Protect Children in the Budget Process by Signing Petition and Sending to your Networks March 25, 2011
Greetings!
Budget committees continued to get options for cuts this week. They are still meeting jointly (House and Senate) and still appear to be trying to write the budget together.
Health and Human Services: The HHS budget committee discussed federal block grants and the state employee health plan this week. There are likely to be new premiums for state employees and higher deductibles. There was also an HHS staff presentation on Health Choice, during which members were fairly noncommittal. Last week when the committee accepted the Governor's budget cuts as their new baseline, however, they made an exception for Health Choice, suggesting that they intend to not cut that program. Smart Start was supposed to have the opportunity to present to the committee this week, but that was postponed for a second time and rescheduled for next Wednesday. Justice and Public Safety: Fiscal research staff presented a list of possible budget cuts to Justice and Public Safety agencies, in addition to the cuts in the Governor's budget. In Juvenile Justice, possible cuts presented included: - Education and Clinical Services budget: Superintendent, 4 Youth Development Center principals, 3 Directors, and a suggestion to fund teachers at a higher teacher:student ratios.
- Youth Development Centers: close two additional YDCs over next two years (in addition to Swannanoa, which was just closed), eliminate chaplains
- Administration: eliminate staff development positions, cut HR staff, eliminate help desk positions
- The agency will also likely lose 72 court counselors and 8 chief court counselors who were hired with federal ARRA funds that are now expiring.
Education: The Education budget committee did not meet this week. Bill Update Tracking lists of bills in each of Action for Children's four areas of interest will be maintained on the website and updated weekly. Please visit our Policy Action page for full lists. Here are highlights of the bills that were introduced or moved this week. Safety HB44: PROHIBIT MOBILE PHONE USE/HANDS-FREE ONLY was heard in committee but is not expected to move forward. HB49: LAURA'S LAW. Re-referred from Senate Judiciary I to Judiciary II. Would increase penalties for repeat DWI offenders HB111: HANDGUN PERMIT VALID IN PARKS & RESTAURANTS passed House Judiciary A and sent to House floor to be calendared for a floor vote. HB407: MODIFY ATV HELMET USE REQUIREMENTS passed the House and referred to Senate Judiciary II. Would eliminate the portion of current law that requires adults to wear protective head and eye gear when riding an ATV. Children would still be required to wear protective gear, except for those 16 and older, riding on the beach. HB447: LABELING REQUIREMENTS/GMFS & RBGH IN FOOD was introduced. Would require labeling of foods that are or contain genetically modified food and milk products from animals that have received recombinant bovine growth hormone. SB49: INCREASE FINE FOR SPEEDING/SCHOOL ZONES. Passed House Judiciary B and sent to the House floor to be calendared for a floor vote. SB241: INCREASE DWI PENALTY/CHILD IN VEHICLE. Scheduled to be heard on Tuesday, March 29 in Senate Judiciary II, 10 a.m., 1124 LB. SB397: EXPUNGE NONVIOLENT OFFENSE BY MINOR was introduced. Would expunge 16- and 17-year-olds' records of nonviolent felonies. Great companion bill to Raise the Age. Education HB48: NO STANDARDIZED TESTING UNLESS REQUIRED BY THE FEDS. Became law after 10 days without the Governor's signature. HB466: SPEND 65% OF FUNDS IN THE CLASSROOM. Calendared for introduction.
HB467: IMPROVE SCHOOL DISCIPLINE. Calendared for introduction. Would give any school official immunity from civil liability for using "reasonable force...to restrain or correct pupils and maintain order and proper discipline."
Health HB115: NC HEALTH BENEFIT EXCHANGE was supposed to be heard this week but was pulled from the calendar and rescheduled for Tuesday, March 29 in House HHS. Would establish the health insurance industry as a voting presence on the Board that regulates the state health exchange, to be implemented in 2014.
HB334/SB400: REPORT ON FITNESS TESTING IN SCHOOLS. Passed House, but referred to Rules committee in the Senate.
SB415: ELIMINATE COST OF REDUCED PRICE SCHOOL MEALS was introduced and sent to Senate Appropriations. Would make school meals free (rather than reduced-price) for eligible children.
TAKE ACTION: Sign Petition to Protect Children in the State and Federal Budgets The petition created for Children's Advocacy Day will remain relevant throughout the budget process. Every time a North Carolinian signs on, a message is sent automatically to his or her state and federal lawmakers.
Click here to sign the petition to protect children in the budget debate.
Over 300 people have signed so far in support of health insurance for children, early education, and community-based services for at-risk youth. We can do better! Please send the link out to your networks and encourage folks to sign on.
Health insurance means access to health care, which means well-child visits instead of costly emergency room visits. Prevention and intervention services for at-risk youth result in less crime and create productive citizens instead of criminals. High quality early education builds children's brains, which means higher graduation rates and lower dropout rates. These days we hear a lot of politicians saying, "Governments need to budget like families do." We couldn't agree more. Families budget by putting the health, safety, and future of their children first. Funds used to protect our children are critical today and also an investment in our state's future. Tell the NC legislature and the US Congress to protect our investments by funding these critical services for all our children. Sincerely, Action for Children North Carolina | 
