news-record.com

The lingering session

Like many capitol reporters, I wrote an end-of-session wrap-up for tomorrow's paper. I'll post a link when I get it.

Of course, like many reporters, I have more things to say than space allows. So here's some online only content for you internet readers:

Lingering effects

Even as they headed home for the year, legislators left with a long to-do list.

“It’s really important that North Carolina have a statewide conversation ... if we are serious, and I think we must be, about changing North Carolina basic (tax) code,” Perdue said Tuesday. “That’s a huge must-do for me.”

Lawmakers have agreed to study a tax code rewrite between now and the time they return in May.

Hackney said he hoped the effort would win support from Republicans as well as Democrats.

“That’s a difficult thing for a lot of us to even get started on unless it comes coupled with a serious look at controlling the pace of increased spending,” Berger said.

Tax reform is one of a number of unfinished items:

• “I’ve been trying to improve conditions for workers and families,” said Rep. Alma Adams, a Greensboro Democrat. In particular, she said she wanted to push for a measure that would guarantee sick leave to low-wage workers.

• Rep. Pricey Harrison has pushed a number of environmental measures this session, including one to more strictly regulate coal ash ponds that store toxic waste from power plants. She will push for studies of other coal-ash-related problems.

• Although the bill never made it past committee, Rep. Earl Jones, a Greensboro Democrat, championed the legalization of video poker.
  
  “That’s a $500 million plum we need to pick somewhere along the way,” Cole said.