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Legislative
Actions
Bill
advances giving school boards
flexibility in hiring superintendents
Legislation
to allow local school systems to hire superintendents who are
otherwise well qualified but who don’t hold a college degree
in education passed the Senate by a vote of 47-1 last week and
received a favorable report Tuesday from the House Education
Committee. The
bill, S. 378 Education Degree Not Required/ Local
Superintendent, originally on the May 16 House calendar
but was re-calendared for Tuesday, May 22.
NCCBI
President Phil Kirk testified before the House Education
Committee and echoed the statements of the bill’s sponsor,
Sen. Howard Lee (D-Orange), who said administrative and
managerial experience should be the criteria for leading a
school system. “It’s difficult to find good
superintendents,” Kirk said. “The local school board
should have the authority to hire the best possible person –
whether or not that person has an education degree.”
Under the current law, a person must hold a principal’s
certificate and have experience as a principal before they can
be considered for a superintendent position. Former governors
Jim Hunt and Jim Martin, former UNC System President Bill
Friday or former Cabinet secretary Elizabeth Dole could not be
superintendents, although they have a broad knowledge of
education issues and extensive management experience.
John Dornan, executive
director of the Public School Forum, who also testified before
the committee, said the state’s university and community
college system have the opportunity to hire leaders who do not
have education degrees.
North Carolina is
recognized for its superior higher education system, he said,
but K-12 education continues to struggle in many areas.
Providing local flexibility will allow local school districts
to “think outside the box” and hire the person with the
credentials they consider to be the most suitable for their
school districts, he said.
Committee
Actions and Floor Votes
The House on Wednesday concurred with Senate amendments to H.
1285 Delay Praxis II Test for New Teachers {McLawhorn} and
the measure was enrolled. The bill gives new teachers two
years instead of one to pass a state-required competency test.
State education leaders said it undercuts efforts to raise
standards for classroom teachers. Supporters of the measure
said the bill gives local school systems, particularly those
in rural areas, more flexibility at a time when teachers are
in short supply.
The House on
Wednesday concurred with Senate amendments to H. 438
Clarify Community College Performance Measures {Yongue}
and the measure was enrolled. The bill changes one of the 12
performance yardsticks that the State Board of Community
Colleges uses to evaluate each of the state’s 59 community
colleges for the purpose of performance budgeting. The revised
measure says campuses will be evaluated for “goal completion
of program completers” instead of “completers and
noncompleters.”
The Senate on Wednesday gave second- and third-reading
approval to H. 1143 Sports Club ABC Permits
{Gibson} and the measure was enrolled. The bill allows all
sports clubs and private residential clubhouses across the
state to apply for mixed-drink permits. The House-passed bill
would pre-empt an anticipated court ruling that could overturn
special legislation allowing about 100 such clubs to serve
mixed drinks. The bill exempts seven counties, Lincoln,
Harnett, Davie, Graham, Swain, Yancey and McDowell. However,
clubs in those counties would have 90 days to apply for
permits allowing them to serve mixed drinks. The bill defines
a sports club as an 18-hole golf course or a facility with two
or more tennis courts or both.
The Senate on Wednesday concurred with House amendments to S.
310 Uniform Securities Regulation {Hoyle} and the measure
was enrolled. The measure clarifies the law governing
administrative proceedings of the Secretary of State,
authorizes the Secretary of State to appoint a hearing officer
to conduct hearings on licensing matters, and authorizes the
secretary to adopt uniform national securities regulation
standards by temporary rule.
The Senate on
Wednesday concurred with House amendments to S. 542
Database on Psychotropic Medicines for Children {Foxx} and
the measure was enrolled. The bill directs the state
Department of Health and Human Services and the state
Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to
review the need for establishing a statewide database on the
administration of psychotropic medications to children who
receive state services.
The House on Tuesday gave second- and third-reading approval
to S. 16 Municipal Election Boards {Gulley} and
returned the bill to the Senate for concurrence in amendments.
As passed by the Senate, the measure would abolish all
municipal boards of election and require all elections to be
conducted by county boards of election. The measure was
amended in the House to allow four Western Piedmont towns to
continue operating their boards of elections -- Morganton,
Granite Falls, Rhodhiss and Old Fort. The bill is headed to a
conference committee.
The House on Wednesday gave second- and third-reading approval
to S. 735 Change Education Cabinet Membership {Dalton},
and the measure was enrolled. The bill adds the president of
the N.C. Independent Colleges and Universities to the
Education Cabinet. Other members of the Education Cabinet are
the governor, the president of the UNC System, the state
superintendent of public instruction, the chairman of the
State Board of Education and the president of the community
colleges.
The House on
Wednesday gave third-reading approval to S. 264 Require
State Reports Double-Sided {Kinnaird} and the measure was
returned to the Senate for concurrence in amendments. The
government-efficiency measure requires that all official
government reports be printed on both sides of the page.
The House on
Wednesday gave second- and third-reading approval to S. 716
Poll Worker Discharge {Kinnaird} and the measure was
returned to the Senate for concurrence in amendments. The bill
specifies that no employer may discharge or demote any
employee because the employee has been appointed as a precinct
official and is serving as a precinct official on election day
or canvass day.
