Map of District 49

Action Plan for the Short Session Good leaders must constantly re-evaluate their plans if they are going to address the critical needs of our state. After establishing an agenda last year for this two-year session, the Democratic majority in the House has followed it up with a one-page action plan for this short session. This action plan will really help us stay on track so that we can improve on the good work of last year and address new challenges, such as the trying economy and the continuing drought. Many of these priorities will be addressed through our budget, which may be approved by the House this week. I will share information about that with you after it receives approval. Helping Families Make Ends Meet These days everyone is feeling the pinch of a tight economy. North Carolina is faring better than many other states because of our sound fiscal policies.  We remain one of the few states in the nation without budget problems this year. Still, many people in North Carolina need financial relief and we intend to provide it. Last year, we worked hard to establish an Earned Income Tax Credit that is expected to benefit about 800,000 people who make $40,000 or less. This session, we plan to increase that credit. We will also seek to find ways to lower the mortgage foreclosure rate, encourage new businesses, and help small businesses. Our state workers and retirees will get cost-of-living increases, and those people looking for jobs can count on strengthened job training programs at our community colleges. Improving Education We all want to see our children succeed and get the best education possible. In our effort to do that last year, we helped move our teachers’ pay closer to the national average, increased financial aid funding, and gave our state universities and community colleges more money for their needs. We also approved programs to help more students finish high school and graduate from college debt free. During the short session, we plan to again increase teacher pay, to expand our dropout prevention efforts, and to help more students get through college. Expanding Access to Health Care In North Carolina, thousands of children still lack health insurance, which is unacceptable. My colleagues and I have agreed that this session we will continue to expand health care coverage to children who meet federal qualifications for Medicaid or Health Choice. We also pledge to create a health care policy council to address issues of health care access, minority health concerns, and other health related issues. We must also improve confidence in our public mental health system. We took a major step last year toward better care for people with mental illnesses by approving a law that requires insurance companies to cover most severe mental illnesses the same way they cover physical illnesses. We will now follow that up by providing stronger oversight and expanding services for people with mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse problems Supporting Our Military We will continue to recognize the service of our military members and the sacrifices of their families. During the long session we passed laws to protect them from predatory insurance companies and established three assistance centers to help them and their families. This year, we will change the law to allow tuition-free education at a North Carolina community college or University of North Carolina system school for dependent children of veterans who are killed while serving our country. We will also give a property tax exemption to veterans who have a 100 percent service-connected disability and set aside more money for mental health, substance abuse and traumatic brain injury services for returning war veterans Protecting the Environment North Carolina is one of the nation’s fastest growing states, and we must continue to ensure that our forests, parks, historic downtowns, wildlife sanctuaries, and stream borders are protected for generations to come. Doing so is essential to our state’s economy, air and water quality, our heritage, and the health of our people. We must also demonstrate environmental stewardship by working to reduce the effects of current and future droughts and to help reduce energy consumption. This year, we will again provide grants for energy efficiency to state agencies and we will give consumers a sales tax holiday for energy-efficient appliances. Ensuring Prosperous and Safe Communities There is no question about it; we must have safe communities. We worked last year to strengthen laws to protect victims of domestic violence and to protect children from sexual abuse.  We funded initiatives to help with these issues as well as grants to prevent gang violence and curb illegal immigration. We will continue that work this year, along with strengthening our juvenile justice system and reforming our probation and parole services. Improving Transportation During the interim, members of the Blue Ribbon 21st Century Transportation Committee met to address our state’s pressing transportation needs. The House will act on several of the committee’s recommendations this session. Some of the recommendations include: beginning to phase out the transfer of money from the Highway Trust Fund to the General Fund and providing additional funding for toll roads that will relieve congestion. Strengthening Confidence in Government During the long session we passed laws to bring more transparency to government, punish dishonest officials, and make participating in government easier. We will expand on these efforts to maintain our ethics and campaign laws by hiring more people to provide oversight through the State Ethics Commission and the State Board of Elections.