nchouse

On Saturday, June 14, we'll be canvassing precinct 18-03, Al's home precinct, with Congressman David Price, who has graciously agreed to go to his constituents' doors and tell them why Al should be the next representative from the 36th district.

Let me introduce myself. I’m Al Swanstrom, and I’m running for the NC House of Representatives in District 36, which my friend Greer Beaty almost won in 2006. It covers parts of Cary, Apex, and Swift Creek.

Tonight, in order to meet the constitutional requirement that the budget be voted on in two separate days, the state House is staying past midnight. One standout on the bill — a sustantial increase to the rainy day fund.

The budget just passed on second reading 68 to 51.

Third reading is a little more than an hour away.

Bill and the PCS on the NCGA home page

AP on the debate.

Also right after midnight: Gerry Cohen's birthday.

File under Documents of the 2007-2008 Session.

Following is an explanation by Gerry Cohen, bill drafting director of the General Assembly about the new rules proposed today.

The press release from Speaker Hackney's office follows that.

EXPLANATION OF HOUSE PERMANENT RULES
House Resolution 423

The House Permanent Rules filed today make a number of changes from the temporary rules, outlined below:

Rule 1 – By leave of the house (majority vote), session may continue beyond the evening adjournment deadlines.

Rule 14 – The motion to recess is moved higher in priority, to fall between the motion to adjourn and the motion to table.

Rule 16 – Conforming change to Rule 14, and also changed to allow a motion to reconsider and lay upon the table (clincher motion) to be made as one motion, reversing change made in 1999.

Press conference this morning on the new House rules.
From the Speaker's office:

HOUSE SPEAKER JOE HACKNEY TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE ON WED., FEB. 28 AT 10:30 AM

RALEIGH – N.C. House Speaker Joe Hackney will hold a press conference today, Wednesday, February 28, 2007, at 10:30 a.m. to discuss the House rules package for the 2007-08 session. The press conference will be held in the Legislative Building press conference room at 16 W. Jones Street in Raleigh.

Media unable to attend the press conference may listen to the live audio via the General Assembly’s website at www.ncleg.net. Once on the site, select “Audio” in the navigation bar, and then select “Press Conference Room.”

Verla Insko is at it again, trying to make North Carolina healthier, one small step at a time. You are going to hear a lot about Rep. Insko this session, as Progressives fight for mental health parity, a better state healthcare plan, a high-risk pool, AND the one thing that would make the rest obsolete - Universal Health Care.

But, today, I'd like to introduce you to one of the smaller bills that Rep. Insko has proposed. It's called "AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR THE STATEWIDE HEALTH PROMOTION PROGRAM", and it quite simply provides funds for ONE Public Health Professional per county to "work on the public health issues of physical inactivity, poor nutrition, and tobacco use". It has lots of support with sponsorship by: Weiss, England, Williams, Adams, Alexander, Bordsen, Carney, Coates, Dickson, Faison, Farmer-Butterfield, Fisher, Glazier, Goforth, Hall, Harrison, Holliman, Luebke, McLawhorn, Tarleton, Underhill, E. Warren and Wray.

Think of the impact 100 Public Health Professionals can have on the health of North Carolina. Think about 100 events per week in our schools, in our churches, in our community centers, our senior centers, our firehalls, our police stations, our postoffices, pretty much everywhere. That is 5200 events in one year. What if they do one event per day, 250 days a year, that is 25,000 events per year, making a difference in the lives of North Carolinians. It's a good bill that deserves to make it out of Committee and be debated.
email Rep. Insko and let her know you support her efforts.

Via Ex:

Book Review

The Speaker: The North Carolina House of Representatives, by Ann Lassiter (23 pps, GBC bound, Legislative Printing Office, Raleigh, North Carolina)

Though Ms. Lassiter's $75,000 advance for this book has been the talk of the capital, it is her unconventional prose and keen eye for detail that makes this remarkably easy-to-read history something special.

With a full twenty-three pages of amazing prose (except for the big Who quote on page six) The Speaker is replete with odd choices of capitalization, some noun-verb problems and a few tense shifts here and there. With each leaf, Ms. Lassiter keeps us guessing which sharp corner of the English language she'll round off next.

Excerpts from Joe Hackney's remarks after being elected speaker.
Link to EJS post with full text of the remarks.

Via Ex:

With 68 votes, Joe Hackney of Orange County has been elected Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives.
Once new members were all sworn in, by usage, custom and precedent, they voted in the Speaker.
Nominated by Verla Insko. "A true and loyal son of North Carolina."
Seconded by Mickey Michaux. Spoke of "Joe's compassion for the people of North Carolina." He suggested Hackney run for governor sometime.
Also seconded by Joe Tolson.

From the NC Democratic Party:

District Committees Fill House and Senate Vacancies in Northeastern NC
Raleigh --Democratic First Congressional District Chair Don Davis announced today that 7th District Rep. Ed Jones has been appointed by the 4th Senate District Committee of the First District to fill the vacancy in the State Senate created by the death of Sen. Robert Holloman.

The Committee also nominated Annie Mobley of Ahoskie to fill the vacancy created by the death of 5th District Rep. Howard Hunter.

Chairman Davis announced that an executive committee meeting has been set to fill the vacancy in North Carolina House District 7 vacated with the resignation of Rep. Ed Jones. The executive committee will meet Tuesday, January 23, 2007 at 7:00 a.m. to decide his replacement.