Legislature to Convene October 2 for Hurricane Relief

Posted on September 25, 2018 by admin in Disaster Relief, Education, Emergency Management

Great Seal of the State of North Carolina The North Carolina General Assembly will convene Tuesday, October 2, 2018 to begin considering disaster relief legislation in support of victims of Hurricane Florence.

Lawmakers supported calling the extra session next week to address pressing needs for education communities, provide policy flexibility to storm victims, and prepare for a fourth disaster recovery act since 2016 as well as federal relief funding from the U.S. Congress.

State House Speaker Tim Moore said the upcoming session was important to begin work on key reforms and emergency funding packages that state legislators have experience addressing after Hurricane Matthew hit the state in 2016. “The disaster recovery process is familiar to North Carolina lawmakers from both a budgeting and policy standpoint,” Moore said, “and we are ready to get to work passing key reforms and preparing funding to accelerate the storm recovery and help victims through this difficult time.”

North Carolina has saved a record $2 billion emergency reserve fund for natural and economic disasters. The state legislature appropriated over $360 million for Hurricane Matthew recovery the last two years.

Education leaders in the North Carolina legislature held a press conference with state Superintendent Mark Johnson on Monday to detail proposals that would alleviate concerns among education communities about attendance makeup requirements and income instability for teachers due to missed class time after the storm.

State House and Senate leaders “are working together, both houses and both parties, on a comprehensive disaster relief bill to get the immediate needs addressed,” said House Education Committee co-chair Representative Craig Horn (R-Union).

North Carolina lawmakers continue to work closely with their state’s federal delegation to prepare for a Congressional relief package and clear potential legal and fiscal obstacles to appropriating impending aid.

On Sunday, U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Richard Burr (R-NC) applauded the U.S. House for granting their request for a $1.68 billion “down payment” on Hurricane Florence disaster relief in the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill. The relief includes $1.14 billion for North Carolina and $540 million for South Carolina.

Legislative leaders have expressed support for additional reforms that provide flexibility for storm victims including delaying upcoming small business tax deadlines and adjusting vehicle title replacement policies through the DMV.

State Revenues Exceed Forecast by Over $400 million

Posted on August 15, 2018 by admin in Economy, Tax Reform

North Carolina collected $400.2 million more in revenue than forecast at the end of the 2017-18 Fiscal Year as “a steadily growing economy produced yet another fiscal surplus,” according to a new report from the state’s nonpartisan Fiscal Research Division.

The state collected $176.1 million more in individual income tax than it forecast and $63.2 million more in franchise taxes than expected by June 30, 2018, the end of FY 2017-18.

Insurance gross premiums taxes increased 15%, or $74 million, over the previous year. Revenue from non-tax sources was nearly 10% over the state’s target.

“Tax relief for families and businesses, combined with smart state budgets that make education a top priority, are a winning combination for North Carolina’s economic growth,” said state Speaker of the House Tim Moore.

The state’s revenue forecast for FY 2018-19 was also revised upwards by $276.5 million, according to the report.

“Most of the increase in the revenue forecast was from the Individual Income tax, and more specifically from the increase in non-wage income such as business and investment income,” the report from the state’s nonpartisan Fiscal Research Division said.

The North Carolina General Assembly’s Republican leaders enacted historic tax relief this decade to save state taxpayers billions of dollars, encourage economic growth and spur job creation.

Since 2011 the General Assembly has levied a lower sales tax rate, personal income tax rate and corporate tax rate on North Carolina families and businesses, while tripling the zero-tax bracket for low-income families.

Hurricane Relief Committee to Investigate Recovery Delays

Posted on July 24, 2018 by admin in Disaster Relief, Emergency Management

The state House Select Committee on Disaster Relief was reauthorized by Speaker Tim Moore on Monday following news the administration missed another deadline to deliver relief to victims of Hurricane Matthew. Representative Bell, who also serves as the House Majority Leader, is a co-chair of the committee.

Committee co-chair Representative Brenden Jones called for renewed hurricane recovery oversight after the administration failed to deliver federal grants meant to rebuild homes in the state’s hardest-hit communities.

Representative Jones said the House Select Committee on Disaster Relief would convene and “do everything we can” to assist victims still waiting for recovery funds.

“It’s been nearly two years since Hurricane Matthew, yet far too many people are still out of their houses and waiting for help,” said Representative Jones.

“The governor’s failure to allocate millions of dollars in federal assistance is absolutely unacceptable and demands action. Our committee must continue to do everything we can to hold this administration accountable and get the victims of Hurricane Matthew the help they deserve.”

