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NEWS FROM RALEIGH… I always welcome your comments, project updates, suggestions, and visits. My office door and electronic door is always open to you! As always, thank you for your support!
NEWSLETTER INDEX Around the District and More
Events
Legislative News
Notes of Thanks
Ethics Tip
Hear and See Legislative Live Daily
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AROUND THE DISTRICT AND MORE AKA Day at the Legislature
Senator Bryant met with several members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated for AKA Legislative Day on June 5, 2013.
Pictured above with Senator Bryant: Terry Anderson and Dolores Faison
Madelyn Schulz and Jordan Smith Served as Pages in the Senate
Madelyn Ann Schulz (Maddie), a student at Kipp Pride High School, recently served as a Page. Maddie was sponsored by Trudy Wade and appointed by the Senate President Pro Tempore, Phil Berger of Rockingham County. Maddie was a great help to the office during a busy week and enjoyed her experience as a Page. Jordan Thai Chau Smith, a freshman at Kerr Vance Academy, recently served as a Page. Jordan was sponsored by Senator Bryant and appointed by the Senate President Pro Tempore, Phil Berger of Rockingham County. Jordan says: “This week has been an outstanding experience for me. I finally go to observe the other side of the spectrum in observing the business conducted inside the chamber. As a teenager I only viewed it as just people debating but now I know how much planning and effort goes into it.”
Statewide high school students in page 9 through 12 serve as pages when the General Assembly is in session. They perform valuable duties for the Senators and their office staff. They attend daily Senate sessions, committee meetings, and assist staff members with office duties during the week they serve in the Legislature.
Pictured above: Senator Bryant and Maddie Schulz Pictured above: Senator Bryant and Jordan Smith <<UPDATED INFORMATION>> 2013-2014 Municipal Elections Information Candidate filing forms and information July 5, 2013 – Candidate Filing Period- (begins at noon) (G.S. 163-291) (G.S. 163-294.2) 2014 Municipal Election Dates:
February 11, 2014 – Candidates Filing Period – (begins at noon) February 28, 2014 – Candidates Filing Period – (ends at noon) More information can be found at: http://www.ncsbe.gov/content.aspx?id=61
Breast Cancer Treatment Assistance and Survivorship Program How does the program work: Assistance is available to breast cancer patients residing in Edgecombe, Nash, Wilson, Halifax, and Northampton Counties who access the patient navigation program at Vidant Edgecombe Hospital and meet standard charity care guidelines. Treatment-related expenses include, but are not limited to: medications, co-pays, holistic services, exercise, rehabilitation therapy, treatment-related hills, lymphedema treatment, chemotherapy drugs and diagnostic (follow-up scanning). Assistance with transportation is also available. What survivorship services are available: Patients will receive support for items such as specialty bras, wigs, prosthetics, group support, emotional/mental health services, and family support. The patient navigator at Vidant Edgecombe Hospital will utilize local resources to provide these services. Survivors will be linked to local support groups, foundations, mental health specialists, palliative care, and other survivorship services. To find out more about the assistance program, call our patient navigator at 252.641.8313. Free Kid’s Vision Screening Clinics Do It For The Children’s Initiatives & Programs, Inc. is now scheduling FREE Vision Screening Clinics for Children/Infants with potentials of dormant VIP issues (undiagnosed). The age ranges from 6 months old through 8 years old due to the medical fact that once past the age of 8, vision refractions, VIP issues and diseases undiagnosed are very difficult to address with corrective vision measures. EVENTS
Location: Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park, More Information: Brent Lubbock 252-826-3186 or info@shwpark.com
LEGISLATIVE NEWS
Recent Tax Reform Plan For Your Attention: HB 998 – Lewis Tax Reform Plan– This House bill gives tax breaks to the wealthiest individuals and corporations in North Carolina while raising taxes on middle-class families. Under this tax scheme, families who are already struggling to make ends meet would pay new taxes on car repairs, their electric bills, and even trips to the movies. North Carolina needs a tax code that protects the middle-class and ensures everyone pays their fair share. The House proposal fails this basic test. Key Facts: · HB 998 shifts the tax burden to the bottom 95% of NC taxpayers while the top 5percent get a tax cut. (This is calculated by the percentage of income a taxpayer spends on taxes. Under the House plan, middle-class and working families would see more of their hard earned money going to taxes while the wealthiest would keep a higher proportion of their income than they do currently). · Taxpayers making less than $169,000 will, on average, see their taxes increase under HB 998. This is because the sales tax expansion will hit middle and low income taxpayers who spend more of their annual income harder than the wealthiest taxpayers. · This is not tax reform, this is a tax shift. It does very little to close corporate loopholes · One of the major charts being used by the bill sponsor to show the income tax break does not include sales tax. While they can claim a small tax break on income taxes, it’s an incomplete picture unless you look at sales tax. The reason for this is that middle-class and working families spend a much higher percentage of their income, especially while the economy has been down. These families who are already struggling and living paycheck to paycheck would pay more sales tax with the expansion. Key Take Away: This debate is about fairness. Everyone who works hard and plays by the rules deserves a fair shot at success. Protecting the middle-class and working families from facing an increased tax burden is essential to that goal. This House bill shifts the tax burden in our state to the middle class and working families. Those families will see a nominal cut on their income taxes but those savings will be wiped out by new taxes on things like home repairs, concerts and warranties. At the same time, the wealthiest individuals and corporations in North Carolina will receive huge tax breaks. Tax reform should be about closing special interest loopholes and ensuring our tax code treats taxpayers fairly.
