From the Office of Representative Larry D. Hall

May 30, 2008

On Tuesday May 13, I returned to Raleigh for the first day of the “short session.” Typically during this session, legislators adjust the state budget approved in the previous session and take up some of the unresolved matters from the previous year. Most of those matters are contained in funding bills filed last year and still eligible for consideration this session. I will remind you about some of them this week.

Thank you for your continued interest in state government.  Please let me know if I can be of assistance.

This Week in the House
House members passed a joint resolution (SJR 1580) to honor Korean War Veterans. North Carolina is home to more than 110,000 military personnel and almost 770,000 veterans. Of the 36,568 Americans killed in the Korean War, more than 800 were North Carolinians.  In 2000, there were more than 100,000 Korean War veterans in North Carolina, three of whom were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Funding Bills Eligible for Consideration                                        
Health Care

A bill (H97) to provide funds for the Workforce Improvement for Nursing Assistants: Supporting Training, Education, and Payment for Upgrading Performance (Win a Step Up) program passed its first reading in the House.  The program’s curriculum features information and exercises involving appropriate care for individuals with dementia, anxiety, depression and other severe mental health problems.  The bill is in the Committee on Appropriations.

My colleagues and I in the House passed a bill (HB 1784) to improve the quality and accessibility of mental health, developmental disabilities and substance abuse services.  The bill requires providers to document services provided and adequately train staff.  This bill is also in the Senate Committee on Health Care.

Taxes

House members may consider a bill (HB 184) to deduct compensation paid by the armed forces to military personnel on active duty from state taxable income.  The bill is currently in the Committee on Finance.

House members may consider a bill (HB 526) to provide an income tax credit for builders of energy efficient homes.  If the bill becomes law, taxpayers who build a federally qualified energy efficient home will be eligible for a tax credit of $1,000.  If the home is a state-certified energy-efficient home, the taxpayer could be eligible for a $2,000 tax credit. The bill passed its first reading in the House and is now in the Committee on Finance.

Justice

House members approved a bill (HB 1291) to provide for the fair and reliable imposition of capital sentences.  The bill states that no one should be sentenced to death or executed because of race.  The bill is in the Senate Committee on Judiciary II.

A bill (HB 341) to clarify proportionality review cleared the House.  The bill requires the court to include cases where life imprisonment was imposed that are factually similar to capital cases where the death penalty was used in its proportionality review. It is currently in the Senate Committee on Judiciary II.

A bill (HB 43) to help victims of domestic violence is eligible for consideration this session.  The bill provides funding and increases funding for several programs related to domestic violence including the Family Court Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds for domestic violence prevention. The North Carolina Council for Women and the Domestic Violence Commission may also receive funds to build shelters for victims.  The bill also includes funding for the Governor’s Crime Commission to provide supervised visitation and exchange centers as well as funding to adjust the salary and benefits for the abuser treatment program coordinator.  The bill passed its first reading and is now in the Committee on Appropriations.

Rep. Larry D. Hall

Please remember that you can listen to each day’s committee meetings and press conferences on the General Assembly’s website at http://www.ncleg.net.  Once on the site, select “audio,” and then make your selection – Appropriations Committee Room or Press Conference Room. You can also use the website to look up bills, view lawmaker biographies and access other information