Map of District 49
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[Press Releases from 3rd Term Long Session, 2007] [3rd Term Interim Work, 2007-2008] [Press Releases from the 2008 Short Session] [Summary of Short Session, 2008]
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Press Release of August 28, 2008 -- General
Assembly Votes to Override Veto
The General Assembly returned to
Raleigh on Wednesday, August 27, for a special session to consider a
bill vetoed by Governor Easley. The bill (HB 2167) would allow
people to haul some boats without permits and to expand the times
when the boats could be moved.
This was a very difficult issue for
me. I recognize the economic implications, but I also have concerns
about public safety. I made an effort to remove night towing from
the bill when it came before the Transportation Committee earlier
this year, but this was voted down, with mine being the only vote in
favor. I did vote to override the Governor’s veto after receiving
several pleas from constituents asking me to do so, but I regret
that a compromise, which could have addressed both the economic and
the safety concerns, was not reached. Had the rules allowed, I
would have presented the amendment to remove night towing on the
House floor yesterday, but unfortunately, during a veto session,
this is not permitted.
In the end, both the House of
Representatives and the Senate voted overwhelmingly to override the
governor’s veto, clearing the way for the bill to become law.
Governor Easley is the first governor in state history to use the
veto, and he has vetoed nine bills while in office. This was the
first time in state history the General Assembly has overridden a
veto.
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The General Assembly Website
For news and information regarding the North Carolina General
Assembly, please visit its website at
www.ncleg.net. You can use the
website to look up bills, view lawmaker biographies and access other
information.
There are also bill tracking features on our website I'd like to
point out. When you click the links below, you will be leaving my
website.
- Bill and joint resolutions that have been enacted, in order
by enactment date,
or
by bill number.
- Public bills signed by the Governor
covering both 2007 and 2008, in order by bill number.
- Bills
acted on in the 2008 short session.
- Bills
pending on the Governor's desk.
-
General Statutes amended by bills enacted in 2008 (this is a
PDF file)..
Most of these reports are current within a day, but some actions
Thursday evening and Friday (and the weekend, too) by the Governor
are often not shown until Monday afternoon.
There also lots of other reports available on our
bill reports page.
You also can listen to committee meetings
and press conferences on the website. Once on the site, select
“audio,” and then make your selection – Appropriations Committee
Room or Press Conference Room.
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Links to Press Releases
- July 21, 2008: News from Raleigh --
Session Adjourns; Major Items Addressed
- July 18, 2008: News from Raleigh --
Drought Legislation; Of Local Interest
- July 3, 2008: News from Raleigh
-- Jim Speed, Annexation, Education, Elections, etc.
- June 26, 2008: News from Raleigh
-- Annexation, Health, Education, etc.
- June 19, 2008:
News from Raleigh -- State Budget Negotiations; Measures
Relating to Public Safety, Education, Transportation, and Local
Issues
- June 19, 2008: Of
Local Interest
- June 12, 2008: Of
Local Interest
- June 12, 2008:
News from Raleigh -- Policy Discussions Relating
to Public Safety, Health,
Transportation, and Local Governance
- June 5, 2008: House Proposes
Responsible Budget
- June 2, 2008 Introduction of
Bill on Drought and Water Recommendations -- Registration of
Daily Water Usage Over 100,000 Gallons
- May 27, 2008 Some of the issues
addressed so far: public safety, environment, water resources,
and mental health
- May 15, 2008: Resolutions Passed This
Week
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May 15, 2008: House Funding Bills Eligible for Consideration
in the Senate -- Health Care, Taxes, Justice
- May 13, 2008: House Bills Eligible for
Consideration in the Senate -- Education, Health Care, Senior
Citizens, Public Safety, Economy and Taxes, Transportation
- Goals
for the 2008 Short Session
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July 21, 2008 -- News From Raleigh: Session Adjourns; Major Items
Addressed
Gov. Mike Easley signed the state budget bill into law this week,
clearing the way for the General Assembly to adjourn Friday. We
completed the session by approving important legislation on a number
of matters, including drought, mortgage foreclosures, driver’s
licenses, ethics, election reform and anti-gang legislation. This
newsletter includes a description of some of these major items we
addressed and I’ll be sharing more information with you in the weeks
to come.
