Provided by Stacey Massengill, NCSPA Legislative and Public Policy Committee Member
The Covenant with North Carolina’s Children is a coalition of over 60 civic groups, professional associations, advocacy organizations and service providers who have formed a covenant by promising together to advance public policy to benefit children in North Carolina and to put children and youth first in our public and private lives. NCSPA is a part of this coalition and the Legislative Committee would like to share with you some of the updates provided to us by this organization.
Legislative Update: 9/3/09
I. BUDGET CUTS
II. CASE MANAGEMENT UPDATE
III. CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE TEAM
IV. EARLY CHILDHOOD UPDATE
V. PROGRAM EVALUATION OF CHILD AND YOUTH PROGRAMS
VI. TOGETHER NC UPDATE
VII. COVENANT CALENDAR
VIII. ANNOUNCEMENT
BUDGET CUTS
As you are all aware, numerous child and family programs had their funding slashed in the new state budget. We'll be monitoring what kind of impacts these cuts have in communities around North Carolina. Additionally, the legislature charged DHHS to find hundreds of millions of dollars in unspecified cuts, so we'll also keep a close on eye on where and how the Department chooses to cut costs.
Please let us know what is going on in your community and your area of work, so that we can help to create and implement solutions (or at least mitigate the damage). Below are some repercussions from the new budget that we are already experiencing.
CASE MANAGEMENT
The new budget requires Medicaid to cut case management services by over $40 million this fiscal year and over $70 million in the next fiscal year. The legislature justified this cut by citing the fact that many people have multiple case managers and that these services could be provided more efficiently by one case manager working across service areas. While this makes sense superficially, it's proving to be extremely problematic.
Many case management services - such as child and maternal care, HIV/AIDS, mental health and substance abuse - require specific expertise and direct involvement in the care of patients. Consolidating these services would result in a dramatic reduction in the quality of care. While nothing has been decided, it appears that the Division of Medical Assistance plans to include these services in the consolidation. Stakeholders within DHHS are currently meeting to try to resolve the situation, and we expect to have a final answer within a couple of weeks.
CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE TEAM
We learned earlier this week that WakeMed has eliminated the Child Sexual Abuse Team, citing budget restraints. The Child Sexual Abuse Team evaluates potential victims of sexual abuse to ensure proper treatment. More on this to come when we find out more.
EARLY CHILDHOOD
This is a pretty big deal - it appears that the federal government will not allow the state to use money from the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) to supplant state funding for child care quality initiatives. Translated into English, this means that the state cannot use this specific pot of federal dollars (CCDF) to replace state funding of child care quality projects, including the TEACH program. Unfortunately, that's exactly what we did in the new state budget. It is my understanding that this jeopardizes the entirety of federal CCDF dollars, which fund large portions of our early childhood infrastructure. DHHS is currently working to figure out a solution, and I'll keep you updated as the situation progresses.
Additionally, we are monitoring the nine person task force to study consolidating early childhood programs, including Smart Start and More at Four. This task force will include three Senators, three House members, and three members appointed by the Governor. We learned yesterday that Stephanie Fanjul, Executive Director of the NC Partnership for Children, will be one of the Governor's appointees. As soon as other appointments are made and meetings are set, we'll let you know.
TOGETHER NC UPDATE
Here's an abbreviated version of the most recent Together NC update:
TOGETHER NC COALITION MEETINGS
Through the fall, Meg and I, along with other Together NC organizers, will be traveling across the state to conduct local Together NC meetings. We plan to work with local partners on creating an appropriate agenda, but two primary goals include: 1. Gathering feedback on this summer's coalition efforts; 2. Educating the staff, board, and constituent groups on what revenue reform looks like and why it's important to progressive causes.
These meetings will likely begin in late September and continue through November. We'll send out a specific list of locations as we finalize the events.
Lastly, if you have any board, membership, or constituent meetings where you'd like a speaker, please let us know and we'll do our best to get someone there. We'd love the opportunity to talk about challenges and opportunities around our state's budget and fiscal outlook.
BRAC
The governor convened her Budget Reform and Accountability Commission (BRAC) for the first time last week. The Commission's goal is to consolidate and streamline state services to achieve cost savings while at the same protecting the core mission of state services and programs. We will begin discussions this fall with Together NC partners about how we want to participate in and influence BRAC recommendations.
COVENANT CALENDAR
As I'm sure everyone has seen, the Covenant launched a new website in August - http://www.nccovenant.org/. Whoo hoo!
A exciting feature of the website is a community calendar where Covenant members can go to check out upcoming events and to publicize their own events. We've already got a few events posted, but we'd sure love to have more. To see the calendar, go to http://www.nccovenant.org/index.php?option=com_jcalpro&view=calendar&Itemid=37.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
2010-2011 Budget Summary Provided by NC Covenant for the Children
Below is a summary of key child and family budget items. Please let me know if you have any questions about any of these cuts or if you have a question about a program that you do not see on this list. Also, this summary does not cover the special provisions in the budget bill, which have a significant impact on how these cuts will be implemented.
For a line-by-line summary of the HHS, Public Education, and Juvenile Justice budgets, go to Action for Children's website, www.ncchild.org .
BIG PICTURE -
In both public education and health and human services, the legislature leaves massive cuts to be made by state and local administrators. In some ways, this is good, because these administrators often have a better understanding of which cuts will do the least damage. On the other hand, legislators could be putting these folks in an impossible place - assigning them with so much money to make up that they cannot keep up basic operations. What we know is that lots of specific cuts will come out over the next several months as state and local officials are forced to make these decisions.
