New Bern, NC: Lt. Gov. talks Common Core at Craven town hall

Greeting Craven County residents for a town hall meeting at Bridgepoint Hotel on Wednesday, Lt. Gov. Dan Forest spoke candidly about issues facing North Carolinians from joblessness to the new Common Core school curriculum.

“No rules tonight other than let’s be civil,” he told the group beginning at 6 p.m. with about 40 mostly ideological supporters but growing to a more diverse group of about 60 before spirited talk stopped an hour and a half later.

CONTINUED:  http://www.newbernsj.com/news/local/lt-gov-talks-common-core-at-craven-town-hall-1.223508?tc=cr

Newsletter from NC Senator Norman Sanderson

July 2013

News from the NC Senate 

This past Friday ended the 2013 NC Legislative Session, and I think you will be pleased with the results! You sent us to Raleigh to help rebuild our state's economy, lower taxes, right-size government, pass Voter ID laws, and protect personal freedoms, and we have accomplished these things. Please see some of the highlights below.

  

I have learned that in order for our form of government to work, there must be a system of checks and balances - there is often give and take. It's not easy nor do we always get everything we want, but the system serves the citizens of our great state well.    

  

I will now be spending more time in our district these next few months talking to groups and individuals, so please contact me to schedule a meeting via email atNorman.Sanderson@ncleg.net or by phone (252) 249-3749.

  

Norman

2013 Legislative Accomplishments    Tax Reform We passed a tax reform plan that simplifies the state's 1930s Depression-era tax code, provides major tax relief to ALL North Carolinians and makes the state far more attractive to job-creating businesses. It cuts taxes by more than $1 billion in the first three years alone.    We cut the personal income tax rate, the corporate income tax rate, capped the gas tax, eliminated the death tax and ended dozens of loopholes for special interests. These reforms immediately moved our state from 47th in national rankings to the 17th best business tax climate in America. Budget We passed a $20.6 billion state budget that invests in core services, streamlines state government, strengthens public education and grows North Carolina's economy. Our budget safeguards NC's long-term fiscal health while cutting taxes for all citizens.

Photo ID for Voters We passed a common-sense provision that requires North Carolinians to show photo ID when they vote. An Elon University poll from earlier this year showed that 72% of North Carolina residents support requiring voters to show photo ID before voting. Our action brought NC in line with the majority of other states. Education Reform  We passed major education reforms to strengthen student literacy, improve graduation rates and increase accountability.  We continued our commitment to implementing a pay for excellence system by including $10.2 million to fund annual pay raises for the most effective teachers.  Unemployment Insurance Reform We reformed our broken unemployment insurance program and set a pathway for repaying NC's $2.5 billion debt to the federal government. Under our plan, NC will be out of debt by 2016 and our unemployment system will be solvent and no longer a hindrance to economic growth.

Preserving Justice and Public Safety

We passed a bill to restart the death penalty in NC to ensure justice for more than 100 NC families whose loved ones' lives were brutally taken.

Second Amendment Rights

We continued our commitment to protection of our Second Amendment rights by expanding the number of places that people with a concealed carry permit can carry firearms. We strengthened safety measures for the public and penalties for criminals who violate our gun laws.

Holding Abortion Clinics Accountable

We passed common-sense provisions to ensure patient safety by requiring abortion clinics to adhere to similar standards as other surgical facilities. We protected all healthcare workers from being compelled to perform abortions that are against their moral, ethical and religious objections. We defended taxpayers against being forced to pay for abortions.

  

LOCAL ISSUES

In Senate District 2, we were able to place another stay on ferry tolls and completely revamp the way decisions are made on whether to toll ferries or not. This decision will now be made on a more local level within our Rural Planning Organization, not on a state legislative level. Also, Tryon Palace received critical funding for the coming year that will allow them to prepare for becoming more self-sufficient.

News from the NC Senate

This past week, we renewed the fight to reform state government and revive North Carolina's economy as the General Assembly reconvened with great momentum for the long session of the 2013-2014 legislative biennium.

Last session, we steered our state from financial collapse to financial stability, keeping our promises to cut taxes, reduce spending, and eliminate the historic $2.5 billion deficit our predecessors left us. We are proud of these accomplishments but we know much more work needs to be done. I am excited to be back in Raleigh to build on the progress we made these past two years.

If you have ideas, questions or concerns, please contact me via email at Norman.Sanderson@ncleg.net or on the phone at my Raleigh office (919) 733-5706. I want your input on the decisions being made.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to represent you in Raleigh!

Norman

Senate Bill 4 Denounces Obamacare
Our first order of business - stop the expansion of Obamacare in North Carolina.

Last Wednesday, Senate leaders introduced legislation to opt out of participation in several costly provisions of this federal intrusion into our health care decisions.

Our bill, Senate Bill 4,exempts North Carolina from establishing a state-based health insurance exchange or a state-federal partnership exchange mandated in Obamacare, and directs the N.C. Department of Insurance to return unspent taxpayer funds awarded by the federal Department of Health and Human Services earlier this month to create a state-federal partnership exchange.

Since the federal government forced the passage of Obamacare against the will of North Carolinians, it should carry the burden of implementing this intrusive government program.

Senate Bill 4 also halts expansion of the N.C. Medicaid program. In its 2012 decision on Obamacare, the U.S. Supreme Court rightlyexempted states from the federal mandate to expand Medicaid eligibility.

Costs for North Carolina's existing Medicaid program have increased significantly in recent years. Last year the General Assembly was forced to fill a surprise Medicaid shortfall that totaled more than $500 million. And recent figures from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services indicate that an expansion of the program would add hundreds of millions of dollars to North Carolina's Medicaid budget through 2019.

Senate Republicans are committed to ensuring every North Carolinian receives the highest quality health care. But saddling our citizens with the enormous costs of a new federal bureaucracy and entitlement is simply not the way to achieve this goal.

Voter ID
The majority of my colleagues and I in both the House and Senate are fully committed to election reform, which includes requiring that those who vote show a photo ID. Do not believe the hype that Photo ID disenfranches voters. Quite the contrary.

Tax Reform
The General Assembly will be exploring NC's tax structure to see how it could be changed to stimulate our state's economy. Currently, NC has one of the highest tax rates in the Southeast and coincidentally one of the highest unemployment rates as well. Our current tax structure punishes success and productivity, and we will be studying how we could make incremental changes to make our tax system fair, simple and efficient.

Gun Rights
I am fully committed to protecting our 2nd Amendment rights in North Carolina. We cannot let the federal government chip away at our right to bear arms. When it comes to gun owner rights, give the federal government an inch and they will take a mile. You can depend on me to protect our God-given freedoms.

Senator Sanderson's Committees
Senator Sanderson sits on the following committees:

• Appropriations : General Government
• Commerce
• Finance
• Insurance (Vice Chair)
• Judiciary 1
• Program Evaluation