The General Assembly had an abbreviated stay in Raleigh this week so that lawmakers could celebrate Independence Day with their families and friends.
We used our short session to continue refining our budget plan for the state and conferring with our Senate counterparts about the state’s financial outlook for the months ahead. We’ll get back together at the start of next week.
Since this week we are celebrating the founding of our nation, I thought it would be a good time to update you on some of the legislation we are working on to improve the lives of members of the military and their families. While all of us have an important role to play in our democracy, our soldiers and sailors are often the ones forced to risk their lives when our safety is threatened by others. Their families must make do without their loved ones for months at a time and too often they must stand over their graves.
This state has one of the nation’s largest populations of active military members and veterans and I am fortunate to serve in the state House alongside several veterans, including six paratroopers, who have helped us develop a strong plan for improving the lives of our service members. We are also home to a number of military bases, including two of the world’s premiere military installations — Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune. Working for the military in North Carolina keeps our state economy healthy and our nation strong.
Thank you for allowing me to share this information with you. Please contact me if I can be of any assistance.
Community Support
North Carolina has the fourth-largest military presence in the country and many military families experience significant hardship and stress related to the ongoing fight against terrorists in the Middle East. The Homeland Security, Military and Veterans Affairs committee is considering a bill (H1192) that would award $26 million in grants to relieve these hardships within North Carolina’s military communities.
The House Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House is considering a bill (H1721) that would establish a joint study committee on military and veteran’s affairs. The committee would study ways to better the lives of the state’s veterans, service members and their families.
Consumer Protection
A bill to protect servicemen from financial scams has passed the House and been sent to the Senate Committee on Small Business, Commerce, and Entrepreneurship. The bill (H773) helps protect members of the military from financial fraud such as predatory life insurance policies that may not cover death in combat and predatory annuity sales. A separate bill (H981) proposes setting aside money to hire a consumer protection specialist position in the Department of Justice. The specialist would work largely with service members who may have been defrauded.
Business
Small businesses and service members would benefit from a bill introduced in the House that would award tax credits for employing reservists or National Guardsmen who are called to active duty. The tax credits would help employers pay the costs of training replacements for deployed service members and reintegrating returned soldiers into the workforce. The proposal would cost an estimated $4 million and was part of the House’s recommended budget. Negotiations about the credit continue as part of the budget process.
Family
A bill to protect the parental custody and visitation rights of deployed and active members of the military was ratified and will become law after the governor signs it. The bill (H1634) permits expedited custody hearings for service members called into duty and hearings via telephone for service members deployed on short notice. It also prevents a parent from citing deployment and a reason to modify or change custody arrangements. Under the new law, any custody order issued because of deployment expires within 10 days of the soldier’s return.
Employment
The House passed a bill that grants leaves of absence for elected or appointed state officials who are called to active military duty and permits temporary officials to be appointed during their absences. The bill (H671) was sent to the Senate Committee on State and Local Government.
A bill to clarify hiring preferences for veterans in state government has also cleared the House. The bill (H1412) grants veterans and their surviving spouses or dependents preference with state departments, agencies, and institutions. It is currently in the Senate Committee on State and Local Government.
A bill to add a veteran to the State Personnel Commission (H1413) passed the House and is now in the Senate Committee on State and Local Government. The commission sets policies and practices for hiring in the state.
The Senate approved two House bills on Tuesday regarding military service. One (H1414) provides that teachers and state employees called into active duty receive credit for time spent in the military for retirement purposes. That bill is on its way to Gov. Mike Easley for his signature. The other bill (H1415) protects teachers and state employees from being denied short-term benefits because of absences for military service. It must return to the House for concurrence on changes made in the Senate.
Notes
Members of the state House have met several times with veterans and active duty service members this session to honor their sacrifices at home and in wars overseas. One resolution (H1720) honored the 11 National Guard members who died in the line of duty and six who were killed in action since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Nearly 11,000 members of the guard have been deployed overseas since that time and 135 have been wounded in action. Guidons from the 72 North Carolina National Guard units that were deployed since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, were displayed for several weeks in the Legislative rotunda between the main entrances to the House and Senate chambers. A resolution honoring Tuskegee Airmen, the black soldiers who were the first in the United States trained as fighter pilots, is expected later this month.
The House passed a resolution (H1929) asking the Department of Defense to return the remains of a Marine killed in Cambodia to Duplin County. Lance Cpl. Joseph Nelson Hargrove was captured by Khmer Rouge forces on Koh Tang Island in 1975 while trying to free kidnapped crew members of the SS Mayaguez. Hargrove’s grave site was identified on the island in 2001 but his body was not recovered and returned to his family.
Please remember that you can listen to each day’s session, committee meetings and press conferences on the General Assembly’s website. Once on the site, select “audio,” and then make your selection — House Chamber, Senate Chamber, Appropriations Committee Room or Press Conference Room.
As I’ve said many times before, I hope you will continue to let me know how you feel about the issues that are being debated by the North Carolina Legislature and the challenges you and your family are facing each day.
By working together, we can make Northampton, Vance and Warren Counties and all regions of North Carolina a better place to live, work and raise a family.