Also, large amounts of nonrecurring revenue, mostly federal stimulus money, is used to pay for recurring expenses. This means that when the stimulus money runs out after 2011, we'll have a large structural deficit waiting for us. It's hard to fault legislators for doing this given the severity of the budget shortfall, but it will be an issue we'll have to deal with down the road.
FY10 Departmental Budget Changes:
Public Education: 10% overall budget cut
Juvenile Justice: 16% overall budget cut
Health and Human Services: 30% overall budget cut
-Blind, Deaf / Hard of Hearing Services: 25% budget cut
-Child Development: 16% budget cut
-Medical Assistance (Medicaid): 37% budget cut
-MH/DD/SA: 19% budget cut
-Public Health: 17% budget cut
-Social Services: 12% budget cut
-Health Choice: 12% budget EXPANSION!
PUBLIC EDUCATION
LEA Adjustment - this one is very important. The legislature chose NOT to mandate increased class size and in fact requires LEAs to keep K-3 class size at current levels. However, they are leaving the LEAs with the unpleasant task of administering huge cuts in their districts. It's inevitable that this cut will result in fewer teachers, teachers' assistants, and classroom resources. FY10 ($225 million); FY11 ($304,774,366) recurring
Textbooks - the legislature phases in a complete moratorium on new textbook adoptions by FY11. FY10 ($47,977,278) nonrecurring; FY11 ($115,410,044) nonrecurring
Central Office Administration - this line item cuts funding to LEAs for district staff. FY10 and FY11 ($14,613,199) recurring
More at Four - this is only half of what we thought it could be, so good news here. FY10 and FY11 ($5 million) recurring
Support for struggling students - this line item eliminates funding for children who score low on certain state tests. FY10 and FY11 ($38,339,798) recurring
Literacy Coaches - eliminates funding for all literacy coaches. FY10 and FY11 ($12,034,400) recurring
Funding Reductions to non-profit support organizations - FY10 ($4,594,519); FY11 ($6,702,953) recurring
Dropout Prevention Grants - This allocation creates a competitive grant program for projects that address dropout prevention. FY10 and FY11 $13,000,000 recurring (yep, that's right, an increase!)
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Division of Child Development
Child Care Subsidies - damaging reduction to child care subsidies. FY10 and FY11 ($15,186,301) recurring
Smart Start - I thought this was going to be worse. FY10 ($15,965,000); FY11 ($16,330,000) recurring
MH/DD/SA
Eliminates 350 positions within the Division (unclear which ones). FY10 and FY11 ($12,858,290) recurring
CAP/MR-DD Reduction - FY10 and FY11 ($16,000,000) recurring
State Funded Services - this line item reduces funding for services provided by LMEs. FY10 and FY11 ($40,000,000) recurring
Crisis Services - this line item provides funding for inpatient capacity at community hospitals. FY10 and FY11 $12,000,000 recurring (another increase!)
Public Health
AIDS Drug Assistance - reduces funds to purchase AIDS drugs. FY10 and FY11 ($3,074,119) nonrecurring
Contracts - the legislature eliminates funding for the collection and analysis of data concerning infants and children, and it reduces funding for three contracts that have "unobligated funds." They do not specify which contracts.
More Contracts - Reduces the appropriation for public health contracts that: do not meet the Division's core mission; do not provide a direct service; have had unobligated funds in the past; have failed to meet past goals. FY10 and FY11 ($4,010,072) recurring
Infant mortality, birth defects, and teen pregnancy prevention - the legislature allocates an additional $1.4 million to these efforts. (all nonrecurring)
Health Choice - Provides funds to increase enrollment by 7% in FY10 and 3% in FY11 - $17,096,952 and $21,942,732, respectively. The legislature also imposes co-pays for prescription drugs and non-emergency hospital visits.
Division of Social Services
Work First - cash assistance for struggling families is reduced. FY10 and FY11 ($7,178,459) recurring
Child Advocacy Centers funding reduction - FY10 and FY11 ($200,000) recurring
Foster Care and Adoption assistance - the line item says this reduction reflects greater federal funding, but there is no specific replacement. FY10 ($2,840,235) nonrecurring and FY11 ($1,452,537) nonrecurring
State Aid to Counties - FY10 and FY11 ($5,473,985) nonrecurring
Eliminates funding for child support offices - FY11 ($4,082,811)
Child Welfare Collaborative - $900,000 increase for FY10!
Medicaid
Provider Rate Reductions - These rate reductions will be administered at the discretion of the Secretary. FY10 ($76,440,896) recurring and FY11 ($82,261,586) recurring.
Community Support reduction - FY10 ($65,000,000) and FY11 ($97,500,000), both recurring.
Level III and IV group homes - this cut is significantly less than what was in the most recent House budget. FY10 ($15,860,960) recurring and FY11 ($22,554,622).
Consolidate Case Management - FY10 ($41,029,684) recurring and FY11 ($72,907,230) recurring.
Freeze CAP slots - FY10 ($6,646,956) recurring and FY11 ($7,274,842) recurring.
JUVENILE JUSTICE
Eliminates the Center for the Prevention of School Violence - FY10 and FY11 ($481,225) recurring
Eliminate funding for the Governor's 1 on 1 program - FY10 and FY11 ($1,645,545) recurring
Eliminate Support our Students program - FY10 and FY11 ($6,627,532) recurring
No additional funding for Juvenile Crime Prevention Councils
Samarkand YDC is closed; Dobbs stays open
For a line-by-line summary of the HHS, Public Education, and Juvenile Justice budgets, go to Action for Children's website, www.ncchild.org .
BIG PICTURE -
In both public education and health and human services, the legislature leaves massive cuts to be made by state and local administrators. In some ways, this is good, because these administrators often have a better understanding of which cuts will do the least damage. On the other hand, legislators could be putting these folks in an impossible place - assigning them with so much money to make up that they cannot keep up basic operations. What we know is that lots of specific cuts will come out over the next several months as state and local officials are forced to make these decisions.
