One potential hitch in a state budget deal is the group of 12 Democratic House members who gathered after session Thursday in a windowless room in the bowels of the Legislative Building to discuss their concerns over raising beer, wine and cigarette taxes.

"What we're doing now is cutting the jugular vein" of the tobacco industry, said Rep. Nelson Cole, a Reidsville Democrat who helped organize the meeting. "They're already dying."

Democrats have a 68 to 52 majority in the House. Two members of their party voted against the House's original version of the budget, so they can't afford many more defections. Most, if not all, of the dozen potential dissidents have tobacco, beer or wine interests in their districts.

"It's jobs to us," said Cole, whose district includes a Miller brewery, noting the closing of tobacco giant Philip Morris' Cabarrus County plant this week.

State law has been contrary to the Americans with Disabilities Act because it says deaf jurors cannot be seated as jurors. In practice, the Administrative Office of the Courts has advised judges and other court officials to allow deaf people to remain in jury pools and to have an interpreter assigned to them.

Opponents of the bill, primary lawyers, have expressed concern that the bill could force lawyers to seat a deaf juror.

"if you're going to be in court and you're going to have your case heard, you want to make sure you're being heard," said Rep. Bill Faison, an Orange County Democrat.

Faison said his concern was over whether the change would force a lawyer to use one of their limited supply of peremptory challenges that allow a lawyer to reject a juror for any reason.

Rep. Rick Glazier, a Fayetteville Democrat, said opponents were making much out of a bill that needed to pass.

"This is simply a conforming change that we're required to do since our state has been out of compliance and illegal under the ADA," Glazier said.

More after the jump.

   Comments (4)

The House Finance Committee adopted a $784 million tax package designed to mitigate the deep budget cuts in the House's budget proposal.

House members shaved $154 million from the proposed $940 million tax plan by removing "sin" taxes on beer, wine and cigarettes.

Republicans tried unsuccessfully to weaken the tax package. Democrats were the ones who successfully proposed removing the “sin” taxes from the roster.

"We got folks who are barely scrimping by as it is. Beer may be their only entertainment," said Rep. Bill Faison, an Orange County Democrat who proposed removing beer from the tax package.

Committee members shot down a series of proposed amendments, arguing that the new taxes were needed to avoid painful cuts in state spending. Opponents to the taxes argued they would hurt business and worsen the recession.

How the tax proposals finished after the jump.

   Comments (8)

The House adopted a bill Thursday that would allow parents to choose the sexual education courses their children will receive in school.

The bill, which passed the House 62 to 52, would expand the abstince-only curriculum currently taught to middle school students to include "comprehensive" instruction. That course would still be based on the idea that abstince is the best way the avoid unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. But supporters say it would be a more complete curriculum that would be more effective than abstinence-only.

"I got a 42-year-old son. I love him," said Rep. Bill Faison, an Orange County Democrat who is 62. "But the reason I got a 42-year-old son is abstinence only doesn't work."

Opponents said they feared the bill would encourage teens to experiment with sex.

"The result, I believe, will be an increase in sexual activity in the adolescent population that I believe will put our adolescent teens more at risk," said Rep. Mark Hilton, a Conover Republican.

The bill now moves to the Senate.

The House membership was antsy Thursday as they plowed through a series of routine bills.

For the legislature, Thursday is their Friday and as soon as the session ended, members could go home for the Easter weekend.

But Thursday was also a big day for Rep. David Guice, a freshman Republican from Brevard, who was pitching a bill to benefit Transylvania County. As Guice explained methodically to his colleagues, the bill would authorize the county to utilize high school students in a trade program to help construct affordable housing for public employees who are being priced out of the market.

House members rustled and murmured as Guice continued to pitch his bill. Finally, Rep. Bill Faison, an Orange County Democrat asked a question.

"Are you aware of any opposition to this bill?" Faison asked, prompting laughter from the floor.

"You know, when you're a freshman and you stand up for the first time," Guice began, prompting more laughter and a little applause.

Guice continued on selling his bill. Eventually Faison asked another question.

"What do you think the odds might be if you stop now you'll get a unanimous vote?"

After more explanation from Guice, the House finally did vote. The bill passed 111 to 1.

Rep. Bill McGee, a Clemmons Republican voted against it. Maybe Guice should have explained his bill more.

Rep. Bill Faison hopes to expand rural Internet access this session.

The Durham Democrat, chair of the newly renamed Ways, Means and Broadband Connectivity committee, has introduced three bills that would help achieve that goal:

H.B. 135: Broadband Service Providers. Would allow phone companies to offer high-speed Internet access bundled with phone service in areas currently served by other phone companies.

H.B. 136: DOT/Fiber-Optic Cable. Would allow the N.C. Department of Transportation to open up its right-of-ways to allow companies to lay down fiber-optic cable for high-speed Internet service.

H.B. 157: Continue Study/Rural Internet Access. Would allow the joint legislative committee on rural Internet access to continue past the end of this session.

"This problem is going to require multiple solutions," he said.

A few notable House bills filed:

H.B. 132: Jury Duty Tax Deduction, Rep. Timothy Spear

H.B. 133: Prudent Management of Institutional Funds, Rep. Deborah Ross

H.B. 134: Assault State or Local Officer or Employee, Rep. Russell Tucker

H.B. 135: Broadband Service Providers, Reps. Bill Faison, Joe Tolson, Phil Haire and Thom Tillis

H.B. 137: Capital Procedure / Severe Mental Disability, Reps. Verla Insko, Pricey Harrison, Larry Womble and Paul Luebke

H.B. 149: Require Arts Educ. Credit for Graduation, Reps. Becky Carney, Rick Glazier, Alma Adams and Linda Johnson

H.B. 154: Appoint State Superintendent, Rep. Leo Daughtry

H.B. 155: Appoint State School Superintendent, Reps. Haire, Harold Brubaker, Johnson and Marvin Lucas

A few more bills have been filed in the House:

H.B. 15: Military Family Assistance Center / Funds, Rep. Cullie Tarleton

H.B. 16: Retired Judge May Perform Marriage, Rep. Russell Tucker

H.B. 17: Asheboro Satellite Annexation, Rep. Harold Brubaker

H.B. 18: Speech Language Pathologist Qualifications, Rep. Bill Faison

H.B. 19: MLK's 80th Birthday / Obama Inauguration, Reps. Larry Womble, Paul Luebke, Jennifer Weiss, Earline Parmon

H.B. 20: Compensate Eugenics Sterilization Survivors, Reps. Womble, Parmon, Ronnie Sutton and Martha Alexander

Rep. Bill Faison
Durham Democrat
Third Term

What two things would you cut in the state budget? He did not identify specific cuts. "I don't know where the cuts ought to come from. ... I think the people who are in the departments and on the ground and dealing with services day to day ought to be the ones offering the cuts."

Are there any taxes you would be in favor of increasing? He also could not identify any taxes or fees to increase that he would commit to.

— Dan Kane