The North Carolina General Assembly gaveled in for the start
of the 2014 Short Session this week and the Chamber was in Raleigh to represent
your business. The Short Session is the compliment to the Long Session (go
figure), which wrapped up last summer. This expedited time in the capitol city
is largely designed to give lawmakers a chance to adjust/fix the state budget.
However, members of the General Assembly are also expected to tackle coal ash,
teacher salaries, and Common Core education standards over the course of the
next couple of weeks.
Wednesday, May 14 was the first day of the session and saw a
host of activity at the legislature. Governor Pat McCrory used the first day
of session to roll out his proposed $21 billion dollar budget. The Governor’s
budget included pay raises for teachers in their first seven years, pay
raises for most state employees, and provides funding for 19 new positions to
oversee coal ash ponds. Republican law makers seemed to think the Governor’s
budget was a good start but both the House and Senate will take stabs of their
own.
The Chamber would also like to congratulate Sen. Van Duyn
for being officially sworn into office on Wednesday. We are pleased to have her
representing the Asheville area in the NCGA.
Wednesday also saw the first bill filed of the Short Session
with Senators Berger and Apodaca filing S.729 Governor’s Coal Ash Action Plan.
This bill seeks to address the clean up and regulation of coal ash and includes
measures for Asheville’s power plant.
Thursday, the legislators were back in committee meetings
hearing briefings on the Governor’s budget in Joint Appropriations and the
House Finance Committee passed a bill that would cap the privilege license tax
at $100 and place a tax on E-cigarettes.
The NCGA will be back in Raleigh to begin work on Monday,
May 19. The Chamber will keep you up-to-date on important happenings as this
fast paced session continues.
The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce’s top priorities for
the Short Session are:
1. Accelerate the completion of the I-26 Connector Project.
2. Support across the board pay increases for North Carolina’s
teachers.
3. Support economic and community development incentives tools.
4. Reduce small business employee healthcare premiums by improving and
restructuring Medicaid.
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