06/15/2006

Associated Press

House budget

_ With a majority of Republicans joining all Democrats in the chamber, the House tentatively approved Wednesday its proposed $18.9 billion budget plan. Although the largest budget proposal in state history — it's $94 million larger than the Senate budget approved three weeks ago — the House spending plan is more than 40 pages smaller than the Senate proposal. Thirty-one of the 57 Republicans voted for the measure, apparently pleased enough with the large pay raises for public school teachers and state employees and the partial reduction of a pair of "temporary" tax increases approved in 2001 but has never gone off the books. Both the Senate and House budgets would spend lots of new money to hire more than 200 prosecutors, judges and court officials and to improve mental health services that suffered during the recession earlier this decade. The House also agreed to set aside $53 million to help relieve the counties' growing burden of Medicaid expenses. The measure also spends $159.7 million in capital projects, largely for university campus buildings and a new Central Prison hospital. But it leaves out a cap on the state gasoline tax that the Senate provides. If the House gives final approval Thursday, the two chambers will then negotiate on the differences and hopefully get a compromise passed and sent to Gov. Mike Easley's desk before July 1. The budget bill adjusts the second year of the two-year spending plan approved last summer.

Floor amendments

The nearly five-hour House floor debate on the budget included discussion and votes on 10 amendment. The most talked-about amendment would have required that $26.7 million of the $44 million set aside to eliminate annual spending cuts for local school districts be spent on helping disadvantaged students at risk of failure. Budget proposals by Gov. Mike Easley and the Senate provided money for a special at-risk student fund created in 2004 in response to the Leandro school lawsuit. Rep. William Wainwright, D-Craven, the amendment sponsor, said the state needed to act now on helping these children. Other educators said eliminating the entire $44 million spending cut was the top priority for local school districts this year and should help with improving student performance. Other amendments that failed would have shifted scholarship money to private university students and would have slowed down efforts for the construction of a proposed dental school at East Carolina University. Other Republican amendments to address pay raises and deeper tax cuts were prevented from receiving votes.

Smoking restrictions

A Senate health committee unanimously agreed to ban smoking within General Assembly buildings. Senate and House members have both outlawed smoking within their chambers over the past three years, but legislators, lobbyists and others still are allowed to enjoy a smoke in other corridors and rooms in the Legislative Building and Legislative Office Building. Rep. Rick Glazier, D-Cumberland, the bill's sponsor, said everyone who comes to legislative buildings — not just lawmakers — deserve protection from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke. The General Assembly has previously banned smoking in public museums, libraries, prisons and public health centers, and last year raised the cigarette tax from a nickel to 35 cents. North Carolina produces about 300 million pounds a year of flue-cured tobacco, the most common form of tobacco used in cigarettes. That's about 70 percent of all the flue-cured tobacco grown in the country. The bill is scheduled for Senate floor debate Thursday.

Military funerals

Senators approved a resolution to permit the General Assembly to consider a bill that would prohibit protests at military funerals. The idea is a response to a leader of an anti-gay church from Kansas who has picketed the deaths of military members around the nation. The Rev. Fred Phelps has been leading protests that contend their deaths are as an example of God's wrath against a country that is tolerant of homosexuals. The resolution was sponsored by Sen. Jim Jacumin, R-Burke. It was among a package of similar resolutions approved Wednesday that would allow bills to be considered during this year's short session. Others include two provisions to protect people from identity theft, including one that exclusively seeks to guard military members from the crime in the wake of stolen veterans data.

Land for Tomorrow

A group representing hundreds of advocacy groups, local governments and state notables lobbied the General Assembly in support of a proposed $1 billion bond issue this November for land preservation and park expansions. The "Land for Tomorrow" organisation is backing identical pieces of legislation cosponsored by more than half of the Legislature's 170 members. Bond proponents argue the state's growing population will make it more difficult to to preserve the state's natural resources and historic landmarks. The measure would permit the state to issue general obligation bonds starting in 2007, phased in over at least three years. The proceeds would be given in the form of grants to four existing conservation trust funds. The group says the money would protect 740,000 acres, protect 6,000 miles of rivers and streams and restore 350 historic landmarks. Bond proponents include former Govs. Jim Hunt, Jim Martin and Jim Holshouser. Group members also signed a large card to be sent to Gov. Mike Easley asking for his support. Other groups are competing for a limited amount of bond capacity in North Carolina. They include upgrading aging water and sewer systems and public school construction.

Flag Day

Senate and House lawmakers honored North Carolina military veterans on Flag Day with a resolution that expressed "profound appreciation and gratitude" to past and present service members. "We often lose sight of the meaning of our flag," said Sen. Tony Rand, D-Cumberland. "But there's no better way to celebrate it than by honoring the veterans." North Carolina is home to more than 770,000 veterans and 90,000 military on active duty, including National Guard and reserve members. Dozens of veteran met with lawmakers Wednesday, hosting a barbecue lunch to discuss military affairs. The N.C. Veterans Council would like tax relief for disabled vets, including the elimination of the highway use tax on cars they buy. Lawmakers already have set aside money for military personnel, including $8.7 million budgeted by Gov. Mike Easley and both chambers to build two new veterans nursing homes.

Public financing

Campaign reform advocates urged lawmakers to approve a similar voluntary public finance pilot for four legislative races in 2008. Under the bill recommended by the House, candidates in the races who agree to fundraising restrictions from outside contributors would qualify to receive $50,000 to run for a House seat and $75,000 for a Senate seat. Additional "rescue funds" would be available to a qualifying candidate when an outside group or nonparticipating candidate start outspending the candidate. It's modeled after a similar law that allows for public financing of appellate court races that supporters argue have been quite successful.

Quotable

"You're going to see the best of us and the worst of us today." — House Speaker Jim Black, D-Mecklenburg, told gallery visitors as the chamber began debate on the $18.9 billion budget bill, which often creates long sessions and plenty of amendments. But he said later the debate went pretty well.

END