I now look forward to returning home and working with you to
learn more about how I can best serve the people of our district.
Thank you as always for your interest in state government and please
let me know if I can be of any service.
Transportation
The General Assembly approved changes this week to how driver’s
licenses are made and distributed. One bill would allow the state
Division of Motor Vehicles to use new laser-engraving technology
that would embed photos into the licenses and help reduce fraud. The
bill (S1799) also allows driver’s licenses to be mailed to people’s
homes or a post office box if they don’t have a street address.
The change is part of new process for how licenses are made and
distributed. The revised procedure is designed to make it more
difficult to fraudulently obtain licenses. Licenses will now be
centrally distributed out of Raleigh and there will be a 20-day
waiting period. During this time, drivers will be issued a temporary
permit and can use their existing license for identification. The
mailing provision is expected to make the waiting period more
convenient by eliminating the need for applicants to return to their
DMV offices to pick up their licenses.
Crime
The General Assembly has given approval to anti-gang legislation
that would create several felonies for those who take part in gang
activity. Those who commit drive-by shootings, solicit people to
join gangs or threaten those who try to leave a gang would be
subject to felonies under the bill (H274). Property acquired for
gangs or resulting from gang activity could be taken. The bill
provides the state’s first legal definitions of gang activity. Gov.
Mike Easley has already signed a separate bill (S1358) that
addresses gang intervention and prevention programs. The state
budget includes $10 million for gang prevention grants.
The General Assembly this week gave final approval to a bill
titled “Jessica’s Law.” The bill is named for Jessica Lunsford, a
former North Carolina resident who was raped and murdered in Florida
at the age of 9 by a convicted sex offender. The (H933) would make
the rape or a sexual offense committed on a child punishable by life
in prison without parole or a mandatory 25-year sentence with
lifetime GPS monitoring. This bill also increases penalties
associated with the exploitation/prostitution of a minor,
strengthens sex offender registry requirements and limits contact
offenders have with victims and on what premises. This bill requires
sex offenders to be 300 feet or more away from places where minors
are prevalent. Any sex offender not on the registry for a life term
will be on the list for 30 years. The bill now goes to the governor
for his signature.
Drought
A bill to improve the state’s
response to droughts was approved this week in the House. The bill
(H2499) would give the governor more authority during a drought to
work with local governments to help them address water shortages and
makes other changes to improve how we manage droughts. The bill also
would require public water providers to develop drought and water
shortage plans while heavy water users would be subject to stricter
reporting requirements. The bill was the result of collaboration
between many different interests, including municipalities,
business, farmers and private residents. The bill must now be signed
by the governor.
Mortgages
The General Assembly has approved a bill that will give mortgage
holders more time to work out a plan with their banks before losing
their homes. The bill (H2623) requires lenders to give homeowners 45
days notice before starting foreclosure proceedings and gives the
state bank commissioner authority to delay foreclosures for 30 days
in hopes of coming up with a new payment plan. The bill is one of
several we have approved recently to help cope with the ongoing
mortgage crisis.
Justice
A Senate judiciary committee has approved a bill that will give
people who are wrongfully convicted $50,000 for every year they
spent in jail if they were exonerated. Existing law allows only
$20,000 a year and caps the total award at $500,000. The bill
(H2105) would increase the cap to $750,000 and allow free job
training and tuition for community colleges and public universities.
Notes
The House has confirmed David McCoy as the next state controller
for North Carolina. McCoy was nominated for the job by Gov. Mike
Easley. He will oversee the 200-person controller’s office, which
handles state payroll and manages other fiscal responsibilities.
McCoy has been Gov. Mike Easley's chief budget officer since 2001.
His term will last seven years.
Return to List of Links
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July 18, 2008 -- News From Raleigh
Drought Legislation
After much study and debate, a bill
I sponsored to improve our statewide response to droughts received
overwhelming approval this week in the House of Representatives.
House Bill 2499 would give the
governor more authority during a drought to work with local
governments to help them address water shortages and makes other
changes to improve how we manage droughts. As written, the bill
states that public water providers would have to develop drought and
water shortage plans while heavy water users would be subject to
stricter reporting requirements.
