A disabilities advocate has ranked the 2007 session.
On her new blog, Julie Leggett, policy coordinator for The Arc of North Carolina, highlighted bills that allow voter registration closer to Election Day, offer sign language in schools and colleges, declare October Disability History and Awareness Month, make it a felony to assault a disabled person in an institution and make it easier for the disabled to register a vehicle.
She also cited the failure of a bill that would require school administrators adopt policies to punish bullying and harassment. The bill would have protected students with "a mental, physical or sensory disability," among other characteristics, but it stalled over the question of including sexual orientation on the list.
In a related post, Leggett noted that the $5 million set aside in next year's budget for the Goodyear and Bridgestone incentives could have paid for a number of programs for the disabled.
She said voters need to ask legislators about the spending:
Which is the better investment -- creating a $60 million dollar grant program for multinational corporations or investing in people with disabilities that have been waiting a long time for just such a financial commitment?
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