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My House Committee Appointments for the 2005-2006 Session

I served as Chairman of the Transportation Committee, with three other Representatives serving as co-chairs of the committee.  Transportation and economic development are closely connected and are top priorities for our region. In addition, I served as Vice-Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Natural and Economic Resources and as Vice-Chairman of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

I held membership in the following committees:

• Committee on Appropriations
  • Subcommittee on Natural and Economic Resources
• Committee on Commerce
• Committee on Environment and Natural Resources
• Committee on Insurance
• Committee on Judiciary II
• Committee on Local Government II
• Committee on Transportation

Special Committees

During the 2006 Interim, my committee service included the following special committees:

• House Select Committee on Health Care
  • Subcommittee on Safety, Quality and Accountability
• House Select Committee on Eminent Domain
• House Select Committee on Home Foreclosures
• Joint Committee on Energy and Fuel Costs
• Joint Oversight Committee on Economic Development

Health Subcommittee on Safety, Quality and Accountability

I served as the Chairman of the Health Subcommittee on Safety, Quality and Accountability. The subcommittee held meetings focused on topics related to patient safety concerns in a variety of settings.  We heard from presenters representing such organizations as the N. C. Hospital Association, the N. C. Area Health Education Centers, the Duke University Health System, the N. C. Medical Society, Medicare, the Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence, the Institute for Emerging Issues, the N. C. Medical Board, the N. C. Public Interest Research Group, the N. C. Assisted Living Association, AARP, the N. C. Coalition for Patient Rights, and the N. C. Health Care Facilities Association.

Committee on Home Foreclosures

Another area of concern to citizens in District 49 is the significant increase in the number of home foreclosures in recent years.  For example, home foreclosure filings in Franklin County more than tripled in the last eight years, rising from 136 cases in 1998 to 421 cases in 2005. I am very concerned about this alarming trend. We need to see what can be done to help save people's homes.

Widening 401

The widening of US 401 remains a top priority economic issue for residents and businesses in Franklin County. In January 2006, I was joined by Senator Doug Berger in organizing a Citizens Informational Workshop on the status of the US 401 widening project. Our DOT representative, Ken Spaulding, engaged in a substantive conversation with a standing room only crowd in Louisburg. Division 5 engineer John Nance also provided information and answered questions. (At left is headline from The Wake Weekly, January 26, 2006)

I was pleased that the widening of US 401 has received the backing of the Regional Transportation Alliance, an influential group of business and local government leaders.  Along with other area legislators, I attended a meeting of the RTA in January 2006, and had an opportunity to share with the group the impact of US 401 on congestion, the Triangle work force and growth issues, and particularly the chance to plan efficiently for the future.

"Carolina Crossroads"

On November 11, 2005, ground was broken for the exciting "Carolina Crossroads" project in Roanoke Rapids. This public/private enterprise will bring high profile entertainers to this site on I-95. An eventual total of five music and entertainment theaters, additional hotels and retail shops will attract thousands of tourists, providing much-needed economic activity and jobs in Halifax County (one of the three most-economically-depressed counties in our state).

I am proud to have helped sponsor legislation to make this project viable.  Tourism is our state's second largest industry. Citizens and businesses throughout District 49 and the region will benefit from this project.

"Land for Tomorrow"

On June 8, 2005, I joined a large group of representatives and senators to unveil the report prepared for the "Land for Tomorrow" coalition. In the photo at right, Senator Dan Clodfelter and I address a legislative press conference to present a report on stewardship of North Carolina's wonderful natural heritage.

As I stated at the press conference, we are now stepping into the realm of choosing our tomorrow; of acting before the cost of inaction becomes too great; of being true stewards of our shared time and our place in such a way that our children and grandchildren will inherit the "Goodliest soil under the Cope of Heaven." 

Protection Against Identity Theft

The General Assembly passed the Identity Theft Protection Act of 2005 (Senate Bill 1048). I supported this new law because it provides new protections against identity theft crimes, one of the fastest growing crimes in our country. According to the North Carolina Attorney General's Office, approximately 300,000 North Carolinians are victims of identity theft each year.

Consumers can now place a security freeze on their credit report for a fee of $10. A security freeze blocks attempts by others to establish credit in your name. The North Carolina Attorney General's Office has an informative website, www.ncdoj.com/idtheft, that includes an explanation of how you can implement a security freeze on your credit report. The new law also restricts how our Social Security Numbers may be used, sold, or displayed.

You are entitled to receive a free credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies once a year, which enables you to review it for errors or suspicious activity. One tip is to request a free report from a different credit agency every four months, rather than from all three at once.

Recognized for Lobbying Reform

Along with other legislators representing the area of Halifax, Franklin, and Nash counties, I was recognized in October 2005 by the N. C. Coalition for Lobbying Reform for helping with passage of lobbying reform legislation. In the future, lobbyists will be required to report how much money they spend on legislators for amounts in excess of $10 per legislator per day.

State lobbying laws have been amended by increasing the information required to be reported on lobbying activities without limiting expenditures; by requiring monthly reporting of legislative lobbying during sessions of the general assembly and quarterly thereafter; by establishing a waiting period before certain state officers may lobby; by barring lobbyists from certain appointments and other activities; by requiring registration and quarterly reporting of lobbying activities of executive branch officers; and by creating a no gifts registry.

2005-2006 State Budget

The N.C. General Assembly approved a $17.2 billion spending plan for 2005-2006 after weeks of negotiations between the House and Senate. The needs of our state are growing as more than 100,000 new people move to North Carolina each year, and this balanced budget meets our needs in important areas such as education, health care, and public safety, as well as continuing our efforts to improve our economy and create new jobs.

All North Carolinians want us to invest their tax dollars wisely and as efficiently as possible, and this budget does exactly that. To read a summary of the highlights of the budget, you may view my press release of August 11, 2005.

Bills Introduced

I introduced or co-sponsored 84 bills in the 2005-2006 Session. The official website of the North Carolina General Assembly provides information on member voting records and laws enacted each session.  (If you leave my website,  you will need to use the back button on your browser to return to lucytallen.com.)