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July 26, 2013
Budget Passes; End of Session
Greetings!
Final Budget Passes; Session Ends
A final budget for the 2013-15 biennium was released on Sunday evening and passed by both houses on Wednesday. Click here for Action for Children's analysis of the budget. Click below for line-by-line comparisons of the final budget with the Governor, Senate, and House budgets.
The Senate adjourned late last night, and the House adjourned today. Both houses will reconvene next May 14th.
Compromise Tax Shift Plan Now Law
Governor McCrory signed the House- and Senate-passed tax plan this week, which is expected to lower taxes overall by at least $662 million a year once fully implemented. That will mean more cuts to state services and programs for children and families. Overall, the plan skews the burden of financing state government towards the poor, middle class and small businesses, and away from the wealthy and large corporations. Personal and corporate income taxes are lowered, and the sales tax base is expanded somewhat. The state Earned Income Tax Credit, a program begun by President Reagan and strongly supported by both parties, is eliminated.
Voter ID Bill Passes with Sweeping Changes to NC Elections Law
The House and Senate have passed a voter ID bill that includes dozens of changes made by Senate Republicans that restrict voting still further.
The bill will:
- Cut the early voting period from 17 to 10 days
- Prohibit counties from extending early voting hours on the Saturday before Election Day to accommodate crowds
- Eliminate same-day voter registration during early voting.
- Prohibit university students from using their college IDs.
- Eliminate pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds.
- Outlaw paid voter registration drives.
- Eliminate straight-ticket voting.
- Eliminate provisional voting if someone shows up at the wrong precinct.
- Prohibit counties from extending poll hours by one hour on Election Day in extraordinary circumstances, such as in response to long lines. Those in line at closing time would still be allowed to vote.
- Allow any registered voter of a county to challenge the eligibility of a voter.
- Move the presidential primary to the first Tuesday after South Carolina's primary if that state holds its primary before March 15. That would mean North Carolina would have two primaries during presidential elections.
- Study electronic filing for campaign returns.
- Increase the maximum allowed campaign contribution per election from $4,000 to $5,000.
- Loosen disclosure requirements in campaign ads paid for by independent committees.
- Repeal the publicly funded election program for appellate court judges.
- Repeal the requirement that candidates endorse ads run by their campaigns.
The U.S. Department of Justice is preparing a complaint against the state because of the legislation's impact on minority voting.
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Abortion Bill Passes; Will Governor McCrory Sign?
The House and Senate have passed a sweeping bill that, if allowed to become law by the Governor, will limit women's access to abortion in the state. It would impose stricter regulations on abortion clinics, require more contact between abortion clinic doctors and patients, and limit insurance coverage for the procedure, including from the state's federal health insurance exchange under the Affordable Care Act. Only one of the state's 16 abortion clinics currently meets the stricter standards, and in other states, clinics have been forced to close because they cannot upgrade to the extent required in the new law.
Advocates called on McCrory to veto the bill. While campaigning for governor last fall, McCrory said he would not support any new restrictions on abortions. He recently said, however, that the House version of the bill (which is the one that passed) satisfies safety concerns without limiting access to abortions.
Abortion-rights groups presented petitions they said contained more than 35,000 signatures of North Carolinians from across the state who oppose the bill. And a group of dozens of city and county officials from metropolitan counties presented a letter to the governor opposing the legislation.
Relevant Bills Acted on This Week
Key bills affecting children that were acted on this week at the General Assembly are listed below. This completes action by the General Assembly for the 2013 fiscal year.
Safety
Would create a Juvenile Jurisdiction Advisory Committee to create a pilot civil citation process for juveniles and raise the age of juvenile court jurisdiction to include 16- and 17-year-olds accused of misdemeanors. Amendments would make the bill not fully effective until 2020 and then only if funds are available. Passed the House Rules Committee, and a fiscal note was added. Passed second reading in the House handily (65 to 32), but one more vote on the House floor is required, and should be held at the start of the 2014 session, in May.
All rule-making boards, commissions and agencies are to review rules deemed necessary but controversial. Recent Senate changes compile two other bills (S.B. 112 and H.B. 94) into this one and make many environmental and other regulatory changes. Conference report passed the Senate and the House and the bill was sent to the Governor for his signature.
H.B. 937: Amend Various Firearms Laws
Omnibus guns-rights bill that includes many of the provisions filed in previous bills this session, including, among others, carrying guns in bars and on community college and university campuses. Also increases penalties for some gun-related offenses and limits local governments' ability to prohibit persons with concealed carry permits from carrying weapons. Final bill passed both houses without the provision that would have eliminated the requirement to get a permit before purchasing a pistol. Sent to the Governor for his signature.
