Members of the House and Senate began meeting this week to negotiate a final budget proposal to present to Gov. Beverly Perdue. Our intention is to complete our work by the end of the month so that the adjustments we propose will be in place by the start of the next fiscal year.
We have also been working steadily on a number of other issues, and I have included information below about some of the legislation that is moving through the House. I hope you will find it useful.
Thank you as always for your interest in state government. If you have any questions about this information or anything else that I can help with, please contact me. I am always glad to be of service.
Education
_School improvement teams may now be required to use the Education Value Added Assessment System (EVAAS) or a compatible system to collect diagnostic information on students that could help improve their achievement. The legislation (HB 1669) that passed the House this week is based on the recommendations of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee.
_A bill that would restore a balance to the law on unemployment compensation for substitute teachers passed the House this week (HB 1676). No substitute teacher or other substitute school personnel will be considered unemployed for time they don’t work unless they were employed as a full-time substitute The bill is based on the recommendations of the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee.
_Public schools would be required to use evidence-based fitness testing for students in grades K through 8 under a bill debated in the House Committee on Health on Tuesday (HB 1757). The bill is based on the recommendation of the Legislative Task Force on Childhood Obesity.
_Legislation that would give certain local boards of education additional flexibility with regard to instructional time lost due to inclement weather passed the House this week (SB 636).
_Legislation that would prohibit the use of corporal punishment on a student with a disability whose parent has stated in writing that corporal punishment shall not be administered on that student passed the House this week (HB 1682). If enacted, the bill would also require local boards of education to report concurrences of corporal punishment to the State Board of Education.
Environment
_The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, in conjunction with others, would develop a statewide survey to assess the state’s water and wastewater infrastructure needs under a bill debated by the House Committee on Water Resources and Infrastructure on Tuesday (HB 1749). If enacted, the legislation would also direct the department to work with other groups to incorporate the information into the state water supply plan.
Miscellaneous
_The mill rehabilitation credit would be extended under a bill that passed the House this week (HB 1829). If enacted, the legislation would also make changes to the credit for investing in renewable energy property and would establish a credit for constructing a renewable energy property facility. In addition, the bill would lower the sales tax compliance burden on small retailers, relieve the annual report compliance burden on small businesses, reduce the franchise tax burden on construction companies, and improve the tax and debt collection process. The bill is based on the recommendations of the Revenue Laws Study Committee.
_Legislation that would modernize the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control System was debated in the Committee on Alcoholic Beverage Control on Tuesday (HB 1717). Among other things, the bill would prohibit local board members from accepting gifts from contractors doing business with their panel or stores and instruct them to avoid conflicts of interest that could financially benefit themselves or family members.
_The Department of Health and Human Services would be authorized to register animal shelters under the North Carolina Controlled Substances Act for the limited purpose of obtaining, possessing, and using drugs for animal euthanasia under a bill debated by the House Committee on Judiciary I on Tuesday (HB 1741). If enacted, the bill would authorize certified euthanasia technicians to administer these drugs to euthanize dogs and cats on the premises of the animal shelter and give the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services explicit authorization to reject certification or to decertify a euthanasia technician for felony convictions.
_The sale of certain underutilized state aircraft would be required under a bill debated by the House Committee on State Government and State Personnel on Tuesday (HB 1823).
Notes
_On Wednesday, members of the House honored the life and memory of Robert “Bob” Hensley with a House Joint Resolution (HJR 1678). Bob Hensley represented Wake County in the state House from 1990 to 2002. During his tenure in the legislature, Bob Hensley was chairman of the Judiciary and State Personnel committees and vice-chair of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee. Hensley died on August 18, 2009 from complications of leukemia. He is survived by his wife, Pat Granger Hensley, and sons, Preston, Chris and Robert Hensley III.
_Clearwater Paper Corp. plans to invest $260 million and hire 250 workers over the next five years to build a new manufacturing and distribution facility in Shelby. The plant will make private-label tissue products for retail grocery chains throughout the Southeast and along the East Coast.
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