Also, large amounts of nonrecurring revenue, mostly federal stimulus money, is used to pay for recurring expenses. This means that when the stimulus money runs out after 2011, we'll have a large structural deficit waiting for us. It's hard to fault legislators for doing this given the severity of the budget shortfall, but it will be an issue we'll have to deal with down the road.
FY10 Departmental Budget Changes:
Public Education: 10% overall budget cut
Juvenile Justice: 16% overall budget cut
Health and Human Services: 30% overall budget cut
-Blind, Deaf / Hard of Hearing Services: 25% budget cut
-Child Development: 16% budget cut
-Medical Assistance (Medicaid): 37% budget cut
-MH/DD/SA: 19% budget cut
-Public Health: 17% budget cut
-Social Services: 12% budget cut
-Health Choice: 12% budget EXPANSION!
PUBLIC EDUCATION
LEA Adjustment - this one is very important. The legislature chose NOT to mandate increased class size and in fact requires LEAs to keep K-3 class size at current levels. However, they are leaving the LEAs with the unpleasant task of administering huge cuts in their districts. It's inevitable that this cut will result in fewer teachers, teachers' assistants, and classroom resources. FY10 ($225 million); FY11 ($304,774,366) recurring
Textbooks - the legislature phases in a complete moratorium on new textbook adoptions by FY11. FY10 ($47,977,278) nonrecurring; FY11 ($115,410,044) nonrecurring
Central Office Administration - this line item cuts funding to LEAs for district staff. FY10 and FY11 ($14,613,199) recurring
More at Four - this is only half of what we thought it could be, so good news here. FY10 and FY11 ($5 million) recurring
Support for struggling students - this line item eliminates funding for children who score low on certain state tests. FY10 and FY11 ($38,339,798) recurring
Literacy Coaches - eliminates funding for all literacy coaches. FY10 and FY11 ($12,034,400) recurring
Funding Reductions to non-profit support organizations - FY10 ($4,594,519); FY11 ($6,702,953) recurring
Dropout Prevention Grants - This allocation creates a competitive grant program for projects that address dropout prevention. FY10 and FY11 $13,000,000 recurring (yep, that's right, an increase!)
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Division of Child Development
Child Care Subsidies - damaging reduction to child care subsidies. FY10 and FY11 ($15,186,301) recurring
Smart Start - I thought this was going to be worse. FY10 ($15,965,000); FY11 ($16,330,000) recurring
MH/DD/SA
Eliminates 350 positions within the Division (unclear which ones). FY10 and FY11 ($12,858,290) recurring
CAP/MR-DD Reduction - FY10 and FY11 ($16,000,000) recurring
State Funded Services - this line item reduces funding for services provided by LMEs. FY10 and FY11 ($40,000,000) recurring
Crisis Services - this line item provides funding for inpatient capacity at community hospitals. FY10 and FY11 $12,000,000 recurring (another increase!)
Public Health
AIDS Drug Assistance - reduces funds to purchase AIDS drugs. FY10 and FY11 ($3,074,119) nonrecurring
Contracts - the legislature eliminates funding for the collection and analysis of data concerning infants and children, and it reduces funding for three contracts that have "unobligated funds." They do not specify which contracts.
More Contracts - Reduces the appropriation for public health contracts that: do not meet the Division's core mission; do not provide a direct service; have had unobligated funds in the past; have failed to meet past goals. FY10 and FY11 ($4,010,072) recurring
Infant mortality, birth defects, and teen pregnancy prevention - the legislature allocates an additional $1.4 million to these efforts. (all nonrecurring)
Health Choice - Provides funds to increase enrollment by 7% in FY10 and 3% in FY11 - $17,096,952 and $21,942,732, respectively. The legislature also imposes co-pays for prescription drugs and non-emergency hospital visits.
Division of Social Services
Work First - cash assistance for struggling families is reduced. FY10 and FY11 ($7,178,459) recurring
Child Advocacy Centers funding reduction - FY10 and FY11 ($200,000) recurring
Foster Care and Adoption assistance - the line item says this reduction reflects greater federal funding, but there is no specific replacement. FY10 ($2,840,235) nonrecurring and FY11 ($1,452,537) nonrecurring
State Aid to Counties - FY10 and FY11 ($5,473,985) nonrecurring
Eliminates funding for child support offices - FY11 ($4,082,811)
Child Welfare Collaborative - $900,000 increase for FY10!
Medicaid
Provider Rate Reductions - These rate reductions will be administered at the discretion of the Secretary. FY10 ($76,440,896) recurring and FY11 ($82,261,586) recurring.
Community Support reduction - FY10 ($65,000,000) and FY11 ($97,500,000), both recurring.
Level III and IV group homes - this cut is significantly less than what was in the most recent House budget. FY10 ($15,860,960) recurring and FY11 ($22,554,622).
Consolidate Case Management - FY10 ($41,029,684) recurring and FY11 ($72,907,230) recurring.
Freeze CAP slots - FY10 ($6,646,956) recurring and FY11 ($7,274,842) recurring.
JUVENILE JUSTICE
Eliminates the Center for the Prevention of School Violence - FY10 and FY11 ($481,225) recurring
Eliminate funding for the Governor's 1 on 1 program - FY10 and FY11 ($1,645,545) recurring
Eliminate Support our Students program - FY10 and FY11 ($6,627,532) recurring
No additional funding for Juvenile Crime Prevention Councils
Samarkand YDC is closed; Dobbs stays open
Monday, June 15, 2009
ANOTHER BUDGET UPDATE FROM THE COVENANT
Early Saturday morning, the House passed its budget proposal, which included a $784 million revenue package that will mitigate some of the worst cuts. The original revenue package would have generated about $940 million, but members of the House Finance Committee voted to eliminate additional taxes on tobacco products, beer, and wine. The final revenue package includes the following: an expanded sales tax base that will include more services; a quarter cent increase in the sales tax rate; two additional top income tax brackets; the elimination of some corporate loopholes; and, an increased liquor tax.