Hurricane Matthew dropped more than 12 inches of rain on eastern North Carolina in October 2016, leaving much of the region underwater for several days and causing catastrophic damage to homes and businesses.

Nearly two years later, just one of twenty-two affected counties has received final approval to begin spending $236 million of federal community development block grants for disaster recovery (CDBG-DRs), according to the state’s Emergency Management Division.

Another three counties are expected to complete required paperwork in August, according to the division, and work is ‘just now underway in the remaining 18 counties.’

“As serious questions remain unanswered regarding the slow pace of the Cooper Administration’s recovery effort, it’s critical that we continue our committee’s oversight to ensure folks get the help they need,” said Representative Bell.

“I appreciate the Speaker’s support in this effort and commend Representative Jones for his leadership in making sure the victims of Hurricane Matthew are not forgotten.”

South Carolina received the Hurricane Matthew recovery funds at the same time as North Carolina, but it has placed 145 families into homes and issued 459 award letters, according to WBTV.

In North Carolina, by contrast, “one family has been granted an exception to receive a reimbursement.”

“Major hurricanes like Matthew pose an annual threat to North Carolina’s coast, so the state General Assembly saved a record emergency fund of $2 billion, created a Reserve for Disaster Relief, and appropriated $360 million to aid disaster victims since 2016,” Moore said.

“I share the deep concern expressed by my colleagues for their constituents who have not yet received critical aid in eastern North Carolina despite its ready availability,” Moore continued, “and reauthorize the House Select Committee on Disaster Relief to see that assistance is delivered to families affected by Hurricane Matthew.”

The state General Assembly appropriated $200 million to aid victims in the Disaster Relief Act of 2016, another $100 million in the Disaster Relief Act of 2017, and the 2018 state budget directed $60 million to a new Reserve for Disaster Relief.

The state’s new Reserve for Disaster Relief directs the administration to spend funds on specific needs like enabling low to moderate income homeowners to purchase residences and provide flood insurance subsidies for affected citizens.

Another major storm, Hurricane Chris, formed off the North Carolina coast this month but never made landfall.

Background

July 19, 2018: FEMA awards $16.8M to NC for flood damage from Hurricane Matthew

July 10, 2018: NC lawmaker calls for renewed hurricane recovery oversight after WBTV reporting

July 9, 2018: State misses another deadline for Hurricane Matthew recovery

July 7, 2018: Cooper promises full Hurricane Matthew recovery to Lumbees

June 7, 2018: Cooper: Process to fix homes damaged by hurricane ‘taking too long’

May 31, 2018: Where is the money? Hurricane Matthew victims still waiting for relief.

May 25, 2018: Congress members want Cooper to explain slow distribution of Matthew recovery money

May 25, 2018: Disaster Relief Reserve to receive $60 million in state budget

April 16, 2018: Lawmakers have a lot of questions, get few answers about hurricane recovery

April 12, 2018: NC has spent $0 of $200 million grant to rebuild homes damaged by Hurricane Matthew, report says

Rep. Bell and the NC House Keeps their Promises

Posted on July 17, 2018 by admin in Appropriations, Bell, Bonds, Budget, Business, Children, Consumer Protection, Courts, Economic Development, Economy, Education, Education Reform, Election Reform, Elections, Emergency Management, Energy, Environment, Farming, Food, Healthcare, Hunting & Fishing, Jobs, Medicaid, Pension Reform, Regulatory Reform, Speaker Moore, Tax Reform, Taxes, Technology, Transparency

Families and businesses in North Carolina continued to see promising gains from the 2018 state legislative session as lawmakers remained committed to higher salaries for educators and state employees, increased investments in public schools and a successful pro-growth jobs agenda.

The accomplishments mark another year of promises kept by the Republican-led General Assembly to deliver tax relief, a better jobs climate and dramatically higher investments in North Carolina education systems.

“The promises kept by North Carolina lawmakers to dramatically increase educator and state employee pay, build a stronger public school system and grow our private sector will benefit citizens and businesses for years to come,” said Speaker Tim Moore.

Economic Accomplishments of the 2017-2018 N.C. Legislative Session

Business reforms, balanced budgets and a new transformative incentive tool to attract cutting-edge industries led another round of job-friendly legislation in the North Carolina General Assembly in the 2017-18 sessions.

