Members of the North Carolina General Assembly had a full schedule last week, considering bills on everything from taxes and job incentives to whether the governor should be elected on a team ticket. Both chambers return to action today, in preparation for the April 30th crossover deadline.
Economy and Economic Development
CHARLOTTE OBSERVER: State Treasurer Cowell Launching Second
Fund that Invests in NC Companies
North Carolina's 90 billion pension plan is launching
a second fund that invests in North Carolina companies after a
strong five-year run by the first fund, State Treasurer Cowell said
Wednesday. The Second North Carolina innovation fund pumps $250
million into private equity funds.
CHARLOTTE OBSERVER: NC Unemployment Rate Rises to 5.4% in
March
North Carolina's unemployment rate rose a notch to 5.4 percent
in March as tens of thousands of people entered the labor force in
search of work. A year ago, the state's unemployment rate stood
at 6.4 percent.
GREENSBORO NEWS & RECORD: Volvo Can't Find 'Certainty'
in NC Incentives
Volvo may have dropped North Carolina from its list of prospective
plant sites because this state can't promise its incentive
programs have solid legislative support, the state's
administration suggested Tuesday. Amid reports that Volvo is
considering South Carolina or Georgia for a $500 million plant,
North Carolina officials won't comment on whether this state is
still on the list.
Education
NEWS & OBSERVER: House Wants to Study Fixed Tuition at
UNC
The state House is willing to consider fixed-tuition for
UNC system students, giving approval Tuesday to an order for the
system Board of Governors to study the idea. The concept is that
UNC students would be guaranteed a set tuition cost for four years
once they start school
NEWS & OBSERVER: Scholarship Program Proposed for NC
Teachers
State House education leaders want to find a way to
attract high school students and working professionals to teaching
careers at a time when interest in the profession is dropping. They
are proposing, in House Bill 661, to offer scholarships of up to
$8,500 a year to high school students seeking to enroll in
traditional teacher preparation programs or alternative
"fast-track" programs.
Energy
WINSTON SALEM JOURNAL: DENR to Drill Fracking Test Well in Walnut
Grove
The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources plans to
drill 1,750 feet deep in this area to get a better idea of what
potential shale-gas reserves may lie in the Dan River Basin. The
selected test site sits on land owned by the town of Walnut Cove, a
town of 1,400 people. The site is about 2 miles north of the line
between Forsyth and Stokes counties, off Crestview Drive, in a
predominately black neighborhood of brick ranch homes
Healthcare
WINSTON SALEM JOURNAL: Bi-Partisan Bills Would Provide Insurance
for Those with Autism
Providing health insurance coverage to individuals with
autism and their parents is the goal of bipartisan bills filed in
the House and Senate. Advocates say the bills differ notably in how
much coverage they would provide, as well as how they address the
intervention learning strategy known as adaptive behavioral
analysis
NEWS & OBSERVER: NC House Panel Debates Dropping Healthcare
Facility Regulations
Some N.C. House members voiced skepticism Monday about
repealing regulations that govern new and expanded healthcare
facilities. House Bill 200 is one of two bills this session that
would change the state's process for granting a Certificate of
Need – a crucial permit required for opening a new healthcare
facility. A Senate proposal sponsored by Rules Chairman Tom Apodaca
would eliminate the process entirely.
In The Courts
NEWS & OBSERVER: NC Legislators Renew Push to Keep Teens
out of Adult Courts
Steal a pair of sneakers in North Carolina the day after you turn
16 and you'll be charged as an adult. You may not go to jail,
but you'll have an adult criminal record that stays with you
the rest of your life. It's been that way for 96 years –
ever since the Juvenile Court Statute of 1919 became state law.
GREENSBORO NEWS & RECORD: Court-Ordered Review of NC Redistricting
Looms
Last week the U.S. Supreme Court reignited a serious
political debate in North Carolina, ordering a review of a state
court ruling on the 2011 redistricting that led to new election
lines for state and federal lawmakers. The ruling comes at a time
when redistricting is taking center stage in political battles at
the state and national level. There is a bipartisan movement for
independent, nonpartisan redistricting in North Carolina.
Transportation
WILMINGTON STAR NEWS: State Lawmakers Consider Priority Passes
for Fort Fisher-Southport Ferry
The line to board the Fort Fisher to Southport ferry
could soon become a little more exclusive. A proposal moving
through the N.C. General Assembly would institute a priority
boarding pass on all state ferries for those passengers willing to
fork over $150 per year in addition to already established
tolls.
NEWS & OBSERVER: Senator Pulls Bill to Force NCDOT
Layoffs
After a Senate committee endorsed a bill ordering the
layoffs of 81 state Department of Transportation workers,
Transportation Secretary Tony Tata persuaded the sponsor Wednesday
to withdraw the legislation, a Tata spokesman said. The bill
sponsor, Sen. Bill Rabon, was not immediately available for
comment. The DOT spokesman announced the agreement but indicated
that some layoffs might be coming.
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