The bill was the result of
collaboration between many different interests, including
municipalities, business, farmers and private residents, and
resulted in a bill that I believe is fair to property owners while
also protecting one of our most precious natural resources.
The bill has now been approved by
the Senate and differences between the House and Senate versions
have been worked out in conference committee. It now must be signed
by the Governor before it becomes law. I am hopeful that will
happen soon.
Of Local Interest
The Tar River Mission Clinic is
coming to our area. This clinic is a non-profit, faith-based
organization designed to promote the health and spiritual well being
of low-income, uninsured, and under-insured individuals in the
Edgecombe and Nash County area by providing health care services and
personal counseling. Their medical staff will be comprised
exclusively of volunteer physicians and nurses from the surrounding
communities. In addition donations have been made by Nash Health
Care System and the Health Departments of both Edgecombe and Nash
Counties.
TRMC will serve adults ages 19
through 64. (Young children can get assistance through Check or
Health Choice while seniors can get help through Medicare.) Plans
are to open this clinic on August 7, at Edgecombe County Health
Department (155 Atlantic Ave. in Rocky Mount) and on alternate
months operate out of the Nash County Health Department (322 S.
Franklin St. in Rocky Mount). The clinic will be open every
Thursday and see patients from 5:15 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. In time,
they hope to expand their days and hours of operation. We welcome
Tar River Mission Clinic to District 49
Return to List of Links
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July 3, 2008 -- News from Raleigh
Budget negotiators continued their work this week and moved
closer to a final deal. State government continues to operate under
the two-year plan approved last year. This year’s document only
makes adjustments. The intention remains for the General Assembly to
finish its work on the budget soon and to adjourn session shortly
after that.
We continue to move important legislation during this time. This
week, the House approved a nine-month moratorium on involuntary
annexation and made changes to improve our education system. We also
took time to remember a war hero and some of our former colleagues.
If you have any questions about the work of the General Assembly
or if I can help in any way, please feel free to contact me. Thank
you for your interest in state government and have an enjoyable
Fourth of July.
James Speed and
Others Honored
Former Reps. Louise Smith Brennan, Jo Graham Foster, and James
“Jim” Speed were remembered in the House of Representatives this
week as role models and outstanding legislators. Foster left the
House in 1992 after representing Mecklenburg County for 20 years.
She died in December 2006 at the age of 91. Brennan represented
Mecklenburg in the House for six terms, the last ending in 1984. She
died in December 2007 at the age of 85. Speed was a member of the
House from 1961-1972 and a member of the Senate from 1977-1996. He
was from Franklin County and died in June 2006 at the age of 91.
Legislators this week honored the life of Army National Guard
Pfc. Adam Lee Marion, a Surry County native killed in combat in Iraq
in April. Marion's parents, family members and friends were in the
gallery as lawmakers praised Marion for his service to our nation.
Miss North Carolina Amanda Watson visited the General Assembly
this week and shared that she planned to work during the next year
to raise awareness of ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Watson, who was
Miss Garner, is a rising senior at the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill. She will represent North Carolina in the Miss
America pageant.
Municipalities
The House approved a nine-month ban on involuntary annexation to
allow lawmakers time to study the nearly 50-year-old law and propose
changes. Original language in the bill (HB 2367) would have banned
annexation for a year, but the time period was trimmed to allow some
municipalities with pending annexation proceedings to proceed. The
moratorium will run from the end of August through May 2009. The
moratorium is partially the result of lobbying by people who say
some municipalities don’t follow existing law and that they have no
way to stop involuntary annexations. Cities and town officials say
the laws allow them a way to better manage growth. The bill now goes
to the Senate.
Education
School buses would no longer be subject to duplicate inspections
under a House bill approved this week. Current law requires school
buses to receive inspections required by the State Board of
Education and the Division of Motor Vehicles. The proposal (HB 2265)
would eliminate the requirement for the DMV inspection. The bill now
goes to the Senate.
The House Education Committee has approved a bill (HB 15) that
would allow teachers to use personal leave during teacher workdays
without having to pay for a substitute. Current law requires
teachers who use personal days to pay a fee that is used to pay for
substitute teachers. They must also pay the fee if they use personal
leave on a teacher workday, when students aren’t present.
