I hope that you and your family had a safe and happy Fourth of July holiday.
Even though the storms put a damper on some of the festivities, we did receive some much needed rain. I wanted to provide some information for you as this short session winds down.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO VOTE ON 2009/2009 EXPANSION BUDGET THIS WEEK
Last Friday, House and Senate leaders reached a final compromise on the State budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Data last week projecting anticipated revenue reductions of approximately $70 million led both chambers to delay a cut in the gift tax and the earned income tax credit expansion for one year. The Conference Report will be voted up or down this week, with no amendments permitted at this stage of the process. Below are links to the money report and special provisions contained in the budget:
$368 MILLION FOR AN AVERAGE 3% INCREASE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS AND 2.75% FOR STATE EMPLOYEES OR $1100, WHICHEVER HAS GREATER SALARY INCREASE
The largest share of the expansion budget is allocated to salary increases for teachers and state employees. Governor Easley attempted unsuccessfully to persuade legislators to vote for a cigarette tax increase to raise teacher pay to the national average this year. A majority of senators believe that increasing any taxes during a recession is not warranted. Some senators were opposed to allocating all of the tax increase to teachers instead of a more equal division between teachers and state employees.
$30 MILLION TO PROVIDE A 2.2% COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT FOR RETIRED STATE EMPLOYEES
This budget allocation is the closest we have been able to bring retired state employees in line with the salary increases approved for current state employees.
$5 MILLION IN GRANT MONEY ALLOCATED FOR BIOFUELS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
North Carolina spends over $5 billion on fuels produced out of state. In developing long-range solutions for North Carolina and the nation’s dependence on foreign oil, the General Assembly allocates funds to create the first state-level BioFuels Center in the nation in Oxford, North Carolina. Representative Crawford was the primary sponsor of the $5 million appropriation in the House, and I was the primary sponsor in the Senate.
Here is a link to the BioFuels Center webpage.
Here is a link to the legislation I introduced.
$15 MILLION IN GRANT MONEY ALLOCATED FOR DROPOUT PREVENTION PROGRAMS
Last year the General Assembly appropriated $7 million for dropout prevention grants. The amount is increased to $15 million this year.
New rules governing fund distribution have been put in place to ensure balanced distribution across the state. Ms. Margaret Ellis, Vance County School Board member, and Ms. Angela Dunston of Warren County will continue to serve on the 30 member board that approves applicants. The statutory provisions establishing this commission and the application rules can be found on pages 22-26 in the special provisions link listed above.
$600,000 ALLOCATED FOR URBAN/RURAL DROPOUT PREVENTION PROGRAM FOR DURHAM AND VANCE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Since last fall, Senator Floyd McKissick of Durham County, Senator Marc Basnight, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Representative Jim Crawford, Representative Mickey Michaux, Representative Michael Wray, and I have worked with community and school leaders from Vance County and Durham County to develop an urban-rural dropout prevention project, entitled Citizens Schools, that will receive technical assistance from NC State University. The General Assembly will allocate $600,000 for a three year pilot project to reduce middle school dropouts. The program has been successfully replicated in Charlotte, but the Durham/Vance program will be the first attempt to create the program in a rural community in North Carolina.
$7.7 MILLION IN GRANT MONEY FOR HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS FOR NON-INSURED
The Office of Rural Health will receive a $3.7 million appropriation to provide grants for networks that direct non-insured citizens to a primary care physician. Four million dollars is allocated for grants to free clinics and community health centers to purchase such items as medical supplies and equipment.
$9.4 MILLION FOR EXPANSION OF HEALTH CHOICE
The General Assembly expands the number of children of working families eligible for health insurance through Health Choice. These families earn too much income to be eligible for Medicaid but have insufficient income to purchase health insurance on the open market. There was much debate over whether the program should be expanded, knowing that President Bush has twice vetoed an expansion of the program. The General Assembly authorized the increase consistent with North Carolina’s policy of providing health care access for as many children as possible.
$10 MILLION IN GRANT MONEY ALLOCATED FOR GANG VIOLENCE PREVENTION
Last year, the General Assembly allocated $3 million for gang violence prevention programs. The allocation will be $10 million this year. The legislation authorizing the Governor’s Crime Commission to establish criteria for securing these grants can be found at this link.
Currently, the House and Senate are negotiating separate legislation providing tougher penalties for gang activity.
$600,000 FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION PROJECT
This money provides funding for the Governor’s Crime Commission to contract with the North Carolina Sheriff’s Association for enhanced immigration enforcement services. The focus of this initiative is the deportation of illegal immigrants who are charged and taken into custody for crimes committed while here in the United States.
$360,000 FOR TENDER HEALTH CARE
(James Gheen of Durham, a student at Eugene Lang the New School for Liberal Arts in New York City, is serving as in intern in my office during this session. James did the research concerning the Tender Health Care initiative in North Carolina. I wanted to share this information with you.)
Senator Doug Berger is the primary sponsor of Senate Bill 2083 which would allot $70,000 in non-recurring funds and $290,000 from the Social Services Block Grant to day treatment centers for medically fragile children. The language of Senate Bill 2083 was added into both the House and Senate versions of the budget bill. These funds would be distributed to Tender Health Care which is, according to the Methodist Home Children’s website, the only day treatment center for medically fragile children in the state. Tender Health Care is directed and staffed by Pediatric Services of America (PSA) Health Care, Incorporated and is housed in the Methodist Home for Children’s Jordan Child and Family Enrichment Center. The Tender Health Care center in North Carolina was started as a demonstration project by a joint effort between the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and PSA Health Care, Incorporated.
Tender Health Care is a non-profit daycare center for medically fragile children, who were born prematurely, with low birth weight, and/or conditions like degenerative heart disease and neuromuscular disease. PSA Health, Incorporated now has 29 other centers like Tender Health Care, with 22 in Florida and 7 in Georgia. The North Carolina General Assembly provided funding for Tender Health Care in 2001 through House Bill 1370.
Tender Health Care provides medically fragile children with skilled nursing care, consisting of occupation, physical, speech, and/or respiratory therapies. In addition, Tender Health Care provides essential medical equipment for special needs children like ventilators, trachs, oxygen, or feeding systems.
PSA Health Care, Incorporated states that facilities like Tender Health Care provide better family support and education by having parental support groups, providing in-home services when necessary, teaching parents how to improve their skills for caring for their children’s needs at home, and insuring that their special needs child is well cared for.
Tender Health Care argues that it is cost effective, saving those who use Tender Health Care’s services up to 60% or 70% of money they would have spent without center based care due to a multitude of services, decreased hospitalizations, mainstreaming medically fragile children into public education sooner, and allowing the parents to work or attend school.
In addition, Tender Health Care provides socialization opportunities for the children. Tender Health Care helps teach medically fragile children how to develop peer relationships, build self-esteem for medically fragile children, provides them with social events such as parties and field trips, and gives them a chance to make arts and crafts. The stated goal of Tender Health Care’s socialization opportunities is to allow medically fragile children to be children.
According to Ms. Julia Leggett, Policy Coordinator for the ARC of North Carolina, there are few facilities like Tender Health Care. “‘In many cases, the Tender Health Care center is the only place parents can go with their child if their child is medically fragile,” said Leggett.
The Tender Health Care center requires state funds for its unique services and needs the $360,000 proposed in the Senate and House budget bills in order to continue operating. Without the needed $360,000, Tender Health Care would be forced to close.
As I always tell you, I consider it a great privilege to serve in the General Assembly as your senator from District 7. Please feel free to contact my office if I can be of service to you in any way.