuesday passed a wide-ranging bill titled 'Various Disaster Recovery Reforms.' The bill includes all Helene-related provisions that have passed the Senate, said Sen. Tim Moffitt, a Hendersonville Republican. It also includes provisions the bill previously contained in the House, where it had initially focused on banning discrimination in disaster recovery aid based on political affiliation or speech. The proposal followed reports that a Federal Emergency Management Agency supervisor — who was later fired — is said to have instructed staff to skip homes with signs supporting President Donald Trump. Additions to the bill include new criminal penalties for trespassing or looting homes in emergency areas, temporary building code exemptions in certain situations and more. What has not advanced in the Senate is the House's separate Helene recovery bill, passed in May, which outlines how to spend an additional $464 million on recovery efforts. The House has called for Helene recovery funding to be handled separately from the budget, which remains stalled. On budget negotiations with the House, Senate leader Phil Berger told reporters they were working on 'a list of items that we feel need to be addressed.' Berger didn't elaborate when The N&O asked him about Helene negotiations. 'It's all wrapped up together. We'll have conversations about both of those,' he said. — Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi President Donald Trump, alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, paid a visit to Fort Bragg in Fayetteville on Tuesday to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Army, Sophia Bailly reports. This was Trump's first visit to the state since January, when he visited Western North Carolina to assess damage from Helene. As Trump addressed the crowd, he referenced the ongoing protests in Los Angeles against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Trump has activated thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to Los Angeles. 'This anarchy will not stand,' he said. North Carolina lawmakers on Tuesday sent two bills to Gov. Josh Stein that target unauthorized immigrants and mandate further state cooperation with ICE. The bills, among other things, would require some state law enforcement agencies to carry out immigration actions and prevent immigrants from receiving state benefits if they are in the country illegally. Both passed the Senate along party lines, Kyle Ingram reports. Stein has not indicated how he will act on the bills. Today's newsletter was by Ronni Butts, Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan and Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi. Check your inbox Thursday for more #ncpol. Not a subscriber? Sign up on our website to receive Under the Dome in your inbox daily.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NC lawmakers finish flurry of votes ahead of key deadline. Here's what they did.
Good morning and welcome to Under the Dome. I'm Dawn Vaughan, our Capitol bureau chief. Our politics team had a busy few days at the General Assembly, and state lawmakers actually met their 'crossover' deadline early. The self-imposed deadline for most bills to pass at least one chamber is today, but the work wrapped up on Wednesday before sunset. The House was the last to adjourn, around 7 p.m. after passing a slew of bills. Next week, the House and Senate will begin to look at each other's work and decide what bills to move forward. But that's days away, and the legislature's work is finished for the week, aside from House budget writers. Some of the bills that advanced Wednesday would: Make it easier to access ivermectin. Read the story from Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi. Ban most homeless camps, except in designated areas. Anna Roman has the details. Let private school teachers carry concealed handguns on campus, as T. Keung Hui reports… … and make concealed-carry gun permits valid for life, as Dawn Vaughan reports. Regulate the pharmaceutical drug market in new ways. Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi explains. Change high school math and social studies requirements. Read the story from T. Keung Hui. And protect parents who won't allow their kids to have gender-affirming care, as Korie Dean reports. And that's not all… During its evening session on Wednesday, the state House also passed two bills that would adopt new state symbols and restore a fishing season. House Bill 441 passed the chamber 113-0 to make the loggerhead turtle North Carolina's state saltwater reptile. There was also unanimous, bipartisan support of House Bill 597, which would make the osprey the state raptor. Unfortunately for supporters of adding state symbols, the Senate rarely takes up those bills, so the symbolic bills tend to languish after passing the House. Between acting on the two state symbol bills, House members voted 77-35 to restore flounder and red snapper season, after a lengthy but mild debate on House Bill 442. — Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan The House also passed a pair of bills aiming to convene a national Convention of States — a heretofore unused method of amending the U.S. Constitution that critics warn could lead to a complete rewrite. If approved, the resolution would add North Carolina to the list of states calling for a convention, suggesting that it pass amendments to institute term limits for federal offices, minimize federal spending and restrict the federal government's power over states. Opponents of the proposal, however, warn that it would be impossible to actually limit the topics of a convention, if it were to happen. Rep. Keith Kidwell, a Beaufort County Republican and one of the more conservative members of the House, broke with his party to oppose the convention. 