Below are some key restorations that came as a result of the revenue package:
Education:
-Maintains K-3 classroom sizes at current levels
-Low wealth funds for counties
-At risk student funding
Division of Child Development:
-Cuts in child care rates were fully restored
-The Smart Start cut was reduced from $25 million to $5 million
Health Choice:
-The proposed enrollment freeze is lifted
-The ER co-pay is eliminated
DSS:
-Funding for Child Advocacy Centers is fully restored
-State aid to counties for work-first is fully restored
-Foster care and adoption assistance is fully restored
Public Health:
-Early hearing program - fully restored
-2 nd dose of the chicken pox vaccine - fully restored
-Oral health program - fully restored
-Public health contracts - $5 million of $10.5 million cut restored
Medicaid:
-Provider reimbursement rate - rate is reduced by 3% instead of 5.5%
-PT/OT/ST - fully restored
-Adult optical and dental - fully restored
-Orthotics and prosthetics - fully restored
Mental Health:
-MH/DD/SA state funded services are fully restored ($50 million cut proposed)
-CAP/MR-DD state supplemental funds - cut reduced from $16 million to $8 million
Covenant Legislative Updates:
H88 - Healthy Youth Act (Sex-ed)
A group of Senators have come up with a piece of compromise legislation that limits parental choice and diminishes the comprehensive program. The bill was pulled off of the floor last week, and is scheduled to be heard this Tuesday.
H442 - Parental Involvement in School Discipline (corporal punishment)
The Senate Education Committee passed the bill last week. It was a contentious hearing with a very close vote. The bill was debated on the floor of the Senate, but due to opposition from all Republicans and some Democrats, the bill was not voted on. It is now scheduled to be heard on 6/24.
S526 / H548 - School Violence Prevention Act (Bullying Bill)
The House Judiciary I Committee will hear the bill this Tuesday with a floor vote later in the week. We don't expect the Committee vote to be a problem, but we know that the vote on the House floor will be extremely close.
OTHER COVENANT AGENDA BILLS
H177, Healthy Families and Healthy Workplaces Act (Paid sick-days) has now been heard in both the Senate and House Commerce Committees, which is a great step forward for this needed policy. We hope to get a study bill on this issue by the end of session.
H656 / S666 - MH Proceedings / No Restraint - This bill would prevent the shackling of youth during MH hearings. It's been referred to the House Judiciary II Committee and the Senate Judiciary I Committee. Unclear where this will go.
H783 - Study Comm. / Youth Aging Out of Foster Care (Adams, M. Alexander, Earle, Wiley). This bill passed out of the Juvenile Justice Committee last week and will move the House Rules Committee.
H804, an Act to Amend the Personal Education Plan Statute, passed the House the week before last. In short, this legislation would facilitate greater parental involvement in the education of their children. Thanks to Angella Dunston at the NC Justice Center for her work getting this bill passed.
H1414 - Youth Accountability Act
This bill would raise the age of juvenile court jurisdiction from 16 to 18, so that the state doesn't automatically prosecute 16 and 17 year-olds as adults (we're the only state in the country that still does this).
Unclear when this bill will come back up.
PASSED BILLS
Senate Passes Due Process / Suspension Bill
H218 / S737 - Parental and Student Educational Involvement Act (Due process for long-term suspensions and expulsions).
Yea! The bill has now passed both chambers and is headed to the Governor's desk. Kudos to the ACLU and others for their great work on this bill.
Financial Literacy Bill Passes Both Chambers
H817 / S1019, Establish NC Financial Literacy Council, have passed their respective chambers and seem likely to become law very soon. Kudos to Action for Children for its leadership on this issue.
Anti-Smoking Bill Wins Final Passage
The House voted to approve the Senate's version of the secondhand smoking bill, which would ban smoking in all restaurants and bars across the state. This is a great victory for the health of children and families in North Carolina. The Governor is expected to sign the bill into law on Tuesday morning. Cheers to the NC Alliance for Health, the American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association for the hard (and smart) work on this bill.
Below are some key restorations that came as a result of the revenue package:
Education:
-Maintains K-3 classroom sizes at current levels
-Low wealth funds for counties
-At risk student funding
Division of Child Development:
-Cuts in child care rates were fully restored
-The Smart Start cut was reduced from $25 million to $5 million
Health Choice:
-The proposed enrollment freeze is lifted
-The ER co-pay is eliminated
DSS:
-Funding for Child Advocacy Centers is fully restored
-State aid to counties for work-first is fully restored
-Foster care and adoption assistance is fully restored
Public Health:
-Early hearing program - fully restored
-2 nd dose of the chicken pox vaccine - fully restored
-Oral health program - fully restored
-Public health contracts - $5 million of $10.5 million cut restored
Medicaid:
-Provider reimbursement rate - rate is reduced by 3% instead of 5.5%
-PT/OT/ST - fully restored
-Adult optical and dental - fully restored
-Orthotics and prosthetics - fully restored
Mental Health:
-MH/DD/SA state funded services are fully restored ($50 million cut proposed)
-CAP/MR-DD state supplemental funds - cut reduced from $16 million to $8 million
Covenant Legislative Updates:
H88 - Healthy Youth Act (Sex-ed)
A group of Senators have come up with a piece of compromise legislation that limits parental choice and diminishes the comprehensive program. The bill was pulled off of the floor last week, and is scheduled to be heard this Tuesday.
