Rep. Wray’s Raleigh report


A final budget and the end of this year’s legislative session are in sight.

The House and Senate have nearly completed negotiations on a final spending plan, and committee chairs have been asked to finish their work by July 28. General Assembly leaders continue to hope they can reach a deal that would let the state assume the Medicaid costs paid by the counties, and members of both chambers are considering a number of ways to do this. Some of the plans would allow the counties to levy either a quarter-cent sales tax or a .4 percent land transfer tax, but only with voter approval. Those plans would make sure that counties have the money they need to pay for schools and other infrastructure needs and would probably result in lower property taxes.

In other business this week, we made some important progress on bills to reform our medical malpractice laws and to improve our criminal justice system. We also moved closer to protecting residents of long-term care facilities from the fire hazards associated with smoking and to continuing to guard our environment against the dangers of hog lagoons.

Thank you for allowing me to share this information with you. Please contact me if I can be of any assistance.

Environment

Existing hog lagoons would be phased out and new ones would be difficult to build under legislation approved this week by the House Agriculture Committee. Environmentalists and others say the open pits — which store hog waste that is later used as fertilizer — are smelly health hazards. The state has had a moratorium on new lagoons for the past 10 years, but replacing them with new, cleaner technology is expensive. The bill (S1465) proposes a $2 million a year cost-sharing program to help farmers pay the cost of replacing the pits with more environmentally friendly systems. It also would create a pilot program to use methane from the lagoons to generate electricity. The bill is supported by environmental, farm and industry groups and would represent a major step forward after years of trying to find better ways to handle hog waste. The deal will protect farmers’ investments and livelihoods while also keeping the state’s waters and soil clean. North Carolina is the nation’s second-largest hog farming state with 10 million animals and $6.7 billion in yearly sales.

Courts

A bill that would reform the way medical malpractice cases are handled in North Carolina passed the General Assembly this week and is ready for the governor’s signature. The bill (H1671) would require parties to discuss arbitration as a possible way to resolve malpractice cases. If all parties agree, a strict timetable for the arbitration, along with other guidelines for the negotiations, goes into place. The guidelines are intended to help get the cases resolved quicker than a trial and a cap of $1 million on all damages –economic and non-economic — would apply. The bill is the latest example of how state lawmakers are trying to speed up the handling of malpractice cases and limit the costs associated with lengthy trials and legal procedures that increase the costs. The bill represents a compromise crafted with the help of the NC Medical Society and the Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Health

People who smoke in nursing homes or adult-care centers would be subject to a $200 fine under a House bill that’s now moving through the Senate. The bill was introduced in April, just after a cigarette ignited a fire at an adult care home in Davie County, killing one person and injuring 21 others. Residents of such homes are already banned from smoking in their rooms, but can smoke in indoor lounges. The bill (H1294) returns to the House, where members will decide whether to accept a Senate change that would exempt state psychiatric hospitals from the smoking ban.

Public Safety

A bill headed to the governor would require motorcycle and moped riders to wear helmets that meet federal safety standards. The existing law requires only that the state Division of Motor Vehicles commissioner approve the helmets. The federal standard is stricter. The proposal (H563) also includes a provision that would allow local governments to regulate protests along state roads. The Senate approved the bill this week and House concurred with the new version.

Notes

The House honored the late Sen. Jeanne Lucas on Tuesday, remembering her as a lawmaker dedicated to improving education. Lucas, a former teacher and school administrator, died in March at the age of 71. She had served in the Senate since 1993. Her family and many of her friends sat in the audience as Lucas’ colleagues recalled her humor and the guidance she often provided.

About half of the state will be densely populated by 2030, according to a new report from the Conservation Trust for North Carolina. The report analyzed housing density statistics as far back as 1940 and says farms, forests and other open spaces have become “islands in a sea of suburban development.” The group wants a $1 billion bond referendum for conservation, at least $6 million for farmland preservation and expanded tax incentives for land preservation.

Rep. Larry Womble returned to the House on Tuesday after a brief illness. He had to leave the chamber on a stretcher last week after feeling ill.

I attended the following events:

  • Southern Legislative Conference, Williamsburg, VA
  • The following people visited my office:

  • Mr. Jerry Moss, City Manager, City of Henderson
  • Mr. Robert Gupton, Henderson City Council
  • Ms. Lynn Harper, Henderson City Council
  • Ms. Elissa Yount, Henderson City Council
  • Mr. Jason Feingold, Home in Henderson
  • Mr. Reggie Ponder, The Daily Dispatch
  • 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.

    The House will return to session Monday at 7 p.m.

    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.