Balanced the state budget with responsible spending that prioritizes public education, strengthens core services, and saves for future emergencies.
Lowered taxes for families ensuring 99 percent of taxpayers will pay lower or no state income taxes at all and more than tripling the zero-tax bracket for married filers to $20,000, passing 30 states in 3 years of Tax Foundation rankings, exempting 1.5 million working people from owing any state income tax – 30% of all filers.
Built on business tax reforms that helped create more than half a million new jobs since 2011 by further reducing corporate income tax rates and simplifying and cutting the franchise tax on small businesses.
Transformed the state’s job recruitment tools expected to help secure thousands of new jobs and billions in new investments to North Carolina.
Expanded statewide access to high-speed broadband, establishing the Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) program to connect unserved communities in the state’s rural areas.
Saved a record rainy day reserve by increasing the savings fund to its highest total ever of $2 billion and automatically directing funds into savings each year.
Removed more burdensome regulations from the state’s business climate to eliminate red tape that chokes economic growth.
Invested heavily in transportation needs to accelerate highway projects and bridge replacements, fund new cranes at the Port of Wilmington, reduce congestion and spur economic development through the Strategic Transportation Investments Program (STIP) and the Build N.C. Act.
Created one-of-a-kind Unfunded Liability Solvency Reserve to address an estimated $50 billion in unfunded pension and healthcare liabilities on the state’s balance sheet by directing overflow appropriations and savings into the new fund.

Education Accomplishments of the 2017-2018 N.C. Legislative Session

North Carolina families are experiencing a new era for education thanks to five consecutive teacher pay raises, dramatically higher education investments and expanded education options for students in pre-K, K-12 schools, and the state’s flagship university system.

Expanded teacher recruitment and retention incentives through the NC Teaching Fellows, the Advanced Teaching Roles Pilot, the New Teacher Support Program , Future Teachers of NC, and salary supplements that helped North Carolina rank #1 in National Board of Professional Teaching Standards certifications.
Assisted counties with school construction by allocating over $370 million in lottery funds to local education infrastructure and expanding the need-based school capital fund from $75 million to $117 million for Tier 1 and Tier 2 rural counties.
Connected every K-12 school to high-speed broadband access, the first public school system in the United States to achieve that milestone. through recurring funding to the School Connectivity Initiative, four years ahead of schedule.
Expanded workforce development opportunities for students seeking career and technical educations by funding Future Ready Students Act grants, the NC Works Career Coaches Program, the Short-Term Workforce Training program, ApprenticeshipNC, and the ConnectNC bond.
Increased funding for public education by more than $700 million and continued major education reforms to reduce class sizes, fund advanced placement testing fees and provide coding and mobile app development grants to help students succeed.
Raised teacher salaries for the fifth consecutive year, providing teachers an average 9% pay increase over two years, bringing the average increase to teachers’ base pay to nearly 20 percent, giving half of N.C. teachers a $10,000 raise since 2014, and posting the 3^rd largest teacher pay increase in the nation since 2014.
Raised principal and assistant principal pay over 6% on average, providing average increases over $3,000 to both groups of public school leaders.
Provided performance bonuses to public school teachers who improve academic outcomes for their students through Read-to-Achieve Bonuses, AP/IB Teacher Bonuses, Career and Technical Education Teacher Bonuses, and Math and Reading Performance Bonuses.
Made North Carolina schools safer, providing $35 million for school safety initiatives, including new grant programs to support students in crisis, school safety training, safety equipment and youth mental health personnel.
Took steps to reduce the testing burden on students in North Carolina and eliminate unnecessary exams not required by state or federal law.
Made college far more affordable and accessible by fully funding the N.C. Promise Program to guarantee in-state students at three universities $500 tuition per semester, guaranteeing fixed-rate tuition and fees over four years for higher education students, and supporting the ConnectNC bond cash flow.
Added thousands of kids to the state’s pre-K program and developed a plan to eliminate 100 percent of the state’s waitlist for at-risk children by 2021.
Provided low-income families with education options through the Opportunity Scholarship program offering need-based learning opportunities to our state’s most vulnerable students.
Directed surplus computers to low-income students at no additional cost by requiring state equipment be refurbished for disadvantaged kids – a win-win for taxpayers.
Increased textbook and digital resource funding to $73.9 million in 2018, provided $44.8 million for the School Technology Fund to modernize education resources and appropriated $47.4 million/year to local systems for school supplies.
Provided special needs students with learning options through Education Savings Accounts that offer new education opportunities to young people with disabilities.