H442 - Parental Involvement in School Discipline (corporal punishment)
The Senate Education Committee passed the bill last week. It was a contentious hearing with a very close vote. The bill was debated on the floor of the Senate, but due to opposition from all Republicans and some Democrats, the bill was not voted on. It is now scheduled to be heard on 6/24.
S526 / H548 - School Violence Prevention Act (Bullying Bill)
The House Judiciary I Committee will hear the bill this Tuesday with a floor vote later in the week. We don't expect the Committee vote to be a problem, but we know that the vote on the House floor will be extremely close.
OTHER COVENANT AGENDA BILLS
H177, Healthy Families and Healthy Workplaces Act (Paid sick-days) has now been heard in both the Senate and House Commerce Committees, which is a great step forward for this needed policy. We hope to get a study bill on this issue by the end of session.
H656 / S666 - MH Proceedings / No Restraint - This bill would prevent the shackling of youth during MH hearings. It's been referred to the House Judiciary II Committee and the Senate Judiciary I Committee. Unclear where this will go.
H783 - Study Comm. / Youth Aging Out of Foster Care (Adams, M. Alexander, Earle, Wiley). This bill passed out of the Juvenile Justice Committee last week and will move the House Rules Committee.
H804, an Act to Amend the Personal Education Plan Statute, passed the House the week before last. In short, this legislation would facilitate greater parental involvement in the education of their children. Thanks to Angella Dunston at the NC Justice Center for her work getting this bill passed.
H1414 - Youth Accountability Act
This bill would raise the age of juvenile court jurisdiction from 16 to 18, so that the state doesn't automatically prosecute 16 and 17 year-olds as adults (we're the only state in the country that still does this).
Unclear when this bill will come back up.
PASSED BILLS
Senate Passes Due Process / Suspension Bill
H218 / S737 - Parental and Student Educational Involvement Act (Due process for long-term suspensions and expulsions).
Yea! The bill has now passed both chambers and is headed to the Governor's desk. Kudos to the ACLU and others for their great work on this bill.
Financial Literacy Bill Passes Both Chambers
H817 / S1019, Establish NC Financial Literacy Council, have passed their respective chambers and seem likely to become law very soon. Kudos to Action for Children for its leadership on this issue.
Anti-Smoking Bill Wins Final Passage
The House voted to approve the Senate's version of the secondhand smoking bill, which would ban smoking in all restaurants and bars across the state. This is a great victory for the health of children and families in North Carolina. The Governor is expected to sign the bill into law on Tuesday morning. Cheers to the NC Alliance for Health, the American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association for the hard (and smart) work on this bill.
Legislative Updates from The Covenant with North Carolina's Children
Provided by Stacey Massengill, NCSPA Legislative and Public Policy Committee Member
The Covenant with North Carolina’s Children is a coalition of over 60 civic groups, professional associations, advocacy organizations and service providers who have formed a covenant by promising together to advance public policy to benefit children in North Carolina and to put children and youth first in our public and private lives. NCSPA is a part of this coalition and the Legislative Committee would like to share with you some of the updates provided to us by this organization.
Legislative Update - 6/8/09
BUDGET UPDATE
The House still hasn't included a revenue package in their budget, but momentum is moving in the right direction. It's fair to say that the Covenant and our allies have had a good bit to do with this change of course. Last Thursday, at the Durham Together NC Town Hall meeting, State Rep. Paul Luebke had this to say:
"Let me say first of all that because of events like this and events that have been happening around the state, and generally just a barrage of emails that have been coming in to members of the General Assembly, there is a growing consensus now that revenue must be raised. This was really not the case even 10 days ago."
If a revenue package is approved, we expect it to include a small increase in the tobacco tax, an increase in the liquor tax, a temporary increase in the sales tax, and an additional top income tax bracket. The package would raise about $1 billion, which will mitigate some of the worst cuts, but this budget will still be painful. It's also unclear as to whether or not the House will approve a revenue package before they pass the crazy, draconian budget proposal currently on the table.
Your legislators still need to hear from you! They are going to be flooded with emails telling them not to raise revenue, so we need to keep up the pressure. Click on the link below to tell your House member to take a balanced solution to the state budget:
http://capwiz.com/cwncc/issues/alert/?alertid=13453506
BUDGET CUTS
Action for Children has put together three extremely helpful documents that show the Governor's, Senate's, and House's proposed budget cuts side-by-side. To take a look, follow the links below:
HHS
http://www.ncchild.org/action/images/stories/PDFs/Budget/Long%20Session%202009-10%20HHS%206_5_09.pdf
EDUCATION
http://www.ncchild.org/action/images/stories/PDFs/Budget/Long%20Session%202009-10%20Public%20Education_6_5_09.pdf
JUVENILE JUSTICE
http://www.ncchild.org/action/images/stories/PDFs/Budget/Long%20Session%202009-10%20Juvenile%20Justice%206_5_09.pdf
ON THE MOVE
H88 - Healthy Youth Act (Sex-ed)
A group of Senators have come up with a piece of compromise legislation that limits parental choice and diminishes the comprehensive program. Bad. Please encourage your Senator to move a sound, comprehensive sexual education bill - http://eqfed.org/campaign/hya3(action alert courtesy of Equality NC).
H1414 - Youth Accountability Act
This bill would raise the age of juvenile court jurisdiction from 16 to 18, so that the state doesn't automatically prosecute 16 and 17 year-olds as adults (we're the only state in the country that still does this).
This bill will be heard in the full Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, June 10 - we expect a close vote.
