Julie Mayfield
Coverage of Julie Mayfield in the Nexus archive.
- Senators okay repeal of NC’s hardened structure ban, dismiss buyouts for threatened coastal homes
North Carolina lawmakers advanced Senate Bill 1009 to repeal a decades-old ban on hardened coastal structures like jetties and seawalls. The bill aims to address increased coastal erosion and property threats, with the Coastal Resources Commission tasked with regulating future structures. Critics raised concerns about erosion trade-offs and the effectiveness of alternatives like beach nourishment.
- NC senators advance bill shifting involuntary commitment evaluations to jails
North Carolina senators advanced House Bill 1104, which shifts psychiatric evaluations for suspects in custody from emergency rooms to jails. The bill aims to address safety concerns in hospitals and aligns with Iryna’s Law, which increased pretrial detentions and psychiatric assessments.
- Merger oversight out, but whistleblower protections and CEO pay caps remain in NC hospital bill
The North Carolina Senate Healthcare Committee approved a hospital regulations bill that removed merger oversight provisions, which had been tied to the Atrium Health/WakeMed merger. Remaining provisions include whistleblower protections, non-compete clause restrictions, and nonprofit hospital CEO pay caps. Concerns about rising healthcare costs and issues at Mission Hospital following its acquisition by HCA Healthcare were cited as key motivations.
- Coastal lawmakers signal it may be time to modify North Carolina’s decades-old ban on seawalls
North Carolina lawmakers are considering modifying a decades-old ban on seawalls due to increased coastal erosion causing home collapses. Senator Bob Brinson introduced two bills to allow hardened structures and pilot shoreline stabilization projects, while Senator Julie Mayfield warned of potential negative impacts from such structures.
- A controversial bill to rein in AI use in medical billing advances in NC Senate
North Carolina Senator Amy Galey's bill (House Bill 565) aims to restrict AI use in healthcare coding to prevent upcoding in Medicaid and commercial insurance. The bill, now before the Senate Health Committee, has drawn debate over its scope and necessity, with some senators questioning its clarity and potential impact on hospitals.