Elections
The House Committee on Election Law and Campaign Finance Reform
agreed this week to extend an instant runoff voting pilot program
through 2011. Instant runoff voting requires voters to rank
candidates by preference, allowing vote counters to name a winner
without holding a second election. Runoff elections are expensive
and often have low turnout. The proposal (SB 1263) allows for
instant runoff voting in partisan primaries and nonpartisan general
elections in as many as 10 counties and 10 municipalities. The bill
now goes to the House Judiciary I Committee.
Justice
People who are wrongfully convicted would receive $50,000 for
every year they spent in jail if they were exonerated. Existing law
allows only $20,000 a year and caps the total award at $500,000. The
bill (HB 2105) would increase the cap to $750,000 and allow free job
training and tuition for community colleges and public universities.
Environment
The House agreed this week to a measure that will require the
state to purchase fuel-efficient vehicles. The proposal (HB 2720)
requires new state vehicles to be in the top 15 percent of their
class in fuel efficiency. Law enforcement, emergency medical
response and firefighting vehicles are exempt. The state purchased
about 1,050 vehicles in the last fiscal year that would not be
exempt from the requirements.
Return to List of Links |
June 26, 2008 -- News from Raleigh
Budget talks gained momentum this week as negotiators met during
the weekend and for several hours each day to work toward a
compromise. They have reached a general agreement on salaries and
many other items already and continue to work toward a quick
resolution. They plan to have the final deal ready soon.
In addition to these negotiations, the House has continued to
work on issues important to the people in our communities, such as
annexation, health, and education. We will work to address these
vital matters as we wrap up this short session.
Municipalities
A bill that would
temporarily halt municipalities’ ability to annex without voter
approval has earned the backing of a House committee. The first
draft of the plan (HB 2367) would have created a one-year moratorium
on involuntary annexations, but committee members pushed back the
start to July 31, to give some cities and towns the time to complete
annexations they already have initiated. The proposed moratorium
would end April 30, 2009, giving lawmakers ten months to study the
state's annexation laws.
Public Safety
Someone who violates a domestic violence protective order three
times would be guilty of a felony under legislation (HB 44) that has
been approved in the House. Existing law requires four violations of
the order before a person is charged with a felony. Punishment for
the crime generally ranges from community service to up to nearly
two years in prison.
People who are wrongfully convicted would receive $50,000 for
every year they spent in jail if they were exonerated. Existing law
allows only $20,000 a year and caps the total award at $500,000. The
bill (HB 2105) approved by the Judiciary II Committee would increase
the cap to $750,000 and allow free job training and tuition at
community colleges and public universities. The bill now goes to the
Appropriations Committee.
Legislation approved in committee would ban children under 16
years old from riding in the open bed of a truck. The bill (HB
2340), approved in the Judiciary I Committee, would change the
existing law, which allows children as young as 12 to ride in truck
beds and includes exemptions that allow children of any age to ride
in the back of a truck if they’re with adults or in a rural area.
The bill has been re-referred to the Committee on Judiciary II.
Education
The House has
approved a bill that would allow national board certified teachers
to become full-time mentors. The bill (HB 2360) requires teachers to
have taught two years before they could become a mentor. They would
have to remain a mentor for three consecutive years before returning
to the classroom. This bill is now in the Senate.
Health
The House has
approved a measure that will require warning labels on containers
for unpasteurized and unprocessed milk. North Carolina law prohibits
the sale of raw milk for human consumption because of health
concerns, but the product can be sold for use by pets. The Board of
Agriculture approved a plan to dye all raw milk charcoal gray to
make the milk unappealing to people, but raw milk advocates said
their animals wouldn’t drink such a product, either, and that no
organic dye was available. A compromise bill (HB 2524) would require
milk containers to bear warning labels saying that the products
aren’t for human consumption and that selling raw milk for human
consumption is illegal.
Economy
A bill to improve
mortgage services has been approved in the House. The measure (HB
2188) would require home loan servicers to provide a mortgage
applicant with information about servicer fees within 30 days of
activation of those fees. If the servicer failed to notify the
receiver of the mortgage, the fee would be waived.