Lays out 11 core principles for protecting foster care children's rights. Signed into law by the Governor.
Amendments made in the House Rules Committee to allow local governments to permit people as young as 16 to operate ATVs on streets and roads posted at 35 MPH or less have been removed from the bill, and it is now just a definition change. The bill is also being used as a vehicle to establish the Joint Oversight Committee on General Government. The revised bill passed the House unanimously and was received in the Senate for concurrence. The Senate failed to concur with House changes.
Education
Original bill would have created a separate governing body for charter schools. The House Education Committee instead recommended creating an advisory board on charter matters, based on opposition to the idea from the State board Chairman, the state schools Superintendent and others. Reduces the percentage of teachers in charter schools that must be certified to 25 percent. Passed both houses and signed by the Governor.
Would allow eligible students with disabilities to apply for $3,000/semester scholarship grants to attend any nonpublic school and to receive special education and related services in a nonpublic school setting. Replaces a refundable tax credit that was passed two years ago for children with disabilities. House concurred with Senate changes, and bill was sent to the Governor for his signature.
H.B. 831: Ed. Services for Children in PRTFs
Provides for the education of children in private Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities. Would require all facilities to have a school, and the State Board of Education could allocate funds for those schools. Passed the House Rules Committee and the full House. Sent to the Senate and referred to the Senate Health Care Committee. Should be eligible for consideration in the 2014 short legislative session.
Economic Security
Original bill would have required local DSS offices to do a search for outstanding arrest warrants for all applicants applying for public benefits. New version would also require drug screening for each applicant or recipient of Work First Program assistance when the Department of Health and Human Services reasonably suspects the person is engaged in the illegal use of controlled substances. Makes the person who is tested responsible for the upfront cost of the drug screening. Ratified and will be presented to the Governor for his signature.
Key Bills -- Not Passed, but Viable in 2014
The following bills of note did not pass this legislative session, but because they passed one house or the other (the House, in this case), or they have a fiscal impact, they will still be viable in the 2014 legislative session.
- HB 18: YOUTH SKIN CANCER PREVENTION ACT
- HB 585: PREA COMPLIANCE (Prison Rape Elimination Act)
- HB 670: DSS STUDY/EXTEND FOSTER CARE TO AGE 21
- HB 725: YOUNG OFFENDERS REHABILITATION ACT (Raise the Age)
- HB 805: BAN SMOKING IN FOSTER CARE SETTING/INFANTS
- HB 831: ED. SVCS. FOR CHILDREN IN PRTFs
Key Bills -- Passed this Session
The following bills that affect children were passed this session.
Friday Conference Calls
Action for Children and the Covenant with North Carolina's Children's Friday morning conference calls concluded today with the legislative session adjournment.
Events
August 7, 2013 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Annex Center, University of North Carolina Pembroke
Did you know one in four residents in Robeson County is a child under the age of 18?
Join the North Carolina Academic Center for Excellence in Youth Violence Prevention and Action for Children North Carolina as we discuss the health, safety, financial security and education of children in Robeson County.
Event will include discussion of social and demographic data trends in the county, best practices for steering youth away from crime and strategies to engage communities in the public policy debate.
A continental breakfast and lunch will be served. This event is free and open to the public. Advance registration is required.
Mark your calendars for our 30th Anniversary celebration to be held on Wednesday, November 6th from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh. Click here to see who won Action for Children's 2013 Shining Star Award. For more information, please contact Beth Williamson, 30th Anniversary Event Coordinator, at beth@ncchild.org or call at 919.834.6623 extension 235. New Reports
Just as the legislature has passed a budget that cuts oral health services, a new report finds that tooth decay is the most common chronic disease among children ages 5 to 19, affecting approximately 1 in 5 children. In North Carolina, 14 percent of children in kindergarten (ages 5-6) have untreated dental decay in at least one primary tooth. While North Carolina has made tremendous improvements in dental service utilization by children enrolled in Medicaid and NC Health Choice over the past decade, there is still room for improvement. The North Carolina Institute of Medicine Task Force on Children's Preventive Oral Health Services, in partnership with the North Carolina Division of Medical Assistance and others, studied the issue of how to increase utilization of preventive dental services by children enrolled in Medicaid and NC Health Choice and developed a series of policy recommendations. Visit www.nciom.org to read the full report.
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