While the executive proposal includes $ 200 million in funding to
address the opioid crisis, it does not prevent the state from using the existing funds designated for these programs to plug other holes in the budget, according to Bill Hammond,
health policy analyst at the Empire Center for Fiscal Policy, a conservative - leaning think
policy analyst at the Empire Center for Fiscal
Policy, a conservative - leaning think
Policy, a conservative - leaning think tank.
Kris Nordstrom, a consultant for the progressive N.C. Justice Center (the parent nonprofit for N.C.
Policy Watch) and a former fiscal
analyst for the legislature, warned legislators that their efforts would be better spent on proven methods, such as increasing access to pre-K programs, expanding instructional time, recruiting and retaining high - quality teachers, and
addressing poverty - related issues such as mental
health and child nutrition.