H442 - Parental Involvement in School Discipline (corporal punishment)
The full House passed this bill by a whopping 91-24 vote. The Senate Education Committee should here the bill on Tuesday, 6/10.
S526 / H548 - School Violence Prevention Act (Bullying Bill)
The House Education Committee approved the Bullying Bill last week with no harmful amendments. We expect that Judiciary I will take up the bill this week with a possible floor vote by Thursday.
OTHER COVENANT AGENDA BILLS
H177, Healthy Families and Healthy Workplaces Act (Paid sick-days) didn't pass the House, but we think we might be able to get a study commission on the issue.
UPDATED - H539 - Merge Smart Start / More at Four (NOTE - this is not a Covenant agenda bill, but it is extremely important to the future of early childhood care in the state). It doesn't look like this will happen on the House side in the budget process. While they've proposed a large cut to More at Four, they don't seem intent on merging the programs. However, we don't know what will happen when the House and Senate start on their budget negotiations.
H656 / S666 - MH Proceedings / No Restraint - This bill would prevent the shackling of youth during MH hearings. It's been referred to the House Judiciary II Committee and the Senate Judiciary I Committee.
H783 - Study Comm. / Youth Aging Out of Foster Care (Adams, M. Alexander, Earle, Wiley). This bill passed out of the Juvenile Justice Committee last week and will move the House Rules Committee.
H804, an Act to Amend the Personal Education Plan Statute, passed the House the week before last. In short, this legislation would facilitate greater parental involvement in the education of their children. Thanks to Angella Dunston at the NC Justice Center for her work getting this bill passed.
PASSED BILLS
Senate Passes Due Process / Suspension Bill
H218 / S737 - Parental and Student Educational Involvement Act (Due process for long-term suspensions and expulsions).
Yea! The bill has now passed both chambers and is headed to the Governor's desk. Kudos to the ACLU and others for their great work on this bill.
Financial Literacy Bill Passes Both Chambers
H817 / S1019, Establish NC Financial Literacy Council, have passed their respective chambers and seem likely to become law very soon. Kudos to Action for Children for its leadership on this issue.
Anti-Smoking Bill Wins Final Passage
The House voted to approve the Senate's version of the secondhand smoking bill, which would ban smoking in all restaurants and bars across the state. This is a great victory for the health of children and families in North Carolina. The Governor is expected to sign the bill into law on Tuesday morning. Cheers to the NC Alliance for Health, the American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association for the hard (and smart) work on this bill.
Legislative Update - 6/10/09
The House Finance Committee just passed merged the revenue proposal and the appropriations bill. So, we now have a budget bill that is ready for a House floor vote tomorrow.
Follow the link below to see the legislation:
http://www.ncleg.net/sessions/2009/budget/2009/S202-ASVxf-21.pdf
Go to page 25 to see what cuts were restored as a result of the tax package, which totaled around $900 million.
To be clear, this debate is not over. HOUSE MEMBERS NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY MUST RAISE REVENUE. PLEASE TAKE ACTION NOW! http://capwiz.com/cwncc/issues/alert/?alertid=13453506
The Covenant with North Carolina’s Children is a coalition of over 60 civic groups, professional associations, advocacy organizations and service providers who have formed a covenant by promising together to advance public policy to benefit children in North Carolina and to put children and youth first in our public and private lives. NCSPA is a part of this coalition and the Legislative Committee would like to share with you some of the updates provided to us by this organization.
Legislative Update - 6/8/09
BUDGET UPDATE
The House still hasn't included a revenue package in their budget, but momentum is moving in the right direction. It's fair to say that the Covenant and our allies have had a good bit to do with this change of course. Last Thursday, at the Durham Together NC Town Hall meeting, State Rep. Paul Luebke had this to say:
"Let me say first of all that because of events like this and events that have been happening around the state, and generally just a barrage of emails that have been coming in to members of the General Assembly, there is a growing consensus now that revenue must be raised. This was really not the case even 10 days ago."
If a revenue package is approved, we expect it to include a small increase in the tobacco tax, an increase in the liquor tax, a temporary increase in the sales tax, and an additional top income tax bracket. The package would raise about $1 billion, which will mitigate some of the worst cuts, but this budget will still be painful. It's also unclear as to whether or not the House will approve a revenue package before they pass the crazy, draconian budget proposal currently on the table.
Your legislators still need to hear from you! They are going to be flooded with emails telling them not to raise revenue, so we need to keep up the pressure. Click on the link below to tell your House member to take a balanced solution to the state budget:
http://capwiz.com/cwncc/issues/alert/?alertid=13453506
BUDGET CUTS
Action for Children has put together three extremely helpful documents that show the Governor's, Senate's, and House's proposed budget cuts side-by-side. To take a look, follow the links below:
HHS
http://www.ncchild.org/action/images/stories/PDFs/Budget/Long%20Session%202009-10%20HHS%206_5_09.pdf
EDUCATION
http://www.ncchild.org/action/images/stories/PDFs/Budget/Long%20Session%202009-10%20Public%20Education_6_5_09.pdf
JUVENILE JUSTICE
http://www.ncchild.org/action/images/stories/PDFs/Budget/Long%20Session%202009-10%20Juvenile%20Justice%206_5_09.pdf
ON THE MOVE
H88 - Healthy Youth Act (Sex-ed)
A group of Senators have come up with a piece of compromise legislation that limits parental choice and diminishes the comprehensive program. Bad. Please encourage your Senator to move a sound, comprehensive sexual education bill - http://eqfed.org/campaign/hya3(action alert courtesy of Equality NC).
H1414 - Youth Accountability Act
This bill would raise the age of juvenile court jurisdiction from 16 to 18, so that the state doesn't automatically prosecute 16 and 17 year-olds as adults (we're the only state in the country that still does this).