Other Accomplishments of the 2017-2018 N.C. Legislative Session

Passed comprehensive energy reform to modernize state policy and protect ratepayers with competitive costs while encouraging continued development of renewable power through the market-driven ‘Competitive Energy Solutions Act.’
Increased pay for hardworking state employees, including a new living wage minimum of $31,200, as well as significant raises for State Highway Patrol troopers and correctional officers.
Improved prison safety, allocating $15 million in additional funding to enhance prison safety, and support security and support “man-down technology.”
Ensured access to clean, safe drinking water through a comprehensive House River Quality Committee setting aside more than $10 million to provide drinking water to those impacted by GenX and to fund the state’s efforts to address threats to safe drinking water.
Provided more than $160 million in needed disaster relief to families and communities devastated by Hurricane Matthew, bringing total disaster relief funds to $360 million since 2016.
Gave voters opportunities to amend the North Carolina Constitution to keep income taxes low, preserve the right to hunt and fish, strengthen victims’ rights, establish a merit system to fill judicial vacancies, ensure a bipartisan Board of Elections, and establish voter ID.
Helped combat the opioid addiction crisis by passing the STOP Act to ensure highly-addictive prescription drugs are responsibly administered and not over-prescribed, and the HOPE Act to give law enforcement the tools they need to battle the opioid crisis.
Funded the changes necessary to “raise the age” in North Carolina, ensuring 16- and 17-year olds suspected of misdemeanor offenses and less serious felonies will be tried as juveniles instead of adults by December 2019.
Protected North Carolina’s family farms, passing the N.C. Farm Act of 2018 aimed at supporting the state’s largest industry and ensuring that farmers have legal protections in the state’s right to farm law.
Strengthened laws against human trafficking and funding to increase awareness of the warning signs of human trafficking, heighten penalties for traffickers and address massage and bodywork licensure issues.
Overhauled North Carolina’s social service system to address substantial issues in North Carolina’s child welfare program to ensure the safety of kids.
Expanded the line of duty death benefit coverage for brave law enforcement officers and first responders, while doubling the benefit from $50,000 to $100,000 and ensuring all families of the victims from recent prison attacks receive that benefit.
Continued the Medicaid transformation to managed behavioral care to fix the program’s fee-for-service delivery model, replace it with cost-effective reform, and avoid massive Medicaid deficits of years past through the Medicaid Transformation Reserve.

Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness

Posted on July 4, 2018 by admin in Celebration, Civics, History

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Representing Delaware:
George Read, Caesar Rodney, Thomas McKean

Representing Pennsylvania:
George Clymer, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Morris,
John Morton, Benjamin Rush, George Ross,
James Smith, James Wilson, George Taylor

Representing Massachusetts:
John Adams, Samuel Adams, John Hancock,
Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Representing New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Representing Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Representing New York:
Lewis Morris, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, William Floyd

Representing Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

Representing Virginia
Richard Henry Lee, Francis Lightfoot Lee,
Carter Braxton, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Jefferson,
George Wythe, Thomas Nelson, Jr.

Representing North Carolina:
William Hooper, John Penn, Joseph Hewes

Representing South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Arthur Middleton,
Thomas Lynch, Jr., Thomas Heyward, Jr.

Representing New Jersey:
Abraham Clark, John Hart, Francis Hopkinson,
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon

Representing Connecticut:
Samuel Huntington, Roger Sherman,
William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

Representing Maryland:
Charles Carroll, Samuel Chase, Thomas Stone, William Paca

Today is the 242nd anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. For some little-known facts about the Declaration, be sure to read this interesting piece from CNN.

Revenue estimates $252.8 million ahead of targets

Posted on June 21, 2018 by admin in Tax Reform

Revenue Forecast While most state government watchers were focused on a last-minute legislation at the General Assembly, some good news came out of the Office of the State Controller.

The General Fund Monthly Financial Report reported that when compared to the prior year – through May 31^st — net tax and non-tax revenues were up $834.9 million, an increase of 4 percent over the previous year. Overall tax revenue is up $803.3 million while non-tax revenue is up $31.6 million over the previous year.

The report continued:

The Fiscal Research Division estimates that General Fund revenue through May 2018, is $252.8 million above the revenue target. The revenue targets are monthly projections based on the May 2017 consensus forecast, 2017 session adjustments, and previous monthly collection trends.

This is good news, which may be the reason why so few people have heard it. It’s yet more evidence that critics on the left are wrong. North Carolina’s budget discipline and tax cuts continue to fuel our economy. Common sense budget policies and expanding economic freedom – not state government planning — are the best ways to create jobs and reduce unemployment.

The evidence continues to grow.

The preceding post was written by Dr. Robert Luebke, Senior Policy Analyst at the Civitas Institute. It was first posted on Civitas’s website on June 19, 2018 and reappears here with the gracious permission of the author.

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