February 2014 Newsletter from Senator Neal Hunt

8/13/2019 February 2014 Newsletter from Senator Neal Hunt

1/6

LEGISLATIVE NEWSLETTER

February 11, 2014

ITS WORKING, NORTH CAROLINA!

Im excited to give you great news for my first newsletter in 2014.

Data recently released by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics provethat our conservative policies of lowering taxes, cutting wasteful

government spending, reforming unemployment insurance, and

reducing regulations are working!

In 2011, when Republicans took control of the legislature for the first

time since Reconstruction, our unemployment rate was one of the

highest rates in the nation at 10.4%. North Carolinians were hurting

as they searched for nonexistent jobs.

The December unemployment data released in late January shows

that North Carolinas unemployment rate has fallen 3.5% in three

years to 6.9%. This marks the first time since September 2008 that

our states unemployment rate has fallen below 7%. Since January

2011, North Carolinas economy has added over 167,000 jobs!

Those opposed to our policies will continue to spin these numbers

in a way that would make it appear as if our efforts had nothing to

do with this good news. Im sure this year, an election year, youll

hear liberals say that the new jobs are simply a reflection of the

increased population or that workers have left the workforce. The

fact of the matter is the ratehas declined and jobs have been added

despite the new population numbers.

On top of that, people and businesses are moving to North Carolina

due to our high quality, yet low cost of living with our new lower and

competitive tax rates.

SENATOR NEAL HUNT

Proudly Representing WakeCounty in the North Carolina

Senate

15thDistrict

LEGISLATIVE OFFICE

300 N. Salisbury Street,

Room 309

Raleigh, NC 27603

(919)733-5850

[email protected]

DISTRICT OFFICE

2600 Fairview Road

Raleigh, NC 27608

(919)781-3464
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


2/6

Regional unemployment rate data from January 2012 to January 2014

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE REFORM

Liberal politicians claim that we have destroyed our statesunemployment benefits, yet they fail to take responsibility for their

own misguided actions. Earlier in January, Senator Hagan called

our unemployment insurance reform irresponsible and cold

hearted.

Heres the truth: While serving in the NC General Assembly (1999-

2009) as a Senate Appropriations Chairwoman, Senator Kay Hagan

was among those who made irresponsible decisions that damaged

the solvency of our states unemployment insurance system.

When the recession hit, the state was completely unprepared to pay

the flood of new unemployment claims. As a result, North Carolina

was forced to borrow more than $2 billion from the federal

government. In fact, our state had the 4 th highest unemployment

insurance debt in the country behind only California, Pennsylvania,

and New York. House Bill 4, which Governor McCrory signed into

law in 2013, included a prudent plan to pay off the debt by 2016.

If we had failed to reform our unemployment insurance this year, the

[email protected]

STANDING COMMITTEES

Appropriations, Co-Chair

Commerce

Finance

Health Care

Program Evaluation

Redistricting

Transportation

INTERIM COMMITTEES

Economic Development andGlobal Engagement Oversight

Commission on GovernmentalOperations

Commission on Jordan Lake

Program Evaluation Oversight

Transportation Oversight

VOTING RECORD

BILLS INTRODUCED

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

NC VA SC TN GA US
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://ncleg.net/gascripts/voteHistory/MemberVoteHistory.pl?sSession=2013&nMMUserID=200&sChamber=Shttp://ncleg.net/gascripts/voteHistory/MemberVoteHistory.pl?sSession=2013&nMMUserID=200&sChamber=Shttp://ncleg.net/gascripts/members/reports/introducedBills.pl?nUserID=200&Chamber=Shttp://ncleg.net/gascripts/members/reports/introducedBills.pl?nUserID=200&Chamber=Shttp://www.twitter.com/SenatorNealHunthttp://www.facebook.com/SenatorNealHunthttp://www.twitter.com/SenatorNealHunthttp://www.facebook.com/SenatorNealHunthttp://www.twitter.com/SenatorNealHunthttp://www.facebook.com/SenatorNealHunthttp://ncleg.net/gascripts/members/reports/introducedBills.pl?nUserID=200&Chamber=Shttp://ncleg.net/gascripts/voteHistory/MemberVoteHistory.pl?sSession=2013&nMMUserID=200&sChamber=Smailto:[email protected]


3/6

states debt would not have been paid off until 2019. By that time,

North Carolina employers would pay a federal tax of $718.2 million

per year, when the standard is $79.8 million per year. This obviously

would have threatened existing jobs and made it harder to create

and recruit new jobs.

