Under the Dome: NC DHHS warns Mark Robinson’s wife’s nonprofit as review continues

Welcome to your governor’s race edition of our Under the Dome newsletter. I’m Dawn Vaughan, Capitol bureau chief at The News & Observer.

For the past few newsletters, I’ve shared the latest information about the troubled nonprofit Balanced Nutrition Inc., which is run by Yolanda Hill, Republican gubernatorial candidate and Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s wife.

There have been more developments in the past few days between Balanced Nutrition and the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, which is reviewing the group — even as it will close down April 30 — that helps child care centers get food from government programs.

According to records obtained by The N&O through a public records request, at a meeting this past week at the offices of Balanced Nutrition, Hill did not provide all the documents DHHS requested, so another meeting is being scheduled. Hill’s attorney also detailed how and why Hill thinks she is being targeted because of Robinson, and disputes the characterization that Hill refused to participate in a previously scheduled meeting.

The attorney’s letter mentions a February request from Balanced Nutrition to meet with DHHS about concerns related to Hill being targeted because of Robinson. It also says that members of the media contacted some of Hill’s partner facilities, “causing the facilities to fear being doxed — or worse.”

Since Balanced Nutrition is a nonprofit that is overseen by a state government entity, DHHS, and receives government funds, many related documents are public records.

B. Tyler Brooks, Hill’s attorney, wrote that Balanced Nutrition’s compliance review has “strangely suspicious timing and speed given that the demand for the review came within days of our February 23 complaint of discrimination to you,” and goes on to request a meeting before DHHS’ Child and Adult Food Care Program review meeting “so that you can evaluate for yourself the evidence of discrimination and take appropriate action.”

DHHS’ lawyer countered that Balanced Nutrition had more opportunities for meeting dates that didn’t pan out, and warned that: “As this is now the fourth attempt by NCDHHS to complete the federally required compliance review, failure to fully cooperate in the compliance review may result in the State agency issuing a notice of serious deficiency.”

The next compliance review meeting for Balanced Nutrition is now May 6.

DHHS did not say what the repercussions would be for a serious deficiency notice, and Balanced Nutrition is set to close permanently this week.

Stein’s budget priorities

The Democratic candidate, Attorney General Josh Stein, weighed in on Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s budget proposal to state lawmakers.

“We need to do more to keep our towns and cities safe,” Stein said in a statement, thanking Cooper for proposing funding of a Fentanyl Control Unit. The unit, Stein went on to say, would allow Attorney General’s Office prosecutors to work with district attorneys “to tackle these complex cases and get the dealers and traffickers peddling these deadly drugs off our streets. Our ability to prosecute more of these cases will save lives.”

Stein also supports Cooper’s pitch for additional funding of job training and apprenticeship programs and teacher raises of 8.5%.

New podcast and live podcast

Don’t forget to follow our Under the Dome tweets and listen to our Under the Dome podcast to stay up to date. Our new episode posts Monday morning. The General Assembly session is underway, and we tell you what you need to know about Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s budget proposal and chances of Republicans listening, plus the chances for legislation on elections and guns. I’m joined by state politics reporters Avi Bajpai and Kyle Ingram.

We also hope to see you on Tuesday for our first “Under the Dome: Live!” free event at the N.C. Museum of History. We’ll do a live recording of Under the Dome with Republican Sen. Vickie Sawyer and Democratic Sen. Natalie Murdock. Register at underthedomelive.eventbrite.com for the event at 5 p.m. Tuesday, with the recording to begin at 5:30 p.m. The location is especially convenient if you work downtown and in the state government complex.

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