A needle-exchange program narrowly survived in the House appropriations committee.
The pilot program, listed on page 87 of the House budget, is part of a state effort to fight HIV and Hepatitis C through local health departments.
Rep. Wil Neumann, a Belmont Republican, proposed striking the needle exchange, but funding the rest of the program.
Rep. Verla Insko, a Chapel Hill Democrat, defended giving HIV patients clean syringes.
"I suspect that some of you see this as an election issue back home," she said. "But people who have HIV are not sinners. They are sick people who have contracted the disease through no fault of their own."
Rep. Tim Moore, a Shelby Republican, said it made no sense to use tax money to hand out syringes, when the legislature last year required cold medicines with ephedrine be put behind the counter to prevent methamphetamine abuse.
The attempt to strike the funding failed on three separate tallies, 39-40, 38-40 and 36-38.
A related House bill for the needle exchange is still in committee.
Addendum: Laura Leslie dishes on Rep. William Wainwright's crucial yes vote here.
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Re: Wheedle on the needles
Sounds like the (R) after Mr. Moore's name should stand for "ridiculous." Who in their right mind would rather pay thousands of dollars years from now to address chronic illnesses that could be preempted by a few dollars spent now?