March 1, 2013   Greetings!   

 

No Medicaid/No Exchange Bill Passes, Presented to Governor  

S.B. 4, prohibiting Medicaid expansion in N.C. and the formation of state-based Exchange, was presented to Governor McCrory for his signature yesterday. 

 

Governor McCrory Concerned about Payday Lending Bill   

Governor McCrory has expressed concerns about S.B. 89, which would allow payday lending again in North Carolina, more than a decade after such lenders were outlawed in the state. McCrory's office said he is concerned that the high-interest loans put families in danger of incurring debt. The bill would allow lenders to loan as much as $500 for up to 35 days and charge up to 15 percent interest. The bill has not yet moved out of the Senate Commerce Committee.

  

Boards/Commissions Reorganization Splits House and Senate 

S.B. 10, which would eliminate some state boards and commissions and reorganize others by firing many of the board members and allowing the Governor and legislative leaders to reappoint new members, has caused a rift between House and Senate. The bill passed out of the House Commerce Committee this week with a few changes, including removal of the provision that would have eliminated 12 Superior Court judge positions. The bill has passed 2nd reading in the House. 

  

The House also filed H.B. 164 this week and referred it to the Rules Committee. The bill is identical to the original Eliminate Obsolete Boards and Commissions bill in the Senate (S.B. 34), but different from S.B. 10. 

  

Speaker of the House Meets with Education Professionals    

Speaker Tillis arranged for school administrators, principals and teachers to join legislators in the House chamber this week to discuss education issues prior to introducing legislation to reform the system. Speaker wants to do some sort of education tax credit, perhaps limited to low-income families. Superintendents were concerned about continuing discretionary budget cuts and school choice (voucher) legislation that could draw resources away from public schools.

 

TAKE ACTION: Sign Petition Against Shifting Tax Burden from Wealthy to Working Poor

Recent legislation to end the Earned Income Tax Credit, while also ending the estate tax, will hurt the most vulnerable in our communities. Click here to sign the NC Justice Center's petition, calling on the Governor and Legislature to stop shifting the tax burden from the wealthy and corporations to the working poor.  

  

Relevant Bills Acted on This Week 
Key bills affecting children that were acted on this week at the General Assembly are listed below.

Health

Would define as fraud in the Medicaid system any attempt by Medicaid providers to waive co-pays for services covered by Medicaid. Filed and referred to Committee on Health Care.
S.B. 106: Home Birth Freedom Act and S.B. 107: Decriminalize Direct Entry Midwifery
Would regulate the practices of Certified Professional Midwives in North Carolina. Nurse midwives are currently allowed to practice in North Carolina, but are only allowed to do home births with a doctor's supervision. These bills would allow Certified Professional Midwives, who have different training requirements than Nurse Midwives, to practice midwifery. S.B. 106 is in the Committee on Health Care, then Finance Committee if favorable. S.B. 107 is in the Judiciary I Committee. Companion House bills were filed this week (H.B. 154 and H.B. 155) and referred to the House Health and Human Services Committee.

H.B. 105: Require Pulse Oximetry Newborn Screening
Would require newborn screening for all infants for certain heart conditions. Endorsed by the Child Fatality Task Force. Passed 2nd reading in the House.

Economic Security  Child Safety

Would make it a felony for a parent or other caregiver to knowingly fail to report the disappearance of a child. Filed and referred to Judiciary Subcommittee B.

Clarifies that recipients of the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program are allowed to obtain drivers licenses in North Carolina that look like regular licenses. The bill is in response to (1) a plan by the McCrory administration to issue licenses with a pink stripe that reads "No Legal Status" to undocumented immigrants, and (2) a competing bill (H.B. 141 -- see below), which would prohibit the issuance of licenses to undocumented immigrants until at least June. Filed.
Revokes drivers license for drivers passing a stopped school bus. Estimates are that drivers pass stopped school buses in North Carolina around 400,000 times a year. This bill quickly passed the Senate this week and was sent to the House Transportation Committee for consideration.

Would make it a felony to intentionally fire a gun in a building with the intent of harming or scaring someone. Referred to Senate Judiciary I Committee.

Would allow employees and volunteers at private schools to carry weapons when authorized by the school's board, and would also allow people to carry concealed weapons on private school property if they are attending a church also on that property. Filed and referred to Judiciary I Committee. H.B. 187 is similar, but is a local bill and refers only to Forsyth County.


Education

Would allot additional teachers to geographically isolated schools. Filed and referred to Education/Higher Education Committee.

Would allow local school districts to create a Bible study elective class in high school. Filed and referred to Rules Committee.

S.B. 42: Charter School/Govt Unit 

Makes a charter school a "government unit" for the purposes of transfer of property. Presumably would make it easier for new charter schools to obtain local or state government buildings for their use. Passed Senate Committee on State and Local Government and scheduled for a vote on the Senate floor on Monday.

Would require that the State Board of Education mandates instruction in cursive writing and memorization of multiplication tables as part of the standard course of study. Referred to House Education Committee then, if favorable, Appropriations.

Expresses the intent of the Legislature to allow a portion of lottery funds going to education to be used for digital learning in schools. Passed the House. Companion bills for four House digital learning bills were filed in the Senate this week and referred to the Education/Higher Education Committee (S.B. 118, S.B. 119, S.B. 120, S.B. 121).