Another piece of
legislation (HB 2463) would require mortgage servicers to become
licensed and make it against the law to operate without such a
license. The license would expire annually. This bill also clarifies
the Mortgage Lending Act by describing in detail the qualifications
and duties of a mortgage lender. The bill now goes to the Senate.
Notes
The House this week
recognized the 50th anniversary of public school
integration by honoring some of the students and administrators who
helped break the color barrier. Several members of the House of
Representatives who were teachers or students at the time used the
occasion to recall personal stories and remembrances from the
integration movement. Others expressed gratitude for their efforts.
Governor Easley also recognized the students at the Governor’s
Mansion and presented each with the Old North State award.
More than 300 clergy members have petitioned lawmakers to
complete passage of the North Carolina Racial Justice Act, a bill
approved in the House last year that allows defendants facing the
death penalty to argue that race played an improper role in their
prosecutions. Several of the ministers, along with death-penalty
opponents and lawmakers also gathered to support the bill. The bill
would allow a judge to reduce the sentence to life in prison without
parole if it was determined the prosecution was based on racial
bias. The bill (HB 1291) is now in the Senate’s Judiciary II
Committee.
Return to List of Links |
June 19, 2008 -- News from
Raleigh
The Senate approved its version of the state budget on Thursday,
clearing the way for negotiations on a final version to begin. Like
the House, the Senate budget focuses on education, health care, and
bolstering the state’s economy. Both plans offer pay raises of 3
percent for teachers and 2.75 percent or $1,100, whichever is
greater, for state employees. Both proposals also set aside $50
million for tax credits, but differ in how the money would be used.
Negotiators from each chamber will be appointed now and discussions
to work out the differences are expected to begin soon. Each chamber
will have to approve the compromise before sending it to Gov. Mike
Easley for his approval.
We continue to work on important changes in our laws that will
make our communities and our children safer. The House passed
several of those changes this week and I will share more information
about them with you.
Public Safety
Convicted sex
offenders would be banned from using social networking Web sites
such as MySpace and Facebook under legislation unanimously approved
in the House this week. The bill (SB 132) would make it a felony for
people convicted of sex crimes to access the sites and it would also
prohibit them from changing their names to avoid showing up on the
state's registered sex offender list. Attorney General Roy Cooper
says the plan will allow law enforcement officials to better protect
children. The proposal now returns to the Senate.
The House approved a measure (SB 1358) that would require county
Juvenile Crime Prevention Councils to assess the needs of juveniles
who are at risk of gang activity, to determine what services exist,
to address those needs, and to develop strategies to intervene and
respond to those needs. The bill also requires the state council to
review the level of gang activity throughout the state and to assess
the progress and accomplishments of the state and of local
governments in preventing gangs and addressing the needs of at-risk
juveniles. The bill now returns to the Senate for concurrence.
Vandalism that causes more than $5,000 in damage would be a
low-grade felony under a bill given final legislative approval this
week. Existing law makes vandalism, no matter what the dollar
amount, a misdemeanor. The revised law would make damage worth more
than $5,000 punishable by up to 12 months in prison. First-time
offenders would receive community service. The bill now awaits the
signature of Gov. Mike Easley.
Education
The House voted this week to
continue the work of the Joint Legislative Commission on Dropout
Prevention and High School graduation. The commission was formed
last year to evaluate the programs that receive dropout grants and
decide whether expanding or replicating them will improve graduation
rates in the state. The commission is also reviewing research on
student success, studying major middle and high school reform
efforts and the ways they may influence the dropout rate, reviewing
the courses required for graduation, and determining whether changes
should be made and which strategies best help students remain in
school when they are at risk of being retained. The House has budgeted $15 million for dropout prevention grants
in the coming year, while the Senate has set aside $8 million.
Transportation
North Carolina
driver’s licenses would get turned on their side for young people
under a bill approved by the House this week. The measure (HB 2487)
is intended to make purchasing alcohol more difficult by formatting
the licenses vertically rather than horizontally for people under
21. The change would require the license to be turned a different
way to be read and make it easier for store clerks and bartenders to
recognize when an underage person is attempting to purchase alcohol.
