Newsletter 01 25 2014

JANUARY, ISSUE 1

January 24, 2014

NC SENATE DISTRICT 46 BURKE AND CLEVELAND COUNTIES _________________________________________________________________

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

The Earl Scruggs Center is now open in Shelby. Visit www.earlscruggscenter.org to plan a visit! Warren was pleased to attend the Grand Opening and spend some time with Travis Tritt and Sam Bush.

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FOR THE CIVICS TEACHERS: President of the Senate: Lt. Gov. Dan Forest President Pro Tempore of the Senate: Sen. Philip E. Berger Speaker of the House: Rep. Thom Tillis Number of Senatorial Districts: 50 Number of Representative Districts: 120 Number of Elected Officials in the Executive Branch: 10 Number of Members in the Governor’s Cabinet: 10

Interim News As many of you know, legislators spend the time between sessions attending oversight committees and events in the district. That has certainly been the case for me. I get to serve on the oversight committees of Justice and Public Safety, Transportation, and Administrative Procedures.

I also serve on two state commissions: the Domestic Violence Commission and the NC Sentencing Commission, which are part of the NC Courts Commission. During the interim, I have also had the opportunity to attend ribbon cutting events, meet with local elected officials, and to spend time in some of our local schools. I always appreciate the opportunity to talk to students, teachers, and administrators, and would welcome the opportunity to visit your school if you are an educator or your child’s classroom if you are a parent.

Our State’s Economy It was good to hear that, for the second year in a row, our state unreserved fund balance finished 2013 ahead of projections. Despite the doom and gloom predictions of some in 2011-- you may recall the predictions that ‘tens of thousands’ of state workers would lose their jobs because we kept our promise and allowed the temporary sales tax increase to expire—our state’s economy is improving, and the statewide unemployment rate has been steadily dropping over the last year. When I first began serving in the NC Senate in 2011, the state unemployment rate was 10.4, and by the end of 2013 it has dropped to 7.4. The unemployment rates of Burke (7.7%) and Cleveland (7.6%) are still higher than the state average, but I am confident these will continue to improve over time and that the partnership economic development groups, and local and state leaders will continue to drive our recovery.

Email: warren.daniel@ncleg.net Phone: 919-715-7823 Fax: 919-754-3265 “Click the Pics” to visit Warren’s legislative page, learn more about him, And connect on Facebook..

JANUARY 24, 2014

JANUARY, ISSUE 1 PAGE 2

New Broughton Hospital will open in 2015.

Sen. Daniel is working with local and county officials to ensure that the complex is fully utilized.

OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST: According to the Office of the State Controller, the state’s unreserved balance for the end of December 2013 was $957.1 million. That is about $10 million more than December 2012. The 2013 balance was higher than estimated by the NCGA’s economists; and, much higher than the liberal NC Budget and Tax Center predicted. So far, the state is ahead of last year in revenue collection. Remember, the cut in the personal and corporate income tax rates is in effect. Also in effect is a lower state sales tax.

JOB STATISTICS http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LASST370000000000003

Month-Year Employment Dec-13 4,333,615 Jan-11 4,165,815 Total Net 167,800 Jobs:

One factor that should help our economy continue on the path to prosperity is the 2013 Tax Reform Plan that we passed last summer. The plan lowered and flattened income tax rate at 5.75%. Everyone will now pay the same income tax rate, with the first $15,000 being tax free for many households. This reform, along with the cut in the sales tax we saw in 2011 will make our state more attractive to business and for families. In 2011, critics cried that the loss of that ‘temporary’ 1% sales tax increase would cause massive job loss and the crumbling of the state’s infrastructure. Those critics were wrong. After a decade of tax increases and increased spending, the time has come for our state to take a different approach to improving our economy. After passing the tax reform package in 2013, North Carolina’s state and local tax burden ranking by the Tax Foundation dropped from 17th in 2010, to 44th in 2014. This change in tax policy is already helping our state to attract new residents and businesses who are leaving high-tax states for the hope of a better future in lower taxed areas. The goal of the General Assembly is to gradually phase out the personal income tax over the next few years. So that is something that you should watch for.

