Tuesday, March 20, 2007, at the North Carolina General Assembly
BYLINE: By The Associated Press
HEADLINES:
House committee OKs broad ban on workplace, public smoking
Senate gives final approval to cervical cancer info bill
Audit: 27,000 DMV applicants had invalid Social Security numbers
Senate panel OKs measure to finance crop-made fuel at N.C. State
THE BRIEF:
SMOKED OUT: A broad ban on smoking in offices, restaurants and public places across North Carolina cleared a House committee on a 9-4 vote. The measure, which now goes to the full House, boiled down to a debate between the rights of private property owners to run their business as they see fit and the duty of government to protect non-smokers from toxic fumes.
CERVICAL CANCER: The Senate voted 48-0 for a bill that would require schools to provide information for parents and guardians on cervical cancer, a virus that causes most cases and the vaccine to protect against the virus. The bill doesn't discuss whether girls must get the vaccine against human papillomavirus, as other states have examined.
DRIVING WHILE DEAD: A state audit reveals that nearly 27,000 people used invalid Social Security numbers or numbers belonging to dead people when they applied for North Carolina driver's licenses and identification cards. Auditor Les Merritt said it wasn't clear whether the bogus numbers were caused by keypunch errors or deliberate fraud, but he criticized the Division of Motor Vehicles for failing to review those licenses.
SWEET POTATO POWER: A Senate committee gave its blessing to a bill that would appropriate $5.1 million over two years for research into biofuels made from North Carolina farm products. N.C. State University has already begun looking at converting soybeans, chicken waste, switchgrass and logging debris into fuels. The money would establish a field laboratory in Duplin County to expand the research. Johnny Wynne, dean of N.C. State's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, told the panel that North Carolina needs its scant corn crop for animal feed, but can tap the biofuel trend nevertheless. The measure now goes to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
NO OLF: House Speaker Joe Hackney joined the chorus of elected voices opposing the Navy's plans to build a landing practice strip in eastern North Carolina. In a letter to U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield cited the expected impact on red wolves, bald eagles and waterfowl in the area. Hackney, D-Orange, said the region will also suffer financially as families are displaced, farmlands condemned and counties lose property tax revenue. Gov. Mike Easley has recently led the charge against the field, urging members of Congress to oppose $230 million in funding for the project.
REPUBLICAN ELECTIONS: House and Senate Republicans held their weekly news conference, this time to talk about election-related bills. They highlighted measures that would create an independent redistricting commission, rotate the order of candidates on the election ballot and limit to four years the terms of House speaker and Senate president pro tempore. Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, said it was up to Democrats who control the Legislature and the Executive Mansion to decide whether to support bills that he said would restore the public's confidence after recent scandal.
PROPERTY COMMISSION: Several House members filed a bill that would replace the North Carolina Commission on State Property with a new panel whose job it would be to determine whether the government's property is being used efficiently. The current commission has yet to generate a sale of surplus property in its three years of existence. Politics, resistance from other state agencies and potential ethics problems have plague the current panel.
TUESDAY'S SCORECARD:
Introduced in the House:
H933, to create a "Jessica Lunsford Act," toughening sex offender laws including post-release supervision. Sponsors: Reps. Julia Howard, R-Davie; Debbie Clary, R-Cleveland; Tim Moore, R-Cleveland; Charles Thomas, R-Buncombe.
H934, to appropriate $350.2 million over the next two fiscal years for mental health, developmental disability and addictive disease programs in the Department of Health and Human Services. Sponsor: Rep. Verla Insko, D-Orange.
H945, to establish a Real Property Commission to identify underused and ineffecient state properties. Sponsor: Rep. Bruce Goforth, D-Buncombe.
Introduced in the Senate:
S1002, to extend restrictions on automatic dialing and message players used to make unsolicited telephone calls. Sponsor: Sen. Tony Rand, D-Cumberland.
S1003, to require DNA samples be taken from people arrested on violent felony or certain other criminal charges. Sponsor: Sen. Tony Rand, D-Cumberland.
S1004, to require that the governor's appointments to the Industrial Commission be confirmed by the General Assembly. Sponsor: Sen. Tony Rand, D-Cumberland.
S1018, to repeal the 30-day grace period for presenting proof of immunization for children entering public school. Sponsor: Sen. Fletcher Hartsell, R-Cabarrus.
S1022, to provide for the electronic publication of legal notices on a state-sanctioned public notice Web site. Sponsor: Sen. Fletcher Hartsell, R-Cabarrus.
S1046, to clarify the right to make advance directives regarding end-of-life measures and to designate health care agents, and to improve and simplify the means of making such directives and designations. Sponsor: Sen. Fletcher Hartsell, R-Cabarrus.
S1047, to allow for a sales and use tax refund for supplies used in research, development and analytical services. Sponsor: Sen. Fletcher Hartsell, R-Cabarrus.
S1048, to create a state venture capital fund. Sponsor: Sen. Fletcher Hartsell, R-Cabarrus.
S972, to require twice as many toilets in women's restrooms than men's restrooms in new bars, public halls, theaters and arenas and in current buildings where large renovations take place. Sponsors: several female senators.
Passed the House:
None of note.
Passed the Senate:
S260, to require schools to provide information for parents and guardians on cervical cancer, a virus that causes most cases and the vaccine to protect against the virus. Approved 48-0. Next: To the House.
ON THE AGENDA:
Wednesday: A group of lawmakers and advocates for young people will hold a news conference to promote H492, which would bar the prosecution as an adult of anyone younger than 18. Currently, North Carolina is one of three states that allows for the prosecution of 16- and 17-year-olds as adults. Supporters of the bill say the practice doesn't help public safety, increases the chances of a subsequent offense and reduces the chances that the youth will have a successful life.
OVERHEARD:
"We have the opportunity in North Carolina to be the Saudi Arabia of biomass." Johnny Wynne, dean of N.C. State's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, describing university research into using plants, animal waste and logging debris for fuel.
By Margaret Lillard and Gary D. Robertson.