“Rep. Susan Fisher, District 114” The Raleigh Report from Rep. Susan Fisher

Thank you for your continued interest in state government. I hope you will contact me if I can be of help. Keep in touch,

*Please remember that you can listen to each day’s session, committee meetings and press conferences on the General Assembly’s website at www.ncleg.gov Once on the site, select “Audio,” and then make your selection – House Chamber, Senate Chamber, Appropriations Committee Room or Press Conference Room.

Committees(Click on the Committee below to follow link)Alcoholic Beverage Control Appropriations Appropriations Education Education K-12 State and Local Government
Helpful LinksNC General Assembly SiX (State Innovation Exchange)NC Justice CenterSpecial Report: Altered State

THE RALEIGH REPORTOctober 17, 2019 No Progress on Paltry Education Pay RaisesMost public employees in North Carolina have already received a 5 percent pay raise for the next two fiscal years. Teachers, school employees, community college employees, and UNC employees have not received anything.
That is because the State Budget bill vetoed by Governor Cooper provided smaller raises for teachers, school employees, community college employees, and UNC employees than what other state employees received. For example, the State Budget bill gave a 2% raise for a custodian in a school and a 5% raise for a custodian in a state agency.
Governor Cooper and legislative Democrats have offered a counter budget proposal that offers larger raises for teachers and public school employees, but Republican legislative leaders have refused to consider it. The larger raises would be paid for by not cutting corporate taxes. North Carolina already has the lowest corporate tax rate in the country and the GOP State Budget bill would lower it further.
My hope remains that legislative leaders will back down and work with us on investing in higher pay raises for teachers and all public school employees.
Gov. Cooper says he supports teacher pay raises, but not at proposed rateFox 46Teacher pay, like Medicaid expansion, dividing Cooper, lawmakers during budget standoffThe MountaineerTeachers share arguments for pay increase during Gov. Cooper’s Buncombe visitAsheville Citizen-TimesGov. Cooper stops in Buncombe County to push teacher raisesWLOS Part-Time Legislature?The United States Congress is a full-time legislative body. It is in session for most of the year and serving in Congress is a full-time job with full-time pay.
Most states, including North Carolina, have part-time legislatures. The idea is that legislators can do their work in part of the year and the rest of the year they can return to their districts and their regular jobs.
This year North Carolina’s “part-time” legislature started on January 9^th and will continue at least through the end of October. Legislative leaders control the calendar and they are determined to drag out session for as long as possible rather than negotiate a compromise State Budget.
I wish I could report to you that legislators are making good use of all of this time in session. The cost to taxpayers is around $40,000 to $50,000 a day. Unfortunately, many days go by with no action or votes on significant bills. Here is just a partial list of issues that I think are very important that we never work on:
· Equal Pay for Equal Work· Gun Safety· “Polluter Pay”· Independent Redistricting· Climate Change· Equal Rights Constitutional amendment· Raising the Minimum Wage
The gun lobby and the North Carolina legislature: How much money, how much influence?The Charlotte Observer‘We need help.’ Governor, Democrats say NC courts need money to prosecute gun crimesThe News & Observer
NC State Fair Begins TodayThe NC State Fair begins today and runs through Sunday, October 27!· Info on Discounts and Deals· What’s New in 2019· 100 Free Things to Do at the Fair· Daily Schedule

Other NewsOpinion: Working poor need coverageHendersonville Times-NewsOur view: A do-over on Medicaid expansionWinston-Salem JournalBusiness leaders, conservatives across state warm to Medicaid expansionNorth Carolina Health NewsFinding the flesh and blood in NC’s politicized Medicaid warNC Policy WatchOpinion: Medicaid expansion can and does improve access to careCapital Broadcasting CompanyOcracoke residents mystified after FEMA rejects individual Dorian aid for themThe News & ObserverNorth Carolina governor leads states in demand for federal disaster reformThe MountaineerRansomware Attacks Target MunicipalitiesWUNCInvestigation shows NC pension funds hold stock in GenX polluter, ChemoursNC Policy Watch

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“Rep. Susan Fisher, District 114” The Raleigh Report from Rep. Susan Fisher

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