The Senate has passed a similar bill.
Sponsored Legislation
Two local bills that
I sponsored passed the House this week and have been sent to the
Senate:
HB 2255 affects Nash County and will increase the value of work
that may be done without a building permit for small jobs to
$5,000. This bill has been referred to the Senate State and Local
Government Committee.
HB 2279 will repeal the permit exemption for open fires within
one hundred feet of an occupied dwelling within the Lake Royale
Community. This bill passed the House of Representatives on Monday
and is now in the Senate State and Local Government Committee.
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June 19, 2008 -- Of Local
Interest
It was a pleasure to attend the annual 4-H Citizenship North
Carolina Focus in Raleigh on Wednesday. I enjoyed breakfast and
conversation with four young ladies from my district: Kala Bacon,
Elizabeth Autrey, Katlyn Moseley, and Ashley Garner. I was
able to talk with them about my role as their Representative and to
encourage them to maintain an interest in the political process.
Return to List of Links
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June 12, 2008 -- Of Local
Interest
We enjoyed welcoming an
assortment of visitors to our office this week including Halifax
County Commissioners Rachel Hux, Carolyn Johnson, and Rives Manning,
as well as County Manager Tony Brown.
On Thursday morning, Kim Stewart,
a Franklin County native and daughter of Bennie Ray and Mary Gupton,
helped host a legislative breakfast for the North Carolina
Rehabilitation Association. The examples of folks living
independently as a result of these services were inspiring. Kim’s
daughter, Lauren, is working in the House Principal Clerk’s office
this session. Jean Rossi from Louisburg stopped by my office
to tell me about her involvement with NCRA.
It was fun also to visit with
Smart Start students and the Franklin/Vance/Warren Partnership
representatives as they visited the legislative complex in Raleigh.
June 12, 2008 -- News from
Raleigh
Now that the House of
Representatives has sent its budget proposal to the Senate, my
colleagues and I have been considering other policy matters, both in
our committees and on the House floor. This week, we addressed
issues of public safety, health, transportation, and local
governance, among other matters.
The Senate is expected to
complete its proposed budget soon and then a conference committee
comprised of members of both chambers will negotiate a final
proposal to present to the governor.
As always, if you have any
questions about these matters, please feel free to contact me. Thank
you for your interest in state government and the opportunity to
represent you.
Public Safety
Prisoners who are disabled or
terminally ill would be released from custody under legislation Gov.
Easley signed into law this week. The new law (SB 1480) requires the
inmates to have an appropriate health care plan in place before
their release is granted. The change is expected to save the state
thousands of dollars in health care costs and free up as many as 160
additional beds in the state prison system. The state spends an
average of $87,000 a year to care for such patients, according to
state correction officials. Inmates convicted of the most serious
crimes, such as murder and rape, would not be eligible for release
and those who regain their heath would have to return to prison.
Local Government
The House Finance Committee
approved a proposed one-year moratorium on annexations to allow for
time to consider changes in state law. The moratorium would begin
July 1. The measure (HB 2367) now goes to the Judiciary II
Committee. Many people in the state are unhappy with North Carolina
annexation laws, saying they don’t have enough control about what
happens to their property and often don’t receive promised services
quickly enough.
Health
The House Health Committee
approved three bills this week that would ban smoking around
government buildings and in state cars. Legislators agreed last
year to a law that bans smoking in state buildings. One proposal (HB
2253) would create no-smoking zones within 50 feet of state
government buildings. Public walkways and thoroughfares would be
exempt. Another measure would ban smoking in state vehicles (HB
2252). The third (HB 2254) would restore the authority for community
colleges to ban smoking on their campuses.
Transportation
A measure approved in the House
this week will give the Department of Transportation expanded
authority to partner with governmental and private entities in the
planning, design, and development of road and rail projects. The
bill (HB 2318) also extends that authority to counties. The bill is
expected to help improve the state’s transportation infrastructure
by making it easier for private companies to work with government.