'I encourage you to not open this constitution to a rewrite, because when you do that, you might not be happy with what comes back,' he said. So far, 28 states have called for a convention, but 34 are required to actually make it happen — a threshold that has never been met in the country's history. Republicans have sought to add North Carolina to that list for years without much success. Last year, lawmakers approved a resolution to do so, but limited the convention's purpose to adding term limits to members of Congress. This year's resolution is more broad and isn't guaranteed to pass the Senate. Asked about the proposal Wednesday, Senate leader Phil Berger said 'we'll see whether or not there's appetite amongst the members.' — Kyle Ingram After a more than six-month legal contest, Republican Jefferson Griffin conceded the race for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday, Kyle Ingram reports. Incumbent Allison Riggs will retain her seat by 734 votes. Griffin, alongside the North Carolina Republican Party, contested the election results, calling into question the eligibility of more than 65,000 ballots. Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers ruled earlier this week, ordering the State Board of Elections to certify the election for Riggs, unless Griffin submits an appeal within seven days. Griffin, a state Court of Appeals judge, said in a statement that he does not plan to appeal the federal judge's decision. Here's what Griffin said Wednesday, in full: 'As a judge, I believe everybody, myself included, has a right to their day in court. This effort has always been about upholding the rule of law and making sure that every legal vote in an election is counted. 'I am thankful that our Supreme Court affirmed the holding from our Court of Appeals, recognizing that the North Carolina State Board of Elections failed to follow our Constitution and the laws enacted by our General Assembly. The courts have affirmed that Voter ID is required for all absentee ballots and that you must be a resident of North Carolina to vote in North Carolina elections. These holdings are very significant for securing our state's elections. 'As a judge, I also often have respectful disagreements with my judicial peers. While I do not fully agree with the District Court's analysis, I respect the court's holding — just as I have respected every judicial tribunal that has heard this case. I will not appeal the court's decision. 'I am proud of the efforts of our campaign and our legal team. Thank you to all our supporters and those who have showed dignity and respect towards all during this process. 'My family has given a lot to this campaign. I must thank them from the bottom of my heart. 'I wish my opponent the best and will continue to pray for her and all the members of our court system here in North Carolina. 'I look forward to continuing to serve the people of North Carolina.' The House approved a Parents' Medical Bill of Rights this week that would limit minors' ability to consent to medical treatment without parental consent. Under current law, some minors can confidentially seek treatment for mental health issues, substance abuse or sexually transmitted infections. This bill would require health care providers to first obtain parental consent for a broader range of treatments, including these. House Bill 519 was put forward by House Republicans, including Rep. Jennifer Balkcom, who said it 'doesn't make any sense' that parents would have no role in their child's 'emotional health, STDs and drug or alcohol abuse.' All but four Democrats opposed the bill — among them, Charlotte's Rep. Carla Cunningham. Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi has the full story. The longtime leader of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, Karen Brinson Bell, was ousted from her role on Wednesday, after the board's new Republican majority voted to replace her. Sam Hayes, who served as general counsel for the state speaker of the House under Tim Moore and Destin Hall, will take on the role. Hayes was made the board's new director in a 3-2 vote, made possible by a law that took effect last week allowing State Auditor Dave Boliek to take control of the NCSBE from Gov. Josh Stein. Boliek appointed three Republicans and two Democrats to the board. Ousting Bell wasn't the only change Republicans made Wednesday in their first meeting in control. Kyle Ingram has the details on power shifts happening inside North Carolina's election board. Today's newsletter was by Dawn Vaughan, Caitlyn Yaede, Kyle Ingram, and Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi. Check your inbox tomorrow for more #ncpol. Not a subscriber? Sign up on our website to receive Under the Dome in your inbox daily.