To sum, the left has clearly lost this debate and continues to blame

everyone else for the mess they made. Their policies of high taxesand overspending drove our state onto the highway to economic

stagnation and among the highest unemployment rate in the

country.

TEACHER SALARY INCREASE PLAN

The greatest investment we can make for preparing our kids for the

future is to provide high-quality teachers in every classroom in the

state. We are committed to making North Carolina nationally

competitive in hiring qualified and professional teachers. In our first

term as the majority party, we recognized our teachers by giving

teachers their first raise in five years in 2012, but more does need to

be done.

This week, state Republican leaders unveiled a new plan to improve

teacher compensation. The new plan will increase starting teacher

pay by $2,200 this year and by an additional $2,000 the following

year. Funding for the proposed raises will come from additional and

available revenues and will not require a tax increase.

North Carolinas starting teacher pay has historically beennoncompetitive. Under this new plan, teachers just beginning their

careers will receive more than a 13 percent raise over the next two

years, with starting salaries moving from the current base rate of

$30,800 to $35,000. These numbers do not include other sources

for teacher compensation, including local supplements.

In addition, we have announced plans to extend supplemental pay

for teachers with Masters degrees to those who have completed

coursework in a graduate program as of July 1, 2013. We also will

retain the merit pay contracts we passed last year for the bestteachers to receive salary supplements as opposed to salary

increases based solely on tenure.

NAACPS HYPOCRITICAL ACTIONS

An Elon University poll found that 72 percent of North Carolinians

support requiring voters to provide some form of photo identification

before casting their ballot. l agreed and passed common-sense
http://www.elon.edu/docs/e-web/elonpoll/030413_ElonPoll_voterID.pdfhttp://www.elon.edu/docs/e-web/elonpoll/030413_ElonPoll_voterID.pdf


4/6

legislation that requires voters to show a photo ID to vote.

Although this bill passed both chambers with bipartisan and popular

support, the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP has made every

effort possible to spread mistruths about voter ID, claiming that

voter ID will suppress minority voters. The truth is: states like

Georgia who have passed voter ID laws have actually seen higher

voter turnouts. In addition, eligible voters without photo identificationwill receive one at no cost.

This past weekend, the NAACP held a Mass Moral March, much

like their Moral Monday protests, to criticize the efforts we have

made to reform our state. As predicted, one of the efforts most

criticized was our voter ID law. Interestingly enough, the NAACP

required their marchers to maintain a valid photo ID throughout the

march (see below).


5/6

Instructions given to the protestors at the NAACPs march on Saturday, February

8thin downtown Raleigh.

It is extremely hypocritical that Rev. Barber and the NAACP would

require a photo ID in order to march in a protest criticizing

Republican policies, yet simultaneously claim that requiring photo ID

to pick our nations leaders is a form of suppression. Not only is ithypocritical, but it demonstrates that the sole purpose of the

NAACPs actions is to simply oppose whatever policies Republicans

support.

BIGGER PAYCHECKS

Im sure that many of you have opened your paychecks recently

and realized that youre taking home a little morethis year than last

year. Thats because we passed an historic tax reform plan that


6/6

lowered taxes for al lNorth Carolinians.

The left will continue to say that we have somehow raised taxes on

the lower and middle classes. I urge you to look at the paychecks

youve received so far in 2014 and see how much less the state is

taking from your paycheck. The fact is, all income levels are

benefiting from these tax cuts!

As always, it is a pleasure to serve you in the North Carolina

Senate. If you ever need any assistance, my office is more than

willing to offer support.

Sincerely,

Neal Hunt

You are receiving this email because you expressed interest in the activities of Senator Neal Hunt andthe North Carolina Senate.

Unsubscribe from this list

Newsletter inquiries
mailto:[email protected]?subject=Unsubscribemailto:[email protected]?subject=Unsubscribemailto:[email protected]?subject=Newsletter%20inquirymailto:[email protected]?subject=Newsletter%20inquirymailto:[email protected]?subject=Newsletter%20inquirymailto:[email protected]?subject=Unsubscribe

Documents

February 2014 Newsletter from Senator Neal Hunt