Families
The House has approved a bill
that would require adoption agencies to report how many people are
using a new program that helps birth parents and adoptees learn each
other's identities. Lawmakers created a program last year that
allows adoption agencies to act as confidential intermediaries. The
individuals' names and medical information can be shared if both
parties agree. Under the proposed law (HB 2185), state officials
would have to track how many people use the system and how many
individuals contacted agree to share information.
Notes
- The House honored a North
Carolina National Guard unit that returned home this week from
an 11-month deployment. Five members of the 1132nd Military
Police Company died in Iraq during the deployment, four of them
from North Carolina. The unit is based in Rocky Mount, Tarboro,
and Mount Olive.
- The Environment Committee,
which I chair, continues to be very busy with important issues
such as coastal storm water rules and drought management.
Return to List of Links
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June 5,
2008 -- House Proposes Responsible Budget
In my previous press releases, I
have shared with you some of my goals for this session. This week,
the House approved a proposed budget that gives financial support to
those goals.
The budget we approved helps
families make ends meet, improves education, expands access to
health care, supports our military, protects our environment, works
to make our communities prosperous and safe, improves
transportation, and strengthens confidence in government.
Specifically, I am pleased to
have sponsored or vigorously supported tax credits for small
businesses that provide health insurance, an October sales tax
holiday for the purchase of energy efficient appliances, and a
property tax break for military veterans.
In addition, I played a key role
in including in the House budget monies for infection control
monitoring and education in our hospitals and health facilities, a
continuing state appropriation for the Forestry Development Program,
and $50 million for our state parks, recreational areas, and
important natural heritage and conservation locations.
Our responsible budget and
North Carolina’s sound fiscal status are particularly important in
light of information just released by the Center for Budget and
Policy Priorities indicating that eighteen states have made or are
considering cuts to education, public health, and services to the
elderly, while eleven states are facing cutting vital state jobs
We also continue to make the
most efficient use of your money by eliminating outdated programs
and trimming budgets when necessary. We did this without any tax
increases and were still able to add $62 million to the state’s
savings, increasing the fund to nearly $850 million, and put $65
million into the state’s repair and renovation fund.
This budget now goes to the
Senate, which will draw up its own plan. A committee of
representatives and senators will then meet to work out differences
before sending the plan to the governor for final approval. Our goal
remains to have the final budget approved by the end of this month.
"Click here" to read more
detailed information about some of
the major budget expenses proposed by the House. Please feel free to
contact me if you have any questions or concerns about the proposal
and thank you as always for your interest.
Return to List of Links
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June 2,
2008 -- Sponsoring Bill on Drought and Water Recommendations: Daily
Water Usage Over 100,000 Gallons to be Registered.
I have introduced a bill that will help better prepare the state
for droughts.
The bill, House Bill 2499, stems from the recommendations of the
Environmental Review Commission. The proposal would give the
governor greater authority during water shortages, allowing him to
order water sharing and to enact conservation measures.
It would also require people to register water transfers or
withdrawals with the Environmental Review Commission if those
transfers or withdrawals total 100,000 gallons or more per day.
People have up to two months after the transfers and withdrawals to
register and must update their registration every five years or if
any changes occur. The withdrawals would come from ground and
surface water and the transfers would be from one river basin to
another.
With registration, people must submit to the commission how many
thousands of gallons they withdraw or transfer every day; the
monthly average of withdrawal or transfer; the location of the
withdrawal, transfer, and release of the water; how the water is
being withdrawn, transferred; and how many thousand of gallons of
water is being released every day. Farmers who are large water users
would no longer be exempt from the requirements.
The bill is currently in the Committee on Environment and Natural
Resources. Rep. Pryor Gibson and Rep. Russell Tucker are the other
primary sponsors of the measure.
In my third term representing Franklin, Halifax and Nash
counties, I am serving as chair of the Environment and Natural
Resources Committee and vice chair of the Appropriations
Subcommittee on Transportation.
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May 27, 2008 -- News
from Raleigh
The General Assembly held a historic
session in Greensboro on Thursday to help the state's third-largest
city celebrate its bicentennial. Members of both the House and
Senate came to the session, where both chambers passed a resolution
honoring the city and its institutions of higher education. The
session was held on the campus of North Carolina A&T State
University. It marked only the third time the legislature has met
outside of Raleigh since it became the state capitol.
