Much of the energy at the General Assembly this week has been focused on preparing the final version of the House’s proposed budget.
Our budget subcommittees are crafting their final budgets to submit to the full Appropriations Committee. After the bill is voted upon by the full committee, it will go the House floor for additional debate, and a final proposal could be approved as early as next week. A conference committee comprised of members of the House and Senate will then negotiate a final version of the budget to submit to the governor.
This budget will contain little good news, as I’ve warned for several months now. The global economic downturn has reached North Carolina and our tax revenue is down about 20 percent from last year. We will have to cut all areas of our budget to meet this smaller revenue target. Education, particularly our community colleges, will get smaller cuts, but still must be trimmed in this environment.
I regret it, but until our economy recovers, we will have to reduce services.
Thank you as always for your interest in state government. I have included some information below to update you about the progress of several pieces of proposed legislation. I hope you will be in touch if I can be of any assistance.
Justice
_Lawyers representing death row inmates may be permitted to meet with their clients on the same day that the court rules on the inmate’s appeal under a House bill that has passed the Senate. The proposal (HB 1037) helps ensure that death row inmates hear the court’s decision from their own lawyer, rather than from another source. The bill now goes to the governor to be signed into law.
_The state would be required to collect, maintain and publish statistics on the use of deadly force by law enforcement that results in death under a bill that has been approved by the Senate (HB 266).
Elections
_The Secretary of State would be required to notify potential candidates and political parties to remind them of the state law that prohibits an individual from holding two elected offices at once. The bill (HB 170) has now been approved by both bodies of the legislature and will go to the governor’s desk for a signature.
_ A bill that would make it unlawful for a school board member to willfully fail to discharge the duties of office has been approved by the Senate. House Bill 43, “School Board Members/Failure to Discharge Duty,” allows school board members who fail to discharge their duties to be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor. They would be subject to removal from office by the court as a part of the punishment for the offense.
Health
_The Department of Health and Human Services would be directed to work with the Division of Medical Assistance, the Division of Aging and Adult Services, the University of North Carolina and East Carolina University Schools of Dentistry, the North Carolina Dental Society, and current special care dental providers to examine dental care options for special care populations under a bill that passed the House this week (SB 188). The intent of the legislation is to improve the availability of dental services for special care populations.
_Senate lawmakers have approved legislation regarding unemployment insurance compensation for certain severely disabled veterans who have been discharged due to a service-connected disability (HB 1124). If enacted, severely injured veterans could receive unemployment benefits if they lose their jobs because of a disability incurred or aggravated during active military service or because of absences from work to obtain care and treatment for the disabilities.
Miscellaneous
_Youth employment protections would be enhanced by requiring the Commissioner of Labor to report on youth employment enforcement activities under a House bill that passed the Senate this week (HB 22). The objective of the legislation is to enhance the safety of children in the workplace by making more information available on workplace violations.
Please remember that you can listen to each day’s session, committee meetings and press conferences on the General Assembly’s website at www.ncleg.net. Once on the site, select “audio,” and then make your selection – House Chamber, Senate Chamber, Appropriations Committee Room or Press Conference Room.
Prepared with the assistance of the Speaker’s Office of Communications
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Regular Reports On What Is Happening In the NC General Assembly of Interest to citizens in District 51 by Representative Jimmy Love
