Legislative Update from Rep. Frank Iler – July 21, 2014
We started last Monday in Raleigh with high hopes that a budget deal could be completed during the week. We were hoping to wrap up this session. We went into a caucus meeting on Monday afternoon expecting to hear whether or not there was a new offer on the budget but didn’t hear much about the budget. There was a 48 hour notice that we would have a voting session on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the Senate called a 4:30 open meeting to present a new officer. This new proposal had movement on three major items: Teacher pay, Teacher Assistants, and Medicaid reserves. On teacher pay they proposed an 8% one-time increase for this year, which is different from the 11% originally offered, and is different from the House offer of 6%. In return, the Teacher Assistants in second and third grades would be cut by half instead of cut entirely. They also reduced the Medicaid reserve to the House figure. The House conferees expressed further concern over Teacher Assistants being reduced at all. I agree, especially since we are insisting that third graders read at grade level before going to the fourth grade. The Teacher Assistants are a valuable asset to these teachers, as I learned during my school visits last fall and winter.
While many budget meetings took place in the aftermath of this new offer, no progress was reported, and no further public announcements were made. It can be a little frustrating, as we are interested in finishing our business in Raleigh. We’re also interested in doing the budget right for our Teachers, Teacher Assistants, and all the departments that depend on budget figures each July to plan their work. This session is not unusually long for a short session, if one looks at the history over the past twenty years. However, it is longer than some like, especially those who want to be back home campaigning or enjoying the vacation season.
One bill, with which I expressed concern earlier, came back last week to the House for a vote to adopt the conference committee report (final vote). Senate Bill 812 – Replace Common Core Standards with NC’s Higher Academic Standards passed the House on Wednesday by a vote of 71 – 34 and was sent to the Governor for his signature. This bill will establish an 11 member commission of educators, parents, and community members to recommend new standards to the State Board of Education for adoption to replace the Common Core. They can choose some Common Core standards or standards they consider better.
This week promises to be as hopeful as last week, but I also hope it is very productive. We need to agree on a sustainable budget, pass it in both chambers and send it to the Governor this week. We also have several key bills in conference committees that should come out of committees and onto the floor for votes. You can follow our progress on the General Assembly website at www.ncleg.net. There you are able to look up particular bills, review items on the House and Senate calendars, or listen to the audio from our sessions.