National Conference of State Legislatures

Hackney: Stimulus would help N.C.

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:51:06 -0500

Joe Hackney says federal stimulus would boost the North Carolina economy.

The speaker of the N.C. House of Representatives argued at a press conference in Washington, D.C., this morning that billions in spending on infrastructure projects, social welfare programs and renewable energy projects would keep the economic situation from worsening.

"We are doing the best we can to cope with our fiscal situation," he said. "Now it's time for Congress and our next administration to support our state efforts."

As current president of the National Conference of State Legislatures, Hackney was also scheduled to speak with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi by phone this afternoon. He sent a letter to President-elect Barack Obama last month requesting more funding for states.

The National Governors Association has identified $136 billion in specific transportation projects it says could be ready to begin if funding is approved by Congress.

Hackney would not identify specific projects in North Carolina, though he said that replacing the Yadkin River Bridge, extending urban highway loops and improving mass transit systems would likely be included.

"I think every state has a list of ready-to-go projects, but it serves no useful purpose to run that out today," he said.

Hackney asks Obama for stimulus money

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:08:18 -0500

Joe Hackney is hitting Barack Obama up for money.

The speaker of the state House wrote a Nov. 12 letter to the incoming president asking for an economic stimulus package to include funding for states.

"As you know, 49 states have requirements to balance their budgets each year," he wrote. "During uncertain economic times, the decisions that state legislatures and governors have to make to keep their budgets balanced — cutting spending, raising taxes or both — can have the pro-cyclical affect of deepening and prolonging any slump."

The letter outlines options for a stimulus package that would include increased spending on repairing and replacing infrastructure, boosting Medicaid, food stamps and other social welfare programs, and changing sales and use tax collection.

The letter was sent on behalf of the National Conference of State Legislatures, where Hackney is currently serving as president.

How does straight-ticket voting work in N.C.?

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:21:58 -0400

Answer:

Voters must make their choice for president separate from the straight-ticket option.

In nearly all states that allow voters to choose all of the candidates from a political party, the so-called straight-ticket option includes the presidential race.

But in 1967, Democratic legislators in North Carolina — fearful of a down-ballot drag from presidential candidate Hubert Humphrey — decided to cut the presidential selection loose from other partisan races.

North Carolina is the only state with such a law. Only 17 states allow straight-ticket voting, while five other states have ended the practice in recent years, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Political scientists say that every election year tens of thousands of North Carolinians fail to vote for president.

Although undervoting does not make a difference when the winning candidate's margin is substantial, it can be enough to potentially throw a closer election.

According to a Duke University study, about 1 percent of voters mistakenly failed to vote for president in 1992, a year in which President George H.W. Bush won the state by less than 1 percent.

An analysis by Duke graduate student Justin Moore found that 3.15 percent of voters didn't vote for president in 2000 and 2.57 percent didn't vote in 2004. The national election-year average is 1.1 percent.

In 2008, state Democrats sent mailers and ran other efforts to teach voters about the tricky ballot.

Brief:

Voters must make their choice for president separate from the straight-ticket option.

There is a (state) House in New Orleans...

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:09:13 -0400

North Carolina is sending more than 70 lawmakers and legislative staffers this week to the National Conference of State Legislature's annual meeting in New Orleans, where House Speaker Joe Hackney will be installed Thursday as president of the organization's executive committee.

The list includes 42 lawmakers, all but five of them House members. Senate leader Marc Basnight, a Manteo Democrat, is among the five senators, all of them Democrats. Five of the 37 House members are Republican, Dan Kane reports.

Thirty-two legislative staffers were planning to attend, though one of them, retiring Fiscal Research Director Lynn Muchmore, later decided to stay home.

Hackney's ascendancy may have drawn more interest among lawmakers to the annual meeting this year. In 2006, roughly 20 lawmakers attended the annual meeting in Nashville, and last year about 30 lawmakers went to the annual meeting in Boston, said Wesley Taylor, the legislature's financial services manager.

Expenses won't become available until after the lawmakers and staffers return and file expense reports, Taylor said.

More after the jump.

When the clock strikes twelve...

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:53:15 -0400

Expect state lawmakers to hang around until at least 12:01 a.m. Saturday, if Gov. Mike Easley hasn't decided what to do with the $21.4 billion state budget bill.

