Friday, March 02, 2007

Other Legislative Highlights 3-2-07

This week I introduced several bills:

House Bill 365 (with Rep Martha Alexander, D- Mecklenburg) to provide $44,700,000 in funding to Smart Start

House Bill 400 (with Rep Tom Wright, D-New Hanover, and Rep Alma Adams) which would provide funding and authority for AIDS/HIV and Hepatitis prevention

House Bill 412 (with Rep. Susan Fisher, D- Buncombe) which would lower the threshold of acreage required for a farm to get preferred tax treatment from 10 acres to 5 acres.

Below are several additional bills that have been introduced in the House or Senate during the last week:

· House Bill 388 would provide tax credits for the parents of children with special needs to help offset the expense of special education costs outside of the classroom.

· House Bill 389 would make it a felony to make false statements to an SBI agent.

· House Bill 380 would rotate the order of candidates and political parties as they appear on the ballot.

· House Bill 391 would provide additional funds for the Community College Child Care Program.

· House Bill 415 would provide $600,000 to Connectinc, Inc., which helps dislocated workers obtain health care benefits, receive vocational training, and secure employment.

· House Bill 417 would establish a mentoring program to provide ongoing support for principals entering the profession and for principals from other states who have been in the profession for less than five years.

· House Bill 437 would dedicate revenue from the 7 percent state income tax, which is withheld on lottery winnings, for community college equipment.

· House Bill 404 would allow three days of bereavement leave for state and public school employees upon the death of an immediate family member.

· House Bill 431 would phase out mercury in childhood vaccines. Currently, every child in North Carolina shall be immunized against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, poliomyelitis, red measles (rubeola) and rubella.

· Senate Bill 355 would reenact and expand the long-term care insurance tax credit from $350 per insurance contract to $500.

· Senate Bill 356 would increase the penalty for raping a child younger than twelve years of age.

Legislators have until March 28th to introduce local bills and May 9th to introduce bills related to the budget.

Your opinions and concerns are important to me, and I encourage you to respond to this newsletter by e-mail with comments regarding activities of the General Assembly in the past week, or other issues which affect you and your family, and the quality of life for all of the citizens of Guilford County and North Carolina.

Cheers,

Pricey

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