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Governor Cooper delivers farewell address in Nash County as his second term as North Carolina’s 75th governor comes to a close
RALEIGH - On December 18, 2024, Governor Roy Cooper delivered his farewell address and celebrated the progress made building a North Carolina where people are better educated, healthier and have more money in their pockets to live lives of purpose and abundance. The Governor returned to Nash County Community College where he launched his gubernatorial campaign nine years ago and reflected on his accomplishments in office as his second term as North Carolina’s 75th governor comes to a close. This was the final event in a series of events reflecting on Governor Cooper’s accomplishments in office.
“We’ve built a North Carolina that’s a healthier, better educated place where people have more money in their pockets. And we stand ready to welcome prosperity with open arms for generations to come,” said Governor Cooper. “For the last eight years, getting to lead the state I love so much has been an extraordinary privilege. Being born in North Carolina, that was luck. But being Governor of North Carolina, that’s because so many people came together, with God’s guidance and blessings, to help me. And together we have made a difference.”
Under Governor Cooper’s leadership, North Carolina has expanded Medicaid and extended health care coverage to more than 600,000 people, raised average teacher pay by 19% throughout his time in office and added more than 640,000 good-paying jobs across the state.
A HEALTHIER NORTH CAROLINA
The Governor has ushered in a new era of health care in North Carolina. Under the Governor’s leadership, North Carolina has made tremendous progress on improving the health of its people including by expanding Medicaid, relieving medical debt and charting new and innovative ways to deliver care to people.
EXPANDED MEDICAID AND EXTENDED HEALTH CARE COVERAGE TO MORE THAN 600,000 PEOPLE
Governor Cooper never stopped fighting for Medicaid expansion. After a decade of work, Medicaid expansion launched in North Carolina on December 1, 2023. Thanks to months of planning prior to launch, the state was able immediately to enroll nearly 300,000 people who had been receiving Medicaid Family Planning benefits.
At the time of launch, it was estimated that it would take two years to enroll 600,000 newly eligible individuals and families into Medicaid. Thanks to Governor Cooper, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) Secretary Kody Kinsley, state partners, community-based organizations, local advocates and other trusted messengers, North Carolina has more than 600,000 people enrolled in Medicaid Expansion in the first year of implementation, in half the time that was first projected.
In the past year since Medicaid expansion launched in North Carolina:
RELIEVED $4 BILLION IN BURDENSOME MEDICAL DEBT FOR 2 MILLION LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME NORTH CAROLINIANS
After enacting Medicaid expansion, it became clear that many North Carolinians were still suffering under the burden of medical debt. Governor Cooper and NCDHHS worked with hospitals and other stakeholders to create a first-of-its-kind medical debt relief program that will relieve $4 billion in existing medical debt for nearly two million of low and middle-income North Carolinians and ease the burden of medical debt in the future.
The program offers enhanced Medicaid payments from the federal government in exchange for relieving certain medical debt. All of the state’s 99 eligible hospitals have signed on to the state’s innovative plan, and states across the country can now look to North Carolina for a roadmap on how to help.
CREATED THE HEALTHY OPPORTUNITIES PILOTS PROGRAM TO SUPPORT AND INVEST IN NON-MEDICAL SUPPORT FOR HIGH-NEEDS NORTH CAROLINIANS ON MEDICAID
In 2022, Governor Cooper and NCDHHS launched the Healthy Opportunities Pilots, a first-in-the-nation effort to recognize that health doesn’t just happen at the doctor’s office or in a hospital. The program invests in non-medical support related to housing, food, transportation and more for high-needs Medicaid recipients.
Early findings on this innovative program show that it works by saving money and keeping people healthier. Participants saw decreased rates of hospitalization and significantly lower health care spending. Two years into the pilot, the state is spending about $85 less in medical costs per beneficiary per month.
A BETTER EDUCATED NORTH CAROLINA
Under the Governor’s leadership, North Carolina has made tremendous progress on investing in public education including raising the average teacher pay and supporting children from cradle to career.