Recent Bills For Your Attention: HB 816-Tobacco Growers Assessment Act: The purpose of this bill is to enable growers of tobacco to assess themselves in order to raise funds to promote the interests of tobacco growers. This assessment shall be in addition to the assessment authorized by Article 50C of Chapter 106 of the General Statutes to promote export sales of tobacco and the assessment authorized by Article 50A of Chapter 106 of the General Statutes for tobacco research. SB 452-Jurisdictional Amounts/Arbitration/Small Claims Court: This is an act to increase the jurisdictional amounts in the court, to make arbitration mandatory in certain civil cases and to provide guidance to the court for the assessment of court costs and attorney fees in small claims matters when an arbitrator’s decision in favor of the appellee is affirmed on appeal. Based on findings, court-ordered nonbinding arbitration serves as an alternative civil procedure due to its more economical, efficient and satisfactory procedure to resolve certain civil actions than by traditional means of civil litigation. This procedure may be employed in all civil actions where claims do not exceed $25,000, unless all parties waive arbitration. There will be a fee of $100.00 per arbitration, to be divided equally among the parties, to cover the cost of providing arbitrators. Essentially, no party will be deprived of the right to jury trial and any party dissatisfied with an arbitration award may have a new trial. SB 321- Contain Counties’ Inmate Medical Costs: This act will cap reimbursement by counties for medical services provided to inmates in county jails and to allow counties to utilize Medicaid for eligible prisoners. Such counties shall reimburse facilities providing approved prisoner medical services outside the local confinement facility. Each unit that operates a local confinement facility shall develop a plan for providing medical care for prisoners within the facility after consultation with appropriate local officials and organizations to protect the health and welfare of the prisoners. SB 630-Evidence and DNA Expunction Laws: This act amends the laws regarding disposition of blood evidence, admissibility or reports after notice and demand, and expunction of DNA samples taken upon arrest. Any blood or urine sample subject to testing for the presence of alcohol or any impairing substance may be destroyed 12 months after the case is filed or after the case is concluded in the trial court AND not under appeal. However, if a Motion to Preserve the evidence has been filed, the evidence will remain in the custody of the agency until dispositive order of the court is entered. North Carolina Transparency Carolina Transparency now has the latest voter registration changes online. You can see for yourself where registrations are increasing, where they are rising and which classes of voters are making sure their registrations are up to date. To view this information please visit: http://www.carolinatransparency.com/voterregistration/ Utility Commission Public Hearings The North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) is holding public hearings to weigh this year’s rate hike request by Duke Energy Carolinas. For residential consumers, Duke has asked for a rate increase of 11.8%, or more than $14 per month for the average customer. Duke has already received rate hikes of more than 30 percent during the last three years. Duke’s latest request includes a $4.47 increase in the basic facilities charge (BFC), which hits lower usage customers hardest. If Duke’s request is approved, it will cost consumers more than $14 each month before they ever turn on a light. For older consumers, many of whom are on fixed incomes, Social Security increases have not kept pace with the size of the rate increase proposed. Older consumers and those of low income pay a higher percentage of their income for electricity than do other households. AARP encouraging those who are concerned about the rate hike request, to speak out at the public hearings. Upcoming hearings are at: Winston-Salem – June 19 (Wednesday), 7:00 pm, Forsyth County Courthouse, Courtroom 1C Charlotte – June 26 (Wednesday), 6:00 pm, Mecklenburg County Courthouse, Courtroom 5310 Hillsborough – July 2 (Tuesday), 6:00 pm, Orange County Courthouse If you cannot attend the hearings, please share your concerns with the N.C. Utilities Commission’s Chair, Ed Finley, by sending an e-mail to statements@ncuc.net. NOTE OF THANKS Dear Senator Bryant, Thank you so much for visiting our classroom! We really appreciate you sharing your story! It was so great for our students to hear from someone who was a part of such a major movement in NC and our country history. You really made the civil rights movement come alive! We cannot thank you enough! You are welcome back any time!
Sincerely, Linnea Czerney Teacher at M.B. Hubbard Elementary School
From the students of M.B. Hubbard Elementary School: Thank you for teaching our class about civil rights. You told us when you were a little girl and whites couldn’t be with blacks; if we had that today that would not be fair. Today we are nice to each other and that’s all that matters. Thank you for everything that you do and I hope you can come back again!
Ethics Tip Lobbyists and lobbyist’s principals may give, and legislators and legislative employees may accept, gifts as part of a business, civic, religious, fraternal, personal, or commercial relationship, provided all of the following conditions are met: Ø The gift is not related to the person’s public service or position. Ø The gift is made under circumstances that a reasonable person would conclude that the gift was not given to lobby. G.S. 138A-32(e)(10) If you have any questions, please contact the State Ethics Commission at 919- 715-2071 or by e-mail at SEI@doa.nc.gov. HEAR AND SEE LEGISLATURE LIVE DAILY You don’t have to miss the Legislative Session. WRAL will live stream legislative sessions daily on their website.-www.wral.com. Also, please remember that you can listen to some committee meetings and press conferences on the General Assembly’s website at www.ncleg.net. Once on the site, select “Audio,” and then make your selection – House Chamber, Senate Chamber, Appropriations Committee Room or Press Conference Room. You can also view the bills I sponsor and co-sponsor from this website address.
Contact: Senator Angela R. Bryant, North Carolina Senate • District 4• North Carolina General Assembly • State Legislative Office Building • 300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 520, Raleigh, NC 27603 • 919-733-5878-P • 919-754-3289-F •Angela.Bryant@ncleg.net or Karon Hardy, Legislative Assistant at bryantla@ncleg.net.
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