Sen. Berger’s Greetings from Raleigh


Greetings from Raleigh!

I hope that your week has been good and that you were fortunate enough to get some much needed rain. Perhaps the weekend will provide some relief from the heat.

North Carolina Senate Votes for State Takeover of County Share of Medicaid

On Tuesday of this week, the North Carolina Senate took a historic step by passing legislation that would phase out the local county share for Medicaid. This legislation has been the number one agenda item for the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners during my three years of service in the Senate. There is a legitimate concern that the House will not agree to a state takeover of Medicaid unless the Senate agrees to give each county the ability to raise the transfer tax by referendum of the people. Medicaid relief hits rural counties the hardest, whereas the need for additional revenue for infrastructure due to growth is of greater importance to urban counties and counties adjacent to metropolitan areas.

Click here to see vote totals.

Litter Reduction Bill Debated in the Senate

On Wednesday of this week, the Commerce, Small Business, and Entrepreneurship Committee heard debate on Senate Bill 214, “The Litter Reduction Act of 2007.” Franklin County resident Mr. Wyatt McGhee made a powerpoint presentation in support of the bill that would require a 10 cent refundable deposit to be placed on all beverage containers. The Sierra Club spoke in favor of the bill. Members of the Franklin County Solid Waste Task Force were present in support of our efforts to try to gain support for the legislation. Opponents of the bill hired an out-of-state lobbyist to travel to North Carolina to speak in opposition. We have not been able to secure the votes for passage of the bill, so it will not be voted on this session. Below is a link to a WRAL-TV news report on the committee hearing:

Click here for link to WRAL report.

Butner Incorporation Bill on Its Way to the Governor

Today, the Butner Incorporation Bill passed the Senate and was sent back immediately to the House for concurrence. Representative Jim Crawford arranged for the vote for concurrence to take place today. We are going to request that Governor Easley do a ceremonial signing for this important legislation.

Hopefully, we will have the final budget in hand on Tuesday of next week. Following discussion and debate, a vote can occur.

Have a great week end! As always, I welcome your comments, questions, and concerns. I appreciate the opportunity to serve as your senator in the North Carolina General Assembly.

Sincerely,

Doug Berger