The Associated Press
By Gary D. Robertson and Emery P. Dalesio.
Tuesday, May. 05, 2009

Tuesday at the North Carolina General Assembly

  • State employees rally against lawmakers making unpaid worker furloughs easier
  • Senate tentatively backs body to control Yadkin dams in growing contest with Alcoa
  • Bill to stop 16-, 17-year-olds from entering adult courts automatically passes House panel
  • Smoking ban bill returning to Senate Health Care Committee on Wednesday
  • Bill to change NC public school start date suffers setback in House committee

BULLYING BILL: The Senate has given tentative approval to a bill that would require all school districts to approve detailed anti-bullying policies its supporters say would protect children. Senators voted 25-22 in favor of the measure, which lists perceived characteristics of a person who could be susceptible to bullying behavior. Those include sexual orientation and gender identity. Some Christian groups are bothered by the designation, arguing it would create protected classes of people and give gays and lesbians special rights. Sen. Julia Boseman, D-New Hanover, the bill's chief sponsor, said the bill isn't designed to encourage any particular type of behavior except to keep kids safe in schools. Three Democrats joined all voting Republicans in opposing the measure. A final Senate vote could come Wednesday

FROWNING ON FURLOUGHS: More than 100 members of the State Employees Association of North Carolina rallied on the mall between the Legislative Building and old state Capitol to protest potential efforts to use more furloughs to save the state money. The rally came one week after Gov. Beverly Perdue ordered a 0.5 percent pay cut for all workers in exchange for 10 hours of unpaid leave to help close this year's $3.2 billion budget shortfall. The association — a union with 55,000 members — said it would staunchly oppose any new mandatory furloughs. Neither Perdue nor legislative leaders have provided assurances to workers that more furloughs won't occur.

WATER FIGHT: The Senate voted 44-4 on Tuesday to tentatively approve creating a state corporation that would acquire and control four dams along the Yadkin River if North Carolina someday gains control from Alcoa Inc. North Carolina is contesting Alcoa's federal license to operate the dams, which the aluminum producer has operated for more than 50 years. The dams for decades powered an aluminum smelter that employed nearly 1,000 people, but the plant closed and the jobs were lost several years ago. Alcoa is seeking a new license that would allow it to control the dams and the $44 million in annual revenue they produce from electricity sales.

YOUNG OFFENDERS: Sixteen- and 17-year-olds would no longer automatically be sent to adult courts on criminal charges in legislation recommended by the House Juvenile Justice Committee. Supporters say the bill, which now goes to a judiciary panel, would give more children a second chance by having their cases in juvenile court. North Carolina is one of two states where children under 18 are prosecuted automatically in adult court, with no exceptions. Rep. Rick Glazier, D-Cumberland, a primary bill sponsor, said the change would give teenagers intensive help. It also would keep convictions off of their permanent adult records. Children as young as 13 could still be tried in adult court on a felony but only if a judge agrees.

SECONDTAKE ON SECONDHAND SMOKE: A broad smoking ban in North Carolina restaurants, work sites and other public places will return to committee so it can be changed in hopes of making more palatable to senators. Sen. Bill Purcell, D-Scotland, said an amended bill will be rolled out Wednesday in the Senate Health Care Committee of which he is chairman. Purcell said some of the restrictions in the bill will be loosened but it still won't allow smoking where children under age 18 don't work or can't patronize. That exception was in a House bill that passed last month. A more restrictive bill was pulled from the Senate floor last week because there weren't enough votes to pass it.

SCHOOL CALENDAR: A bill to allow school districts to start classes each year as much as 2 1/2 weeks earlier than currently allowed hit a road block in a House committee. The House Commerce Committee narrowly defeated a motion to recommend the measure go to the House floor. The 13-to-14 vote doesn't necessarily kill the bill. Bill sponsor Rep. Ray Rapp of Madison County hopes the motion will be reconsidered. The bill would change the 2004 requiring most schools to begin no sooner than Aug. 25 and end by June 10. Districts could start as early as Aug 8.

    In the House:
  • H833, would establish nonpartisan elections for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school board seats and stagger the election cycle. Tentatively approved 67-49. Next: Final House vote.
  • H901, to direct the State Board of Education to develop honors-level courses in healthful living education at the high school level. Tentatively approved 85-31. Next: Final House vote. In the Senate:
  • S800, to allow the Department of Health and Human Services to place a permanent worker at state mental hospitals and department schools on unpaid leave without warning for up to 10days if the employee is accused of abusing and neglecting a patient or student. Approved 35-13. Next: To the House.
  • S998, to impose a moratorium that prevents the Coastal Resources Commission from removing sandbags as a temporary erosion control measure in a community that is actively pursuing a beach nourishment project. Approved. Next: To the Senate. Introduced in the House:
  • H1583, would raise from $200 to $300 the fee for a selective vegetation removal from the Department of Transportation, and make policy changes.
  • H1587, would direct the Revenue Laws Study Committee to study the effect on local governments of property tax relief programs and exemptions.
  • H1588, to limit a corporation's tax deduction for compensation paid to any executive that is more than 50 times the annual compensation of the corporation's lowest paid full-time employee.
  • H1590, to authorize the state to issue $3 billion of bonds secured by state lottery revenues for public school capital facilities.
  • Republican legislators are urging Democrats who control state government to resume executions after a state Supreme Court ruling last week. The state's highest court said the North Carolina Medical Board overstepped its power with a threat to discipline doctors participating in executions. That case, along with a tangle of other legal issues, has effectively frozen death sentences for more than two years. At a Legislative Building news conference, Republicans leaders said the General Assembly shouldn't step in to further hold off death sentences from being carried out.
  • Wake County Democratic leaders are slated to meet Wednesday to choose a successor to the late Sen. VernonMalone, D-Wake, who died April 18. At least eight people are seeking the post, including current state representative and former House Speaker Dan Blue, as well as Bernard Allen II, son of the late Rep. Bernard Allen. Gov. Beverly Perdue is required by law to accept the choice of local Democratic leaders and appoint the winner to serve out the remainder of Malone's two-year term.
  • House members have until 3 p.m. Wednesday to file their final bills of the year. Other deadlines to introduce bills in both the House and Senate have already passed. House members can only file bills that seek an appropriation or would require additional taxes or fees.

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