Document Actions
Friday: Catching up
posted at 2009-05-01 10:50 | Last modified 2009-05-01 14:07
It was a crazy week at the legislature. If you blinked, you probably missed something...
The Senate delayed a much anticipated vote Thursday on H2, the smoking ban. Rumor has it budget chair Linda Garrou (D-Forsyth) planned to run a floor amendment to put the over-18 exception back into the bill, and her fellow Dems were deadlocked over it. The vote’s been rescheduled for next Wednesday.
Alamance Republican Cary Allred is the subject of an investigation by House Speaker Joe Hackney over allegations of drinking, speeding, and hugging a page. Greensboro’s Mark Binker broke the story yesterday afternoon. The N&O’s Ben Niolet details Allred’s reputation for, um, "eccentric" behavior.
The State Auditor’s office released its report on the State Health Plan. In a nutshell, the audit says the plan’s contract with BCBSNC is a mess of miscalculations and cost misrepresentations, and is in dire need of more oversight and more transparency. It also blasted provisions allowing Blue Cross to control the audit process. The AP has a more detailed rundown. SEANC reacted by blaming legislative oversight chairs Hugh Holliman and Tony Rand. Blue Cross also issued a cautious response, pointing out the auditors didn’t even interview them.
The Senate Mental Health Committee quietly approved both the bullying ban and the sex ed bill Wednesday afternoon. Asheville’s Jordan Schrader reports the meeting was called with less than two hours notice. Christian conservatives are calling it a “sexual ambush.”
The field of candidates seeking the late Vernon Malone’s state Senate seat is growing by the day. Dome has the full list (at least as of yesterday). They’re expected to make their respective cases to Wake County Dems at a meeting Saturday.
Senate Commerce unanimously cleared S460, a bill that would require licensing and set minimum care standards for large commercial dog breeders. Opponents denounced it as an intrusion on property rights, the property being the dogs. But HSUS State Director Amanda Arrington says it’s a matter of regulating a business that currently has no oversight. Look for it in Senate Finance next week.
Off Jones St.
Republican Congresswoman Virginia Foxx provoked outrage Wednesday for a House floor speech calling it a “hoax” to say Matthew Shepard’s murder was a hate crime. Binker has the clip and lots of excellent bonus linkage. Meanwhile, the N&O’s David Menconi says supporters of the hate crime bill are already using Foxx’s gaffe to raise money.
Elizabeth Edwards’ book comes out May 12th, but it’s already making headlines. Rob Christensen has a write-up here.
And -- oh yeah -- there's the swine flu. WUNC's Rose Hoban's been all over it. Catch up here.
Whew. Comments? Drop me a line.
