June 16 Newsletter from Senator Neal Hunt

8/12/2019 June 16 Newsletter from Senator Neal Hunt

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LEGISLATIVE NEWSLETTER

June 16, 2014

THE COST OF MORAL MONDAY

Lets take a trip down memory lane to 2010. North Carolinas

unemployment rate was the fourth highest in the nation at 11.2%.Our state had the highest tax burden in the southeast and one of

the worst personal and corporate tax rates in the nation.

Previous General Assemblies generated a $2.5 billion budget deficit

along with a nearly bankrupt state health plan, an underfunded

retirement system, over $2 billion in debt to the federal government

for an overly generous unemployment compensation program, and

an array of government projects with large appetites for our tax

dollars. Businesses were closing their doors, our citizens were

longing for jobs, and our state was in financial distress.

Weve made tough decisions since taking the majority in 2011.

These difficult decisions have certainly not been popular with

everyone, but they have been necessary in order to restore our

state's balance sheet and give our economy a chance to expand.

Despite the cries from Rev. Barber and the Moral Monday

protestors, the policies enacted by the Republican General

Assembly and Governor McCrory are indeed working. In fact, North

Carolina has added over 200,000 jobs since 2011 and our

unemployment rate has fallen faster than most other states. In

addition, for the first time since 2006, our unemployment rate is

below the national average.

Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger asked Rev. Barber and

the Moral Monday crowd to send us a list of their concerns and what

they would like to see changed. Rev. Barber obliged by sending us

a copy of their agenda. Some of the items he listed included:

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]


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Purchasing insurance for all uninsured, including illegalimmigrants;

Expand Medicaid; Raise taxes on all North Carolinians; Extend the earned income tax credit; Expand North Carolinas bureaucracy by creating a

Department of Human Rights; Provide in-state tuition for illegal immigrants at UNC schools

and community colleges; Subsidize all child care for families; and, Allow collective bargaining for all state employees.

We sent this agenda to the General Assemblys nonpartisan fiscal

staff to draft a budget amendment to fulfill their goals. Here are the

results:

The agenda would cost North Carolina taxpayers more than$7 billion;

It would require raising the corporate income tax nearly ten-fold, from 6 percent to 50 percent.

Obviously this agenda would have a devastating effect on North

Carolinas jobs and businesses. We cannot afford the disastrous,

nanny-state policies of Rev. Barber and the Moral Monday crowd.

However, to make sure their views were given a chance, an

amendment that funds all of their policies is drafted and ready to be

introduced. I'm pretty sure not even the most liberal members of the

legislature would introduce this legislation (although some probably

would if they thought it has a chance of passing).

SENATE AND HOUSE VOTE ON COMMON CORE

In other news, the North Carolina House and Senate recently

passed bills in their respective chambers to replace Common Core's

educational standards with our own. This bill simply preserves

North Carolinas proper constitutional authority over all academic

standards and to ensure that our standards are robust and

appropriate.

In 2010, Governor Perdue and her State Board of Educationadopted Common Core in order to receive Race to the Top money

from the federal government. In other words, the federal

government held a carrot (money) enticing states to adopt these

standards. Since then, Common Core has been requiring teachers

to create lessons that are age-inappropriate, confusing, or both.

These standards have sparked numerous phone calls, emails, and

letters to my office.

[email protected]

STANDING COMMITTEES

Appropriations, Co-Chair

Commerce

Finance

Health Care

Program Evaluation

Redistricting

Transportation

VOTING RECORD

BILLS INTRODUCED
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://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]


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Over the interim, a Legislative Research Committee looked into

Common Core and developed some recommendations for the

General Assembly. The Senate bill creates an 11-member

commission comprised of parents, teachers, content experts, and

researchers. This commission is tasked with ensuring North

Carolina has the most rigorous, coherent, and age-appropriate math

and English standards in the nation.

One question weve received about this bill is whether it instantly

and flat-out repeals Common Core. The answer is no. One reason

is because the state would have to forfeit federal funds without

having new standards established to replace Common Core.

It is vitally important that we have high, rigorous academic

standards and accurate measures of student achievement to make

sure our children are getting the education they need and deserve.

It is also vitally important for North Carolina to own its own

standards.

Senator Chad Barefoot (Wake) and I spoke to Conservatism on Tap, a new group in

Raleigh for young conservative professionals. We discussed issues facing the legislature

today and the success of the Republican General Assembly.


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CALIFORNIA TEACHER TENURE LAW UNCONSTITUTIONAL

A Los Angeles Superior Court Judge recently ruled that Californias

tenure protections for public school teachers are unconstitutional.

This decision was made after a lawsuit brought by nine students.

The judge ruled that the historic case of Brown v. Board of

Education affirmed that all students are entitled to equal education

and said the current situation discriminates against minority and

low-income students by placing ineffective teachers in their schools.

He said since schools cant fire bad teachers, tenure caused the

lemon effect, which means the incompetent teachers are moved to

less desirable low-income schools. The plaintiffs attorneys also said

that getting rid of one bad teacher cost the state between $250,000

and $400,000.

For the past two years in North Carolina, 17 teachers have been

terminated (on average). Out of 95,000 teachers in the classroom,

that is less than .02%.

For more information about this case, I encourage you to read the

news articlehere.

The NC Senate is committed to ending teacher tenure in order to

provide an effective teacher in every public school classroom. To

me, it is all about improving our students' education and the

absolute best way to do that is to have a great teacher in each

classroom.
http://news.yahoo.com/california-teacher-tenure-law-unconstitutional-172320033.htmlhttp://news.yahoo.com/california-teacher-tenure-law-unconstitutional-172320033.htmlhttp://news.yahoo.com/california-teacher-tenure-law-unconstitutional-172320033.htmlhttp://news.yahoo.com/california-teacher-tenure-law-unconstitutional-172320033.html


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SENATOR HARRIS BLAKE

Im sad to report that former state senator Harris Blake passed

away this week in Moore County. He was 84. Sen. Blake and I

served together in the Senate for eight years. He was a good friend

and I remember vividly his vehement opposition to the state

lottery. To refresh your memory, the lottery passed in 2005 on a 25

to 24 vote. Harris Blake will be truly missed.

THANK YOU

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you in the North Carolina

Senate! Please contact my office if you have any questions or

concerns.

Sincerely,

Neal Hunt

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June 16 Newsletter from Senator Neal Hunt