Legislative Update from Rep. Frank Iler – Feb. 13, 2017
Last week in the North Carolina House of Representatives we honored the Boy Scouts of America on its 107th anniversary, we began holding policy committee meetings to handle key bills, and we passed two major bills out of committee.
Last Monday’s session had no votes on bills, but was dedicated to honoring the Boy Scouts on the occasion of its 107th anniversary. This large boys’ organization has played a major role in the life of our country since its founding in 1910. Many thousands of leaders, both civilian and military, including Presidents of the U.S. have gone through the Boy Scout program. In the life of my family, my brothers and I were active in the Scouts, two of us earning the Eagle rank and one the Life rank. My son and all three of his sons, my grandsons, have become Eagles also. Associate Justice Paul Newby was on hand for Monday’s tribute, as were many Scouts and Scouters (adult scout leaders). Congratulations to the Boy Scouts for over a century of service to our society.
Tuesday we held our first meeting of 2017 of many of our policy committees, the committees that debate and pass bills before they go to the floor of the House, or Senate. The House Transportation Committee, which I chair, handled two bills. The House Education Committee passed a bill giving local school systems more flexibility on class sizes in K – 3. The House Appropriations Committee also passed this bill as well as a bill to insure the rainy day fund.
In the 2015-2016 budget, we required local school districts to reduce the size of classes in Kindergarten through Third Grade effective in the 2017-2018 school year. Many school districts have asked for a delay in implementing these requirements, saying that the increased expense of new teachers and classrooms is a hardship. House Bill 13 – Class Size Requirement Changes gives them more flexibility by allowing three more students per class than would have been required under this policy. This is not an increase from current class sizes, but a delay in the reduction.
The second major bill, House Bill 7 – LRC/Strengthen Savings Reserve, requires that the legislature save 15% of new surplus funds each budget year in the savings reserve or “rainy day fund.” This is not 15% of the entire budget, but 15% of new money. We have had surpluses the last three years and have contributed to this fund. These are the funds used for purposes such as disaster relief from Hurricane Matthew and the western wildfires. When the Republicans came into the majority in 2011 there was very little in this fund, but has now built up to almost 8% of the annual budget amount, which is the goal for sound financial practices.
This week these two bills should be on the House floor for approval, and then will go to the Senate. Many more new bills will undoubtedly be filed this week, also.