On another note, the Governor just announced that the state will give salary increases to over 4,000 key state employees, including some law enforcement officers. It is my understanding that this does not apply to step-raises for young Highway Patrolmen, and that is something that we need to work on in the upcoming session.

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“We can either believe that the sun is setting in NC, and that our best days are behind us; or we can believe that the sun is rising, and that our best days are ahead. The success of our state doesn’t rest on the hope of government.”- Sen. Daniel What is a Smile?

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It’s something that improves your face value!

It’s a face-lift you can perform yourself that is guaranteed to improve your appearance.

It’s the window of the face which shows the heart is at home.

Laughter is an exploding smile!

Education: DPI Commits to Fix Flawed Implementation of Read to Achieve In the past few weeks I have heard concerns from several parents about the “Read to Achieve” program; specifically that the way it was being implemented in the schools was causing undue stress to 3rd Grade students. Earlier this week, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction acknowledged that problems with its implementation of this student literacy initiative made it more burdensome on local school systems than the law requires. In a meeting of the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations meeting, State Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson said initial reports that three quarters of third grade students will have to attend remedial reading camps or complete a series of tests for a reading portfolio as a part of the Read to Achieve program are inconsistent with what is required by law. Instead, she said the number of third grade students who need additional support is closer to 20 percent.

The General Assembly passed the Read to Achieve program in the summer of 2012 to ensure reading proficiency among North Carolina third graders. This was because an alarming number of North Carolina children cannot read proficiently by fourth grade. In 2013, sixty-five percent of our state’s fourth graders scored below proficient on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, and studies have shown that students who do not read at grade-level by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out. Since this bill was passed, the legislature has invested more than $70 million to add extra reading-intensive instruction and resources for students who are struggling to read proficiently by fourth grade – the critical juncture when they should stop learning to read and start reading to learn. The program also ends social promotion of students who aren’t ready for fourth grade. Instead, for a third-grader to be promoted, they must demonstrate reading proficiency as shown by one of five different assessment options, including a student reading portfolio. The law allows those students who are not proficient to enroll in a state-funded reading camp. The single most fundamental responsibility of our public education system is to ensure every child in North Carolina can read.

On another note, I have also been appointed to serve on the committee that is studying the implementation of the Common Core standards. I have heard a lot of feedback on Common Core from citizens across the state, and am always listening to both sides of the issue. If you have any input on the topic of Common Core specifically, or education standards in general, please contact me with your thoughts and ideas.

Protecting Life It was heartening to hear that Americans United for Life declared NC as the most improved state in pro-life rankings among the 50 states. NC moved up 6 places in their annual rankings, but despite this progress we are still ranked 21st in protecting the unborn. Equally heartening is that because of our stand for life, NC received an ‘F’ rating from the radical abortion group NARAL. I am proud of the work the NCGA did the last few years on this topic and will continue to work to protect human life as opportunities are presented.

Constituent Service One of the most important functions of my legislative office during the interim is to continue to provide help and service for individuals and businesses in Burke and Cleveland. One area that has kept us very busy is working with medical providers and individuals as they interact with DHHS and the Div. of Medicaid Assistance. Many have called me and my office in Raleigh to seek help in getting their application considered or their claims paid. I have little control over what is happening with the software issues at DHHS, but I do have a say on how our constituents are treated. If you are having problems with DHHS, DMV, DOR, NCESC, DOT, or any other state agency please call me and my office will do all that we can to get your issues resolved.

Thank you for allowing me to represent you in the NC Senate. While it is often challenging to balance my responsibilities in Raleigh with my work and family responsibilities at home, I enjoy helping the people of Burke and Cleveland counties with issues that arise, and working to enact policies at the state level that are beneficial to the people of our great State.