Members of the North Carolina General Assembly had a full schedule last week, considering bills on everything from providing tax incentives for historic preservation projects to cutting both personal and corporate tax rates. Both chambers are slated to return to action this evening.
Economy and Economic Development
WINSTON SALEM JOURNAL: NC Commerce Department Reports Jobless Rate
Unchanged
North Carolina's unemployment rate was unchanged in February
at 5.3 percent even as job growth was reported in both primary
labor-market measuring sticks, the N.C. Commerce Department
reported Friday. Most economists say a 5 percent jobless rate is
considered as full employment, meaning everyone who wants a job has
a job.
NEWS & OBSERVER: Senate Sales Tax Plan Could Cost Cities,
Towns
State Senator Harry Brown (R-Jones) introduced a bill last week which has the support of the
Senate Republican Leadership, was introduced last Monday along with
a chart showing that about 90 percent of the State's counties
would gain revenue over a five-year span under the change.
Education
WINSTON SALEM JOURNAL: Bill Would Limit Political Activity By
Teachers
A bill filed in the N.C. Senate last Thursday would limit
political activity by school employees, including teachers and
administrators. Sen. Andy Wells, (R-Catawba), the bill's
primary sponsor, said school boards across the state have different
rules on the time, manner and type of political activities in which
school employees can engage.
NEWS & OBSERVER: Bills Would Delay Start of Tougher Grading
Scale
Bills filed Wednesday with the support of influential state
lawmakers would delay for two years tougher standards that could
result in most of North Carolina's public schools getting D or
F performance grades. Senate Bill 450 and House Bill 358 would keep in place through the
2015-16 school year the use of a 15-point scale, where A is 85-100,
when evaluating schools' performance under the A-F grading
system.
Energy
WRAL: Municipal Power Fix Streaks Through the
Senate
The state Senate quickly gave tentative approval Wednesday to a
deal that should lower power bills in 32 cities and towns in
eastern North Carolina. Senate Bill 305 would give the green light
to a deal worked out between the North Carolina Eastern Municipal
Power Agency and Duke Energy.
Healthcare
WRAL: Vaccine Opponents Make Their Case
Several dozen parents opposed to vaccines came to Raleigh Tuesday
to ask lawmakers to preserve the state's religious exemption
from immunization requirements. Surrounded by children, the
protestors held signs comparing mandatory vaccination to Nazi
Germany, war crimes and terrorism.
FAYETEVILLE OBSERVER: Accountable Care Organizations, the Next Level of
Healthcare
These groups of providers - ranging from primary care doctors to
entire hospitals-are mostly treating Medicare patients, something
encouraged by the Affordable Care Act. And as they reduce the cost
of care and hit quality goals, they can to various degrees share in
the money they save the Medicare program.
NEWS & OBSERVER: NC House Panel Rejects Proposal for Medical
Marijuana
A state House committee unanimously rejected a proposal to
legalize medical marijuana after an emotional hour long hearing
that ended with a legislator saying he was assaulted by a marijuana
advocate.
In The Courts
NEWS & OBSERVER: NC Lawyers Face Bar Complaints for Racial Justice
Act Work
Two defense attorneys face accusations of professional misconduct
for a piece of their work on the first successful challenge under
the Racial Justice Act. Gretchen Engel, director of the
Durham-based Center for Death Penalty Litigation, and Cassandra
Stubbs, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union Capital
Punishment Project, were among a team of attorneys who used the
short-lived law to convert a North Carolina death row inmate's
sentence in 2012 to life without possibility for parole.
Transportation
WILMINGTON STAR NEWS: Bill Calls on State to Reconsider Privatizing
Ferry System
State Sen. Bill Rabon (R-Bladen) and two other Republican leaders
on transportation issues want the N.C. Department of Transportation
to take another look at privatizing the state-owned and operated
ferry system.
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