The Raleigh Report
From the Office of Cullie Tarleton
March 2, 2009
We received notice last week that with the passage of the federal stimulus bill, North Carolina is on track to receive about $6.1 billion over the next 27 months. The governor’s office and members of the General Assembly are working diligently to determine how the money will be best spent. We received a briefing as to how the stimulus money would assist our education budget for 09-10.
Governor Perdue has already announced 70 highway and bridge projects that will soon get under way across the state. These 70 projects will be paid for with $466 million in federal stimulus money. The money is half of what the state will receive for transportation projects and had to be obligated within four months. It is expected to create about 14,000 jobs for the state.
The King Street project in Boone is back on the schedule as a result of the stimulus package. We desperately need to get this project finished in concert with the opening of the new high school. Otherwise, we’ll have traffic grid-lock.
We continued to have briefings last week on the budget and current revenue projections. I wish I had better news, but I don’t. The truth is, there will be some tough cuts in the 09-10 budget. We just have to “suck it up”, deal with it and plan for better days. We’ll get through this financial crisis but in the meantime we have to do what has to be done. I will do my best to protect education, our teachers and our state employees.
Even as our focus remains on the state’s fiscal situation, we have also remained busy with other matters. Below are a few of the bills filed recently that you many be interested in, including several that would help members of our military.
As always, feel free to contact my office if you need any assistance.
Military
The state would add two more family assistance centers to help military personnel and their families under a bill filed in the House (H15). The additional centers would cost an estimated $600,000. This is my bill that I’d love to get funded in spite of our current financial situation. We will have almost half our National Guard men and women deployed by this summer. These Family Assistance Centers are designed to support the families of deployed National Guard members.
The Division of Motor Vehicles would be allowed to waive the commercial motor vehicles skills test for qualified military personnel who have operated similar vehicles for at least two years prior to applying to the state. The bill (H271 which I co-sponsored) also waives the requirement if the applicants have completed similar skills test while in the military.
Money would be appropriated to the North Carolina Military Business Center according to a bill filed in the House (H58). If enacted, the legislation would appropriate $1.25 million for 2009-10 and $1.25 million for 2010-11 to the community college system for the center. The center helps assist businesses in the state win federal contracts and helps develop business originating from the state’s military bases.
Education / Dropout Prevention
Legislation has been filed that would shorten the waiting period between retirement and re-employment for retired teachers, so that teachers may return to the classroom without a loss of retirement benefits (H229 another bill I co-sponsored). Existing law requires teachers to not work for at least six months after retirement or risk losing retirement benefits. This bill would reduce the waiting period to four months.
Money would be appropriated for the North Carolina PTA Parent Involvement / Dropout Prevention initiative according to a bill filed in the House this week (H308, I am a primary sponsor of this bill). If enacted, the legislation would appropriate $1.5 million for the 2009-2010 fiscal year and $1.5 million in recurring funds for the 2010-2011 fiscal year to the North Carolina Congress of Parents and Teachers Inc., a nonprofit organization, for the continuation of the North Carolina PTA Parent Involvement/Dropout Prevention Initiative.
Recycling
Restaurants, bars and other establishments with ABC licenses already required to recycle would receive a tax credit of up to $500 annually based on how much they recycle under legislation filed in the House this week (H249).
Health
The Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Branch of the Division of Public Health in the Department of Health and Human Services would receive $700,000 over the next two years for a public awareness campaign about stroke signs and symptoms and the importance of immediate response. The bill (H267) specifies that the money would be spent as part of a partnership with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Heart attacks and strokes continue to be the major cause of death in N.C.
Notes
Last Thursday, the Education Appropriations Sub-Committee received a briefing from Dr. William Harrison who is Governor Purdue’s choice to Chair the State Board of Education and also run the Department of Public Instruction. I was very impressed with Dr. Harrison. His background and experience along with his agenda for our children will serve us well.
While I’m grateful for the federal stimulus dollars, I want to make sure we don’t use those dollars for programming that requires continuing funding. Stimulus dollars are non-re-occurring so we still have to make some serious cuts in next year’s budget.
|
