Supreme Court of North Carolina Rules on Leandro Case
Late last week, the Supreme Court of North Carolina overturned its 2022 ruling in the long-running Leandro case, potentially ending court orders related to increased school funding.
The earlier decision required the state to fund a multibillion-dollar plan after courts found it was not meeting its constitutional duty to provide a “sound, basic education.” In a 4–3 ruling, the court said funding decisions belong to the legislature, not the judiciary, and dismissed the case.
The case, which began in 1994 with low-wealth districts challenging funding levels, was reheard following changes in the composition of the court. The decision does not change the long-established right to a “sound, basic education.”
Legislative Committee Hears About Rural Health
The Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services met this week to discuss numerous aspects of rural health, including the shortage of skilled providers in rural areas, the state’s use of $213 million in new federal funding (as a result of House Resolution 1) that will be leveraged to improve rural health outcomes, and projected challenges that rural hospitals expect to impact their ability to deliver care.
While rural health and rural health care centers have been a regular source of conversation at the General Assembly, the topic has taken on new urgency as new points of stress have arisen. Proposed legislation looks to reform sales and property tax exemptions hospitals have utilized, Medicaid funding continues to affect the state budget, and there is increasing pressure to deregulate which services and equipment providers can implement across the state.
Legislators are just weeks away from the 2026 legislative session, where they will vote on bills that will have major impacts on health care, including the state budget and funding the state’s Medicaid program for the remainder of the fiscal year. Meeting documents, including presentations, are available here.