For the week of
January 11, 2013
- carolinajournal.com
Reaction of the Week
RALEIGH — North Carolina’s mental health
programs have faced fiscal challenges for several years, and the
programs now are running a $35 million deficit. Nonetheless, a
legislative committee is pushing for the possible creation of a fourth
state psychiatric facility and broader mental health treatment programs
for returning combat personnel and military veterans, reports Carolina Journal.
Most of the topics discussed Tuesday at a meeting of the Joint
Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services revolved
around finding solutions to “critical shortages” in areas such as
psychiatric inpatient beds, the number of practicing psychiatrists and
psychologists, and treatment options for veterans.
Amid that backdrop, and with the visitors gallery overflowing, state
Secretary of Health and Human Services Aldona Wos met for the first time
with the committee and told lawmakers she was “now a whole 16 hours
smart in this industry.”
With a $4.7 billion budget that accounts for 23 percent of General Fund
appropriations, the Department of Health and Human Services is one of
the main drivers of state spending. Its costs and various budget
overruns have rankled many legislators for years.
During her brief remarks, Wos said she planned to make the department
“accountable, reliable, and that you can count on information that you
receive from them.”
News Features
CJ: General Assembly opens under full GOP control
RALEIGH — Senators, representatives, their
families, and scores of other government officials gathered Wednesday at
the Legislative Building as the 2013 session of the General Assembly
convened. The day was absent of surprises as the leaders of both legislative chambers were re-elected to their posts without opposition CJ: McCrory scraps Perdue executive order
RALEIGH — Republican Gov. Pat McCrory issued his
first executive order Monday, rescinding an order issued by his
predecessor, Democrat Bev Perdue, which Perdue exempted herself from at
the end of her term of office.
CJ: Unemployment insurance reform moves forward
RALEIGH — An interim legislative committee
Tuesday set the stage for a major battle over unemployment insurance
benefits when the General Assembly gears up later this month. CJ: Lawmakers wrangle over training for bail agents
RALEIGH — Two of the General Assembly’s most
powerful Republican lawmakers and the Democratic state insurance
commissioner are among those ensnared in a legal struggle between
private and nonprofit bail bondsmen organizations providing
instructional courses for bail agents.
UNC may open doors wider to out-of-state students
CHAPEL HILL — The UNC system, strapped for money for new initiatives,
may take a step that has long been politically explosive in North
Carolina: admitting more out-of-state students. Unlike many public
universities across the United States, the UNC system has for decades
had an 18 percent limit on the number of out-of-state freshmen at its
campuses.
Upcoming Events
Monday, January 14, 2013 at 12:00 p.m.
Shaftesbury Society Luncheon
with our special guest Dr. Andrew Taylor
What to Expect from the 2013 Congress Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.
JLF 23rd Anniversary Gala Event
with our special guest Stuart Varney
JLF 23rd Anniversary Event with
Fox Business News Anchor
Stuart Varney
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Capital Quotes
“There are a number of people who do not appear to have IDs. We need a treatment for that.”
— House Speaker Thom Tillis, R-Mecklenburg, as quoted by the Raleigh News & Observer, talking about proposed legislation requiring that identification be present in order to vote.
“We have her in the ‘endangered’ category.”
— Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political scientist, talking to the Charlotte Observer about Sen. Kay Hagan, D-NC, who is up for reelection next year. “Unfortunately, it’s always about corporations, ‘bad,’ and public schools, ‘good,’ and that’s not the right discussion.”
— Bryan Setser, former executive director of the N.C. Virtual Public School, commenting to the Raleigh News & Observer on proposals to create virtual charter schools in the state. “The jobs are coming back. They are just different than they used to be.”
— John Enamait, dean of business, industry and technology at Catawba Valley Community College, talking to the Charlotte Observer about the furniture industry.
On The Air This Week…
This week on C J Radio…
Carolina Journal’s Rick Henderson discusses new appointments to Gov. McCrory’s team; National Review Online’s Reihan Salam on the importance of developing conservative policy proposals; JLF’s Kory Swanson looks at an informed citizenry and the Glorious Revolution; the Reason Foundation’s Adrian Moore on costs vs. benefits of passenger rail; and JLF’s Roy Cordato explains the Unlimited Savings Allowance (USA) tax.
This week on NC Spin…
Join moderator Tom Campbell
for another week of political discussion and debate on the most
intelligent television talk show in the state. Topics this week: The McCrory team; the Martin Report; and 2013 economic forecast. This week’s panelists: John Hood, president of the John Locke Foundation; Chris Fitzsimon of NC Policy Watch; former House Speaker Joe Mavretic; and former legislator Connie Wilson.
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