While the legislature's in session, Easley has 10 days to sign or veto the bill, or it becomes law. Those 10 days end at midnight Friday, said Gerry Cohen, the legislature's bill drafting director, Dan Kane reports.

But if the legislature closes the session before then, Easley has another 30 days to consider or reject the budget bill. If he vetoes, the legislature would have to be called back to vote to override the veto or produce another budget bill that's more to Easley's liking.

Legislative leaders say they would like to work out Easley's concerns. His staff say that he is seeking more money for his Learn and Earn education initiative that allows high school students to get a four-year college degree tuition free. They also say he has concerns about the record $857 million in borrowing authorized for construction projects.

Lawmakers do not have a lot of time to satisfy those concerns if they want to adjourn by the end of the week. Bills that spend more money typically need to be heard over three days.

If lawmakers can't finish their business this week, they are unlikely to wrap it up the next.

House Speaker Joe Hackney and 35 other House members, three senators and more than 25 legislative staffers are planning to attend the National Conference of State Legislatures' annual conference in New Orleans which runs Tuesday through Friday.

Hackney, an Orange County Democrat, is president elect of the organization, which provides research and technical assistance to state legislatures.

Cigarette taxes frequently targeted

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 12 May 2008 16:47:28 -0400

Cigarette taxes have become a popular source of state revenue.

According to research by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, 43 states, the District of Columbia and several U.S. territories have increased their cigarette tax rates more than 75 times since 2002, when many states faced tight budgets due to the recession.

Arturo Perez, a fiscal analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures, said the tax has been targeted for several reasons: It is considered more voluntary than other taxes, smoking is considered unhealthy, and some groups believe the tax would cut smoking rates.

"It is a tax that is now viewed as something that is more palatable to voters," he said.

Perez said that the cigarette tax is the most frequently targeted of so-called "sin taxes" on junk food, alcohol and tobacco. In many cases, he said it is directed to anti-smoking programs and health care.

Gov. Mike Easley's proposed budget calls for increasing the state cigarette tax from 35 to 55 cents per pack. It is currently the seventh-lowest in the country.

Hackney donates to school

bkrueger — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:39:41 -0500

House Speaker Joe Hackney has donated a $10,000 leadership prize he won last year to the school that taught him the three Rs.

The money goes to Silk Hope Elementary School in Chatham County to build an outdoor classroom and dining space, and to purchase a new projector and screen. The school has 440 students and recently celebrated its 100th anniversary.

Hackney, an Orange County Democrat, grew up on a farm near Silk Hope and graduated from its public school in 1963, which then served grades 1-12.

The money comes from the National Conference of State Legislatures and the State Legislative Leadership Foundation, who awarded Hackney with the 2007 Excellence in State Legislative Leadership Award. The money is intended to go to the winner's charity of choice.

“Silk Hope School played an important part in my life and in helping to make me a leader,” Hackney said in a news release. “I think it’s more than appropriate that I try to pass that gift on to the children who are there now.”

Hackney heads to Capitol Hill

bkrueger — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:21:20 -0500

North Carolina House Speaker Joe Hackney will be on Capitol Hill Wednesday lobbying Congress.

Hackney, an Orange County Democrat, is scheduled to lead a delegation of state lawmakers from around the country to meet with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, reports Rob Christensen.

Hackney said he wants to discuss the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, the impact of the drought and other issues.

Hackney is president-elect of the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Hackney's in Argentina

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:15:00 -0400

Joe Hackney is in Argentina.

The speaker of the House is in the midst of a two-week trip to Argentina to talk about how North Carolina's legislature works and learn how governments operate in that South American country, Dan Kane reports.

His spokesman, Bill Holmes, said the National Conference of State Legislatures is paying for the trip, which is intended to promote an exchange of ideas between the two countries.

Hackney, an Orange County Democrat, is president elect of the NCSL's executive committee.

An unusual scholarship program

bkrueger — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 15:25:46 -0400

North Carolina's new athletic scholarship program for some public and private college students appears to be unusual compared to other states, according to a review of legislation by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The bipartisan organization, which provides research and other technical expertise to state legislatures, found that only a handful of states have set up programs outside of the typical booster clubs that help pay for athletic scholarships, reports Dan Kane.

None say that general fund revenues will help pay for the scholarships, as North Carolina now does.