^The ANSON BIZ-ZINE
WADESBORO, ANSON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, U.S.A.

The Raleigh Report

From the Office of Representative Pryor Gibson
June 10, 2010

Members of the House and Senate began meeting this week to negotiate a final budget proposal to present to Gov. Beverly Perdue. Our intention is to complete our work by the end of the month so that the adjustments we propose will be in place by the start of the next fiscal year.

We have also been working steadily on a number of other issues, and I have included information below about some of the legislation that is moving through the House. I hope you will find it useful.

Thank you as always for your interest in state government. If you have any questions about this information or anything else that I can help with, please contact me. I am always glad to be of service.

Education

• School improvement teams may now be required to use the Education Value Added Assessment System (EVAAS) or a compatible system to collect diagnostic information on students that could help improve their achievement. The legislation (HB 1669) www.ncleg.net/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2009&Bi llID=h1669 that passed the House this week is based on the recommendations of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee.
  
  
• A bill that would restore a balance to the law on unemployment compensation for substitute teachers passed the House this week (HB 1676) www.ncleg.net/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2009&Bi llID=h1676 . No substitute teacher or other substitute school personnel will be considered unemployed for time they don't work unless they were employed as a full-time substitute The bill is based on the recommendations of the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee.
  
  
• Public schools would be required to use evidence-based fitness testing for students in grades K through 8 under a bill debated in the House Committee on Health on Tuesday (HB 1757) www.ncleg.net/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2009&Bi llID=h1757 . The bill is based on the recommendation of the Legislative Task Force on Childhood Obesity.
  
  
• Legislation that would give certain local boards of education additional flexibility with regard to instructional time lost due to inclement weather passed the House this week (SB 636) www.ncleg.net/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2009&Bi llID=s636 .
  
  
• Legislation that would prohibit the use of corporal punishment on a student with a disability whose parent has stated in writing that corporal punishment shall not be administered on that student passed the House this week (HB 1682) www.ncleg.net/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2009&Bi llID=h1682 . If enacted, the bill would also require local boards of education to report concurrences of corporal punishment to the State Board of Education.

• The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, in conjunction with others, would develop a statewide survey to assess the state's water and wastewater infrastructure needs under a bill debated by the House Committee on Water Resources and Infrastructure on Tuesday (HB 1749) www.ncleg.net/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2009&Bi llID=h1749 . If enacted, the legislation would also direct the department to work with other groups to incorporate the information into the state water supply plan.