Representative Rodney D. Pierce, in a statement concerning his no vote on the state’s so-called mini-budget last week, cited major concerns with deep funding cuts to vital health and human services programs, political overreach, and misplaced spending priorities.
“Instead of investing in our people, HB 125 diverts critical resources away from mental health, Medicaid, and family well-being services,” said Pierce. “Meanwhile, it hands over millions in taxpayer dollars for political appointments and pet projects that do nothing to help everyday North Carolinians.”
He said the legislation strips $41.8 million from the reserve fund for the state’s Mental Health and Substance Use Task Force and cuts its recurring budget by $10 million annually.
The Division of Child and Family Well-Being within that same department faces a $4.87 million recurring cut, while receiving only $3.44 million in appropriations — a net reduction of $1.43 million per year.
Further, Pierce said the bill reduces recurring funds by $18.5 million for the Division of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities — yet mandates that local management entities and managed care organizations maintain current service levels through the next biennium. “They’re being asked to do the same work with fewer dollars. That’s not just unsustainable — it’s irresponsible.”
HB 125 also included:
A $19.3 million cut in one-time Medicaid funding from the Division of Health Benefits
The clawback of over-appropriated funds to the Health Advancement Receipts Fund
Reductions to the Department of Environmental Quality that jeopardize environmental oversight and public health
A provision giving the director of the State Board of Elections $1.5 million for legal expenses and authority to hire seven political appointees exempt from the state Human Resources Act — a power never granted to prior directors of either party
A new “DAVE Act” provision, allocating $6 million to the state auditor to create a Division of Accountability, Value, and Efficiency within their office, which Pierce likens to DOGE, with broad and vague authority
“HB 125 prioritizes political agendas while state workers go without sufficient raises, retirees continue to struggle, and essential health services are scaled back,” Pierce said. “It sends the wrong message and fails the people we serve.”
He said, “The timing of these cuts is especially alarming as the state braces for the loss of federal SNAP support. As of April 2025, over 21,000 residents of House District 27 are currently enrolled in the program, and with federal aid shrinking, the state may soon be forced to step in.”
Pierce voted to uphold all of Governor Stein’s recent vetoes, which the House overrode last week.
Also included in the package he voted against was funding to allow the state’s historic sites, including the one in Halifax, to open on Sundays. “I’m definitely appreciative of the legislature making that investment — making sure that history is available seven days of the week or it being more available for our citizens to basically go to our historic sites and learn more about the history of our state,” he said. “Being a former history teacher, as well as someone who has taken people on tours of Historic Halifax or the Underground Railroad trip, I’m definitely appreciative of that.”
He said, however, “I’m always going to look at public education funding, making sure the Department of Health and Human Services is adequately funded, DEQ is adequately funded, retirees are taken care of.”
He said it seems sometimes that the priorities of the majority parties are not aligned with everyday realities faced by his constituents. “When you start messing with DEQ, that department helps make sure the environment is safe and not toxic for the people.”
The same applies to reducing funding for the state Department of Health and Human Services.
“That’s one of the reasons we have the issue at DMV and throughout the state because we’re not investing in our people.”
Part of the mini-budget associated with increased funding for DMV examiners were for more in the urban areas and not rural areas, he said.
Beyond what he termed as the harmful cuts, Pierce said it’s important to address a false narrative pushed by critics outside the legislature — that the absence of district-level earmarks or local appropriations somehow reflects a failure to deliver. “The truth is, this legislative session, including the mini-budget and the broader House and Senate budgets passed in May, has offered virtually no opportunity for community-level investments,” he said. “There’s $25 million to Yancey County Schools for school construction, but that’s tied to Hurricane Helene recovery and is based on feedback from FEMA.”
He said, “Instead, what we’ve seen here are budgets driven by a national GOP playbook of slashing services under the guise of rooting out ‘waste, fraud, and abuse’ — even going so far as to create our own version of DOGE. There’s no pork in the budget because leadership isn’t even making it available — not for anyone. The people spreading that misinformation aren’t inside this building, and they’re willfully misleading the public.”
As a legislator, Pierce said, “My job is to fight for the people of House District 27 — for working families, for our children, our seniors, and those who rely on state services. This mini-budget falls far short of that mission.”