RAISED AVERAGE TEACHER PAY BY 19% THROUGHOUT HIS TIME IN OFFICE
Teachers deserve to be paid like the professionals they are, and Governor Cooper has fought tirelessly to raise teacher pay. Each year in office, Governor Cooper has proposed a state budget that would give North Carolina’s public schools the funding they need and provide meaningful raises for teachers and school officials. Governor Cooper has proposed budgets and plans that would have made North Carolina first in the Southeast for teacher pay.
Throughout the Governor’s time in office, the state has raised average teacher pay by over 19%.
INVESTED $805 MILLION IN EARLY CARE AND LEARNING CHILD CARE CENTERS
High-quality early childhood education is a critical component of a sound basic education for our children. Governor Cooper announced a historic investment in North Carolina’s early care and learning child care programs to keep child care centers open and improve early childhood teacher pay. A total of $1.1 billion in child care stabilization grants has gone to child care programs across 99 counties in North Carolina. More funding is needed in the coming years to keep these essential businesses operating.
Investing in child care is a triple play - it helps children learn and grow, so parents can go back to work and employers can have a stable workforce. The North Carolina Child Care Stabilization Grants helped early care and learning programs with recruitment and retention and promoted equity for children, parents and teachers.
Grant recipients used the funds to boost teacher pay, mental health support, payments for rent, mortgage, utilities, facility maintenance or insurance, equipment and supplies and goods or services necessary to maintain child care.
MADE HIGHER EDUCATION ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL THROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Community colleges are North Carolina’s not-so-secret weapon to building a strong workforce. Governor Cooper launched the Longleaf Commitment program, a $25.5 million investment to guarantee that 2021 graduating high school seniors from low- and middle-income families received at least $2,800 in federal and state grants to cover tuition and most fees at any of the state’s 58 community colleges. In November 2021, the Governor signed the bipartisan state budget into law which expanded the Longleaf Commitment Program to include 2022 high school graduates.
To date, more than 27,400 students have received a Longleaf Commitment Grant totaling over $25.5 million. 77% of the grants have gone to students with family incomes less than $60,000.
HELPED COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS STAY ON TRACK TO COMPLETE THEIR DEGREE
Governor Cooper is focused on ensuring more people can finish their training and get a good-paying job to support themselves and their families. Many students cite challenges other than academic reasons for not finishing school. The Governor launched the Finish Line Grants program to help community college students who face unforeseen financial emergencies complete their training.
Over the past six years, more than 16,000 Finish Line Grants totaling $7.5 million were distributed to help thousands of community college students complete their training and prepare to enter the workforce. Finish Line Grants help students pay for course materials, housing, medical needs, dependent care, or other financial emergencies that students may face through no fault of their own.
MORE MONEY IN PEOPLE’S POCKETS
Over the past eight years, North Carolina has added more than 640,000 good-paying jobs and was named CNBC’s Top State for Business two years in a row.
NAMED CNBC’S TOP STATE FOR BUSINESS TWO YEARS IN A ROW
Under Governor Cooper’s leadership, North Carolina has grown its economy at record-breaking levels and brought home good-paying jobs in everything from advanced manufacturing to clean energy. In 2022 and 2023, North Carolina was named America’s Top State for Business by CNBC. North Carolina finished 2nd in 2024 and has ranked in the top three for the last five years.
ADDED MORE THAN 640,000 GOOD-PAYING JOBS IN BIG CITIES AND SMALL TOWNS ACROSS THE STATE
Since Governor Cooper took office in 2017, North Carolina has added more than 640,000 good-paying jobs and billions of dollars in investments across the state. North Carolina continues to recruit good-paying jobs in advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and technology industries already thriving in the rural and urban parts of the state.
Major jobs announcements during this period include:
ADVANCED THE CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY
North Carolina is the epicenter of the clean energy economy. Governor Cooper issued Executive Order 80 in 2018 which created the North Carolina Clean Energy Plan and laid the groundwork for the state to transition toward a clean energy future, creating good-paying jobs in the process. North Carolina has announced major clean energy jobs announcements from companies including Wolfspeed, Toyota, Boom Supersonic, Siemens Energy, Kempower, and Natron resulting in thousands of good-paying clean energy jobs.
View the Governor’s remarks as prepared.