This bill will be heard in the full Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, June 10 - we expect a close vote.
H442 - Parental Involvement in School Discipline (corporal punishment)
The full House passed this bill by a whopping 91-24 vote. The Senate Education Committee should here the bill on Tuesday, 6/10.
S526 / H548 - School Violence Prevention Act (Bullying Bill)
The House Education Committee approved the Bullying Bill last week with no harmful amendments. We expect that Judiciary I will take up the bill this week with a possible floor vote by Thursday.
OTHER COVENANT AGENDA BILLS
H177, Healthy Families and Healthy Workplaces Act (Paid sick-days) didn't pass the House, but we think we might be able to get a study commission on the issue.
UPDATED - H539 - Merge Smart Start / More at Four (NOTE - this is not a Covenant agenda bill, but it is extremely important to the future of early childhood care in the state). It doesn't look like this will happen on the House side in the budget process. While they've proposed a large cut to More at Four, they don't seem intent on merging the programs. However, we don't know what will happen when the House and Senate start on their budget negotiations.
H656 / S666 - MH Proceedings / No Restraint - This bill would prevent the shackling of youth during MH hearings. It's been referred to the House Judiciary II Committee and the Senate Judiciary I Committee.
H783 - Study Comm. / Youth Aging Out of Foster Care (Adams, M. Alexander, Earle, Wiley). This bill passed out of the Juvenile Justice Committee last week and will move the House Rules Committee.
H804, an Act to Amend the Personal Education Plan Statute, passed the House the week before last. In short, this legislation would facilitate greater parental involvement in the education of their children. Thanks to Angella Dunston at the NC Justice Center for her work getting this bill passed.
PASSED BILLS
Senate Passes Due Process / Suspension Bill
H218 / S737 - Parental and Student Educational Involvement Act (Due process for long-term suspensions and expulsions).
Yea! The bill has now passed both chambers and is headed to the Governor's desk. Kudos to the ACLU and others for their great work on this bill.
Financial Literacy Bill Passes Both Chambers
H817 / S1019, Establish NC Financial Literacy Council, have passed their respective chambers and seem likely to become law very soon. Kudos to Action for Children for its leadership on this issue.
Anti-Smoking Bill Wins Final Passage
The House voted to approve the Senate's version of the secondhand smoking bill, which would ban smoking in all restaurants and bars across the state. This is a great victory for the health of children and families in North Carolina. The Governor is expected to sign the bill into law on Tuesday morning. Cheers to the NC Alliance for Health, the American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association for the hard (and smart) work on this bill.
Legislative Update - 6/10/09
The House Finance Committee just passed merged the revenue proposal and the appropriations bill. So, we now have a budget bill that is ready for a House floor vote tomorrow.
Follow the link below to see the legislation:
http://www.ncleg.net/sessions/2009/budget/2009/S202-ASVxf-21.pdf
Go to page 25 to see what cuts were restored as a result of the tax package, which totaled around $900 million.
To be clear, this debate is not over. HOUSE MEMBERS NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY MUST RAISE REVENUE. PLEASE TAKE ACTION NOW! http://capwiz.com/cwncc/issues/alert/?alertid=13453506
Thursday, February 19, 2009
NCSPA Newsletter Article
The legislature convened 12:00 Noon, on January 28th. Our Lobbyist, Steve Shaber talked to Representatives Rick Glazier, Doug Youngue, and Maggie Jeffus, who all have shown us support in the past. While we are not sure exactly who will sponsor our bill this session, we plan on reintroducing the bill in conjunction with NCAE. The bill, an act to establish a salary schedule rate increase for certified personnel of the public school who are paid on the advanced degree (sixth year) or doctorate degree salary schedule, will be pursued despite the projected 2 billion dollar state budget shortfall. We are staying positive, while recognizing that this will be a difficult year not only for state institutions, but also for those of us who are paid by those institutions. Stay tuned, and read our Legislative Blog, accessible through the NCSPA website to obtain the most up to date information as the 2009 legislative session gets underway.
In other news, the legislative and public policy committee needs your help. If you are interested in making contacts with your legislators or being involved in the exciting changes facing our profession, please contact Chris Tufts, ctufts@wcpss.net. As a profession, we have a great deal to offer our legislators, who are concerned about the future and welfare of the students in our schools. They want to hear from us on issues that we know about.
In other news, the legislative and public policy committee needs your help. If you are interested in making contacts with your legislators or being involved in the exciting changes facing our profession, please contact Chris Tufts, ctufts@wcpss.net. As a profession, we have a great deal to offer our legislators, who are concerned about the future and welfare of the students in our schools. They want to hear from us on issues that we know about.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Passed along to you from the newsletter: From the Ground Up
The Newsletter of the NC Education and Law Project, NC Justice Center
www.ncjustice.org
____________________________________________________________________________________
Dec. 15, 2008
Greetings, parents, advocates, and education partners.
It has been a decade since education officials in North Carolina vowed to close, or at least significantly narrow, the achievement gap that exists between minority students and their white peers. It hasn't happened yet. Eight years ago, federal officials promised to rally around all students, particularly those most likely to fail, by increasing standards of accountability for states, school districts, and schools. Yet, their underfunded No Child Left Behind Act has done as much to undermine disadvantaged students as help them. Now, everyone from Beverly Perdue to Barack Obama are pledging to raise the high school graduation rate.
They will struggle to succeed until more education policy makers recognize that low retention rates are a symptom of the same unsolved problems of the past. The public school system is failing to engage poor and minority students.
A study released recently by the Education Trust and the University of Pennsylvania, indicates that disparities in teacher quality are at least partly to blame. According to the report, low-income high-school students and students of color in the United States are about twice as likely to be enrolled in core academic classes taught by teachers who possess neither certification in the subject they have been assigned to teach nor an academic major in that subject. Read the entire report: http://www2.edtrust.org/EdTrust/Press+Room/CoreProblems.
