The Raleigh Report
From the Office of Cullie Tarleton
July 28, 2008
I’m proud of what we accomplished in the short session. In this report, I want to update you on some of those accomplishments.
Thank you for your continued support. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact me.
Helping Families Make Ends Meet
One of our goals this session was to ease the economic strain that homeowners are feeling. One of the ways we intend to do this is through better mortgage foreclosure laws. The governor is expected to soon sign into a law a bill (H2623) that will require servicers of sub-prime loans to send a notice to the home being foreclosed at least 45 days prior to the foreclosure. The notice must also have information about why the home is in foreclosure and contact information for a mortgage counselor. This bill helps to give homeowners and banks enough time to send and receive help with foreclosures. We also agreed to expand our earned income tax credit beginning next fiscal year.
Improving Education
We increased teacher pay by 3 percent, continuing our efforts to bring teacher pay to the national average. My hope is as the economy improves we’ll be able to continue getting our teachers where they deserve to be. Also, we have reestablished the Committee on Dropout Prevention, (a Study Commission I serve on) which will assess which schools, groups, and agencies will receive $15 million in grants to improve graduation rates. We also financed a number of projects and initiatives from pre-school through college.
Expanding Access to Health Care
We need to continue to expand access to health care for many people in North Carolina. We were able to help children by including more money for health centers and hospitals, as well as children's health programs.
We have also improved our mental health system. Millions of dollars were set aside in the budget to increase the number of psychiatric beds, add crisis teams, and improve our facilities.
Supporting Our Military
Our country would not be what it is without our military and their families. It is only fitting that we repay them for their hard work and dedication. During this session, we passed a bill that will allow tuition-free education at a North Carolina community college or University of North Carolina system school for dependent children of veterans who are killed while serving our country. In the budget, money has been allocated for Traumatic Brain Injury Services, and the North Carolina State Veterans Park. Our men and women of the military including our own National Guard members deserve all we can provide as we show our support to them and their families for their sacrifices.
Protecting the Environment
My colleagues and I have made a lot of strides to make North Carolina greener. The Land for Tomorrow Initiative will receive $50 million to help acquire land and conservation areas. We have also passed legislation that will help with our state’s current and future drought problems. With recommendations from the Environmental Review Commission, people who transport more than 100,000 gallons of groundwater or more per day must register the amount. Also, local governments and communities will development and implement water conservation procedures.
Ensuring Prosperous and Safe Communities
We believe that safe communities are a must. We have passed three very important pieces of legislation to help ensure this. Pending the Governor’s signature, anyone who knowingly violates a domestic violence protective order and has been previously convicted of two violations will be guilty of a Class H felony. The new Street Gang Prevention Act makes it a serious crime to initiate gang activity, encourage or involve a minor in gang activity; discharge a firearm for the purpose of gang activity in an enclosure or participate in other gang related crimes. The new Jessica Lunsford Act will make child sex offenders guilty of a B1 felony. Those who are found guilty will receive lifetime GPS monitoring or life in prison without parole. The act also increases the penalties for prostituting a minor and for the exploitation of a minor.
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