North Carolina’s attempt to become the first state to compensate people sterilized in a decades-long program ended Wednesday after Senate Republicans refused to support a bipartisan plan to give victims $50,000 each.

The House put $10 million in the state budget to pay eugenics victims. But it didn’t survive negotiations with the Senate, where conservative lawmakers disagreed on whether to compensate victims.

“I’m sorry it happened,” said Sen. Don East, a chief critic. “I just don’t think money fixes it.”

BY JOHN FRANK AND AUSTIN BAIRD, News & Observer

Posted by Libergirl