The House on
Wednesday gave second- and third-reading approval to S. 739
Psychological Associates/clinical Social Worker Privilege
{Carter} and the measure was returned to the Senate for
concurrence in amendments. The bill extends to licenses
psychological associates, licenses clinical social workers and
licenses marriage and family therapists the privileged
communication protections that already are enjoyed by licensed
physicians and licensed psychologists.
The Senate on
Wednesday gave second- and third-reading approval to S. 723
Appointed Member’s Statement of Economic Interest {Pope},
and the measure was enrolled. The bill requires persons
appointed to fill vacant seats in the General Assembly to file
the same economic disclosure statements as those filed by
candidates before each election.
The House on
Tuesday gave second- and third-reading approval to S. 708
Reduce School Paperwork {Horton}. The Senate-passed
measure is intended to eliminate unnecessary and duplicative
paperwork in the public schools by specifying that the State
Board of Education not require local school systems to provide
information that is already available elsewhere.
The House on
Tuesday gave second- and third-reading approval to S. 132
Health Insurance/Colorectal Cancer Screening {Carpenter},
and the Senate-passed bill was enrolled. The legislation
requires every health benefit plan to provide coverage for
colorectal cancer examinations and lab tests for cancer for
any individuals who is at least 50 years old or a younger
person who is in a high-risk group. The same deductibles,
co-insurance and other limitations will apply as in other
similar services covered under the plan.
The Senate on
Monday gave second- and third-reading approval to H. 342
Employment Security Commission Records/Evidence {Redwine}
and the measure was enrolled. The bill adds the ESC to a list
of state agencies which are allowed to photocopy all records
and filings and to then use the copies as acceptable
submissions in any legal proceeding.
The House
Finance Committee on Tuesday debated and favorably reported H.
969 Air Quality/Motor Vehicle Inspection Fees {Hackney}, a
bill that sets fees and implements provisions of clean-air
legislation passed by the legislature two years ago. That 1999
legislation expands vehicle emissions testing from nine
counties to 48 and to require that only low-sulfur gasoline
can be sold in the state. Under the schedule approved by the
committee, safety inspections, which do not include emissions
tests, would increase from $9.25 to $14.45 in October, and to
$16 in 2003. In the nine counties where emissions testing is
now required, inspection fees would rise in three stages, from
$19.40 to $34 by 2003. In July 2003, the state will begin
expanding emissions testing to other counties, with 39
additional counties phased in by 2006. Rep. Connie Wilson
(R-Mecklenburg) offered an amendment to lower the
emissions-inspection fee to $26.30 but it failed. After the
committee's action, the bill was re-referred to the
Appropriations Committee
The Senate
Finance Committee on Wednesday favorably reported S. 144
Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement {Kerr}, a measure
that would allow North Carolina to join other states in an
effort to collect taxes on purchases make over the Internet
and through catalogs. The measure would allow the secretary of
the Department of Revenue to enter into an agreement with
other states for a uniform system of collecting use taxes.
Estimates are that state and local governments lose $450
million a year in lost taxes from Internet and catalog sales.
The committee was told that Utah, Wyoming, North Dakota,
Arkansas and Indiana already have enacted similar legislation.
The House
Transportation Committee on Wednesday favorably reported S.
731 Transportation Planning {Clodfelter}, a Senate-passed
bill that requires metropolitan planning organizations to
develop regional transportation strategies.
The House
Insurance Committee on Wednesday favorably reported S. 241
Health Insurance Termination Notice {Dalton}, a
Senate-passed bill that strengthens the law making it a felony
for an insurance company to terminate a group health or life
insurance policy for nonpayment of premiums without giving
notice to members of the group.
The Senate
Education/Higher Education Committee on Wednesday favorably
reported H. 620 Records of School Suspension May Be
Retained {Warner}, H. 1161 Appointments to State Board
of Education {Yongue}, H. 421 Financial Assistance for
Community College Students {Saunders} and H. 1149
School Policies/Harassment of Employees {Insko}.
The Senate
Health Care Committee on Wednesday favorably reported H.
1232 Prescription Drug Assistance for Seniors {Redwine}, a
House-passed resolution that urges the Health and Wellness
Trust Fund to provide grants to expand access to prescription
drugs for senior citizens; and H. 1160 Health
Insurance/Uniform Provider Credentialing {Alexander}, a
House-passed measure that directs the state Commissioner of
Insurance to adopt by rule a uniform provider credentialing
application form that will include all the information
necessary to adequately assess and verify the qualifications
of the applicant.
The Senate
judiciary II Committee on Tuesday favorably reported S. 890
Money Transmitters Act {Hagan}, a measure that requires
state licensing and establishes licensing criteria for all
persons engaged in such businesses.
The Senate
Finance Committee on Wednesday favorably reported S. 395
Plumbing and Heating Contractors {Miller}, a measure that
allows the State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and
Fire Sprinkler Contractors to acquire property and which
raises the annual privilege license for those professions from
$75 to $150. The committee also favorably reported S. 628
Out-of-State CPAs {Clodfelter}, a measure that requires
out-of-state CPAs to notify the State Board of Certified
Public Accountant Examiners when they perform work in this
state.
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