News-Record.com

RALEIGH — Legislators closed the books Friday on a General Assembly session that some may remember as much for what didn’t get done as for the measures that passed.

For example, a moratorium on annexations by cities passed the House but was never considered by the Senate. And a bill aimed at curbing bullying in public schools failed under pressure from social conservatives, who objected to a section that extended specific protections to gay students.

Locally, many had hoped that legislators would bring protest petitions — a way for citizens to make development changes harder for the City Council to pass — back to Greensboro, but it met with objections that doomed it early.

The legislative short session is geared toward passing the budget, and many local legislators point to items contained in the budget as their major accomplishments, whether they be local items or of statewide concern.

Budget writers included language aimed at easing the problems within the mental health system, at state hospitals and in communities. More money will go toward local in-patient beds and crisis systems.

Outside the budget, the General Assembly passed measures to give the governor more powers to deal with drought and tightened restrictions on sex offenders by passing what supporters call “Jessica’s Law.” The legislature also tightened the state’s ban on video poker to include video slot machines that were based on a sweepstakes system.

A sampling of what area legislators consider their highlights:

Sen. Stan Bingham

The Denton Republican pointed to a measure that will require licenses for drivers under 21 to be printed vertically rather than the standard horizontal format. The change is designed to make it easier for shopkeepers and bartenders to tell who should not be sold alcohol.

“You mix alcohol with a graduated driver’s license, and God knows that’s a tragedy about to occur,” said Bingham, who has worked on several bills that involve young drivers’ safety.

He also pointed to the legislature’s work that will study water issues along the Yadkin River. Of concern, he said, is the future of a power plant operated by Alcoa that is due for repermitting.

“My interest is in the value of that water with the drought we have going on,” Bingham said.

Sen. Katie Dorsett

The Greensboro Democrat said she was most excited about appropriations that helped local groups, such as the $75,000 granted the High Point Arts Council to help build the John Coltrane Music Hall.

“We’ve been working on that for a long time, and I hope this is just the beginning of great things to come,” Dorsett said. She also pointed to new buildings and other funds specifically granted to UNCG and N.C. A&T.

She added, “Whenever we can do things for your local area, I am really appreciative of that.”

Rep. Alma Adams

Adams, a Greensboro Democrat, considered funding for programs in Greensboro and beyond as a major accomplishment. In particular, she pointed to arts programs.

“It looks like all the (historically black colleges and universities) fared pretty well. And I’m just real proud of what’s going on in Sedalia,” Adams said, referring to renovation work on the Charlotte Hawkins Brown memorial.

Adams had been keen on boosting the earned-income tax credit. Language raising the credit to 5 percent was included in the budget, but it won’t go into effect for another year.

“Sometimes the movement around here is slow,” she said.

Other measures she listed include boosting funding for education programs such as Learn and Earn, and passing measures aimed at curbing the expansion of gangs.

Rep. Nelson Cole

Cole, a Democrat from Reidsville, highlighted transportation issues.

“One of the major things was we finally got the attention with regard to the transfers out of the Highway Trust Fund,” Cole said. That’s a reference to an account replenished from gas taxes, part of which has gone to underwrite nontransportation programs over the past decade. The General Assembly has begun weaning itself from those transfers so that more money can go toward road construction.

He said transportation would be a major focus next year.

“We’ve got to rethink how we pay for it,” Cole said.

Sen. Phil Berger

Berger said he doesn’t have a laundry list of accomplishments. Because Republicans make up a minority of the Senate, their role is often as loyal opposition.

“To a certain extent, what we do is stop bad things,” said Berger, an Eden Republican who represents parts of Guilford County.

Although he didn’t offer it on his own, Berger and fellow Republicans played a major role in adjusting a bill to curb access to firearms by the mentally ill. Before the changes Berger offered by way of amendments on the Senate floor, the bill was too stringent, gun-rights advocates said.

Berger said that Democratic leaders had restricted the growth of the budget and began curbing transfers from the highway trust fund, two ideas Republicans have pushed for years.

Rep. Maggie Jeffus

Jeffus said she was happy about a serious of educational items, such as funding for A-plus schools, and local items.

“I’m happy we were able to accomplish the four items on the Chamber of Commerce’s agenda,” the Greensboro Democrat said. Those items included bolstering support for the furniture market, helping the new nanoscience school for UNCG and A&T, getting money for the civil rights museum in Greensboro and funding local juvenile crime prevention councils, which are considered pivotal in fighting gang activity.

Rep. Laura Wiley

The High Point Republican pointed to a bill that changes the legal definition of stalking and increases the penalties for the crime. Wiley was a lead negotiator on House-Senate differences. The position was an unusually key one for a relatively new legislator in the minority party.

“Our definition of stalking was too narrow,” Wiley said, adding that the existing law could have applied only in a narrow set of cases.

Stalking, she said, “comes up in all different contests. We had an attorney testify that a client didn’t appreciate how a court case turned out and ended up stalking him for 10 years.”

Wiley was also involved in a rewrite of state ethics laws.

Contact Mark Binker at (919) 832-5549 or mark.binker@news-record.com