Get the facts about graduation rates
The Alliance for Excellent Education has released Understanding High School Graduation Rates, a series of one-page reports about what the the drop out crisis looks like in each of the fifty states and the District of Columbia. The report reveals graduation gaps between demographic groups in most states, discrepancies in graduation rates reported by government and independent sources, and the high economic costs of dropouts to individuals and society. Click [here] to access graduation and dropout statistics for North Carolina.
Education coalition to meet in January
North Carolina Community Advocates for Revitalizing Education (NCCARE) will meet Jan. 10 at the Justice Center's office in Raleigh. If you are a parent, youth development professional, or advocate for public school students and would like to network with other education advocates from around the state, please join us. For more information about joining NCCARE or attending the January meeting, please call Beth Jacobs at 919.861.2064 or email beth@ncjustince.org
Site designed to help students navigate road to diplomas
The value of a North Carolina high school diploma is rising. The state continues to increase standards so that most students who graduate from high school leave with the credentials it takes to get into community colleges, colleges, and universities. Unfortunately for students, the policy changes regarding diploma pathways are being phased in over the course of the next few years creating confusion for parents and students. Many young people are unsure about what courses, credits and projects are required to receive a diploma. The Department of Public Instruction recently created a page on its Web site to answer some of those questions. For more information about the ever changing graduation requirements go to www.dpi.state.nc.us/gradrequirements/ .
The Newsletter of the NC Education and Law Project, NC Justice Center
www.ncjustice.org
____________________________________________________________________________________
Dec. 15, 2008
Greetings, parents, advocates, and education partners.
It has been a decade since education officials in North Carolina vowed to close, or at least significantly narrow, the achievement gap that exists between minority students and their white peers. It hasn't happened yet. Eight years ago, federal officials promised to rally around all students, particularly those most likely to fail, by increasing standards of accountability for states, school districts, and schools. Yet, their underfunded No Child Left Behind Act has done as much to undermine disadvantaged students as help them. Now, everyone from Beverly Perdue to Barack Obama are pledging to raise the high school graduation rate.
They will struggle to succeed until more education policy makers recognize that low retention rates are a symptom of the same unsolved problems of the past. The public school system is failing to engage poor and minority students.
A study released recently by the Education Trust and the University of Pennsylvania, indicates that disparities in teacher quality are at least partly to blame. According to the report, low-income high-school students and students of color in the United States are about twice as likely to be enrolled in core academic classes taught by teachers who possess neither certification in the subject they have been assigned to teach nor an academic major in that subject. Read the entire report: http://www2.edtrust.org/EdTrust/Press+Room/CoreProblems.
Get the facts about graduation rates
The Alliance for Excellent Education has released Understanding High School Graduation Rates, a series of one-page reports about what the the drop out crisis looks like in each of the fifty states and the District of Columbia. The report reveals graduation gaps between demographic groups in most states, discrepancies in graduation rates reported by government and independent sources, and the high economic costs of dropouts to individuals and society. Click [here] to access graduation and dropout statistics for North Carolina.
Education coalition to meet in January
North Carolina Community Advocates for Revitalizing Education (NCCARE) will meet Jan. 10 at the Justice Center's office in Raleigh. If you are a parent, youth development professional, or advocate for public school students and would like to network with other education advocates from around the state, please join us. For more information about joining NCCARE or attending the January meeting, please call Beth Jacobs at 919.861.2064 or email beth@ncjustince.org
Site designed to help students navigate road to diplomas
The value of a North Carolina high school diploma is rising. The state continues to increase standards so that most students who graduate from high school leave with the credentials it takes to get into community colleges, colleges, and universities. Unfortunately for students, the policy changes regarding diploma pathways are being phased in over the course of the next few years creating confusion for parents and students. Many young people are unsure about what courses, credits and projects are required to receive a diploma. The Department of Public Instruction recently created a page on its Web site to answer some of those questions. For more information about the ever changing graduation requirements go to www.dpi.state.nc.us/gradrequirements/ .
Friday, October 17, 2008
Representative of Obama/Biden Campaign to Speak to NC Children's Coalition
From The Covenant with North Carolina's Children:
Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) will be speaking with North Carolina child advocates, Covenant with North Carolina ’s Children members and the public as a representative from the Obama/Biden campaign. This is a great opportunity to educate a Presidential Candidate’s policy committee on important child and family issues that need to be addressed at the Federal level.
The forum is open to the public and The Covenant encourages individuals, families, advocates, community organizations, professionals, and anyone concerned with children and families to attend.
Date: Monday, October 20th Time: 11 a.m.
Where: North Carolina Association of Educators
Spread the word and plan to attend! Please come with QUESTIONS!
For directions to 700 South Salisbury Street , Raleigh , NC visit www.ncae.org or go to http://www.ncae.org/cms/Directions+to+NCAE/1
Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) will be speaking with North Carolina child advocates, Covenant with North Carolina ’s Children members and the public as a representative from the Obama/Biden campaign. This is a great opportunity to educate a Presidential Candidate’s policy committee on important child and family issues that need to be addressed at the Federal level.
The forum is open to the public and The Covenant encourages individuals, families, advocates, community organizations, professionals, and anyone concerned with children and families to attend.
Date: Monday, October 20th Time: 11 a.m.
Where: North Carolina Association of Educators
Spread the word and plan to attend! Please come with QUESTIONS!
For directions to 700 South Salisbury Street , Raleigh , NC visit www.ncae.org or go to http://www.ncae.org/cms/Directions+to+NCAE/1
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