Back in Raleigh, my colleagues and I
continue to make progress on revising the state's budget. We remain
confident we will have the bill ready by June 2 and approved by the
end of this fiscal year. We have less money in over-collections than
we have in past years when the economy was growing more rapidly so
we are looking even more carefully for spending cuts and
efficiencies.
We have also made some progress on
anti-gang legislation, which is significant for many of our
communities. I anticipate that the pace of our work will quicken in
the weeks ahead. Below is a summary of some of the significant items
that have been addressed so far.
Public Safety
A version of an anti-gang bill that
passed the House last session was approved in the Senate. The
differences between the bills will be worked out in a conference
committee. One of the sponsors of the bill (HB 274) says the General
Assembly will probably allocate $10 million for gang prevention and
intervention to help law enforcement and communities head off
potential crimes.
Nearly 300 terminally ill, infirm,
and permanently disabled prison inmates could be paroled due to
their medical status under a Senate bill approved this past week by
a House committee. This plan would require the inmates to have
Medicaid, Medicare, or private insurance before their release. The
proposal (SB 1480) is expected to save the state money, though it
remains unclear how much it would save. The state currently spends
about $200 million a year on medical care for inmates. Inmates
convicted of the most serious crimes, such as murder and rape, will
not be eligible for release.
Environment
A bill intended to address the over
use of water supplies during droughts and to create consistent water
restrictions throughout the state has been introduced in the General
Assembly. The bill (HB 2499), which I am co-sponsoring, would
require minimal restrictions to be followed if municipal water
supplies became too low and gives the governor expanded authority to
act in the event of a drought. The bill states that farmers, who
are large water users, would be required to register with the
state. It also allows the use of “grey water” from showers, tubs,
and sinks to be used to water yards and plants.
Any retailer in the state that
provides plastic shopping bags and has 10,000 square feet or more of
retail space would be required to establish a plastic bag recycling
program under HB 2527. The state already requires all retailers who
provide plastic bags to assure that the bags are recyclable. The
proposed law would also change the state's goal for recycled bags
from 25 percent to 75 percent.
Land for Tomorrow
On Tuesday, May 20, I spoke at a press conference in Raleigh on
behalf of Land for Tomorrow, a group that is dedicated to preserving
land and water resources across our state. As our state’s
population continues to grow, so does the need for us to focus on
conserving our natural resources. This past year’s drought brought
to the forefront the need to work towards long-term solutions to the
issues we are facing as we provide for the expected 50% increase in
NC’s population between 2000 and 2030. As a co-chair of the
Environmental Review Commission, I have been working with other
legislators and staff to explore the issues and present possible
solutions. We have identified three important conservation tactics
for consideration. Among the solutions are: 1) the need to preserve
open spaces to help maintain a plentiful water supply that can
withstand periods of little rain; 2) the need to protect stream
banks, wetlands, and upland areas that help filter silt and
pollution; and 3) the need to protect land around streams and rivers
to help maintain our limited water sources and keep them clean.
Mental Health
A budget subcommittee overseeing
mental health approved draft recommendations this week to improve
crisis response in communities and staffing and training at state
hospitals. The joint committee of House and Senate members also
wants more money for in-home services for mentally retarded and
disabled patients. The final amounts available for the plan will be
determined as lawmakers draw up their proposed budget.
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May 15, 2008:
This Week in the House
House members passed a joint resolution (SJR 1580) to honor
Korean War Veterans. North Carolina is home to more than 110,000
military personnel and almost 770,000 veterans. Of the 36,568
Americans killed in the Korean War, more than 800 were North
Carolinians. In 2000, there were more than 100,000 Korean War
veterans in North Carolina, three of whom were awarded the
Congressional Medal of Honor. The General Assembly expressed its
profound gratitude and appreciation to all of North Carolina’s
veterans past and present for the service they have rendered to our
nation and to our State
My colleagues and I also adopted a resolution (HR 2133) to honor
the 237th Anniversary of the Battle of Alamance. Before the
American Revolution, a group of farmers known as the Regulators
rebelled against local officials because of excessive taxes and
illegal fees. The Alamance Battleground is now a state historic
site where visitors can learn about colonial life.
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