LEGISLATIVE NEWSLETTER

June 16, 2014

THE COST OF MORAL MONDAY
Lets take a trip down memory lane to 2010. North Carolinas
unemployment rate was the fourth highest in the nation at 11.2%.
Our state had the highest tax burden in the southeast and one of
the worst personal and corporate tax rates in the nation.
Previous General Assemblies generated a $2.5 billion budget deficit
along with a nearly bankrupt state health plan, an underfunded
retirement system, over $2 billion in debt to the federal government
for an overly generous unemployment compensation program, and
an array of government projects with large appetites for our tax
dollars. Businesses were closing their doors, our citizens were
longing for jobs, and our state was in financial distress.
Weve made tough decisions since taking the majority in 2011.
These difficult decisions have certainly not been popular with
everyone, but they have been necessary in order to restore our
state's balance sheet and give our economy a chance to expand.
Despite the cries from Rev. Barber and the Moral Monday
protestors, the policies enacted by the Republican General
Assembly and Governor McCrory are indeed working. In fact, North
Carolina has added over 200,000 jobs since 2011 and our
unemployment rate has fallen faster than most other states. In
addition, for the first time since 2006, our unemployment rate is
below the national average.
Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger asked Rev. Barber and
the Moral Monday crowd to send us a list of their concerns and what
they would like to see changed. Rev. Barber obliged by sending us
a copy of their agenda. Some of the items he listed included:

SENATOR NEAL HUNT
Proudly Representing Wake
County in the North Carolina
Senate
15
th
District

LEGISLATIVE OFFICE
300 N. Salisbury Street,
Room 309
Raleigh, NC 27603
(919)733-5850
Neal.Hunt@ncleg.net

DISTRICT OFFICE
2600 Fairview Road
Raleigh, NC 27608
(919)781-3464
Purchasing insurance for all uninsured, including illegal
immigrants;
Expand Medicaid;
Raise taxes on all North Carolinians;
Extend the earned income tax credit;
Expand North Carolinas bureaucracy by creating a
Department of Human Rights;
Provide in-state tuition for illegal immigrants at UNC schools
and community colleges;
Subsidize all child care for families; and,
Allow collective bargaining for all state employees.

We sent this agenda to the General Assemblys nonpartisan fiscal
staff to draft a budget amendment to fulfill their goals. Here are the
results:
The agenda would cost North Carolina taxpayers more than
$7 billion;
It would require raising the corporate income tax nearly ten-
fold, from 6 percent to 50 percent.

Obviously this agenda would have a devastating effect on North
Carolinas jobs and businesses. We cannot afford the disastrous,
nanny-state policies of Rev. Barber and the Moral Monday crowd.
However, to make sure their views were given a chance, an
amendment that funds all of their policies is drafted and ready to be
introduced. I'm pretty sure not even the most liberal members of the
legislature would introduce this legislation (although some probably
would if they thought it has a chance of passing).
SENATE AND HOUSE VOTE ON COMMON CORE
In other news, the North Carolina House and Senate recently
passed bills in their respective chambers to replace Common Core's
educational standards with our own. This bill simply preserves
North Carolinas proper constitutional authority over all academic
standards and to ensure that our standards are robust and
appropriate.
In 2010, Governor Perdue and her State Board of Education
adopted Common Core in order to receive Race to the Top money
from the federal government. In other words, the federal
government held a carrot (money) enticing states to adopt these
standards. Since then, Common Core has been requiring teachers
to create lessons that are age-inappropriate, confusing, or both.
These standards have sparked numerous phone calls, emails, and
letters to my office.
info@nealhunt.com



STANDING COMMITTEES
Appropriations, Co-Chair
Commerce
Finance
Health Care
Program Evaluation
Redistricting
Transportation

VOTING RECORD

BILLS INTRODUCED


Over the interim, a Legislative Research Committee looked into
Common Core and developed some recommendations for the
General Assembly. The Senate bill creates an 11-member
commission comprised of parents, teachers, content experts, and
researchers. This commission is tasked with ensuring North
Carolina has the most rigorous, coherent, and age-appropriate math
and English standards in the nation.
One question weve received about this bill is whether it instantly
and flat-out repeals Common Core. The answer is no. One reason
is because the state would have to forfeit federal funds without
having new standards established to replace Common Core.
It is vitally important that we have high, rigorous academic
standards and accurate measures of student achievement to make
sure our children are getting the education they need and deserve.
It is also vitally important for North Carolina to own its own
standards.

Senator Chad Barefoot (Wake) and I spoke to Conservatism on Tap, a new group in
Raleigh for young conservative professionals. We discussed issues facing the legislature
today and the success of the Republican General Assembly.

CALIFORNIA TEACHER TENURE LAW UNCONSTITUTIONAL
A Los Angeles Superior Court Judge recently ruled that Californias
tenure protections for public school teachers are unconstitutional.
This decision was made after a lawsuit brought by nine students.
The judge ruled that the historic case of Brown v. Board of
Education affirmed that all students are entitled to equal education
and said the current situation discriminates against minority and
low-income students by placing ineffective teachers in their schools.
He said since schools cant fire bad teachers, tenure caused the
lemon effect, which means the incompetent teachers are moved to
less desirable low-income schools. The plaintiffs attorneys also said
that getting rid of one bad teacher cost the state between $250,000
and $400,000.
For the past two years in North Carolina, 17 teachers have been
terminated (on average). Out of 95,000 teachers in the classroom,
that is less than .02%.
For more information about this case, I encourage you to read the
news article here.
The NC Senate is committed to ending teacher tenure in order to
provide an effective teacher in every public school classroom. To
me, it is all about improving our students' education and the
absolute best way to do that is to have a great teacher in each
classroom.

SENATOR HARRIS BLAKE
Im sad to report that former state senator Harris Blake passed
away this week in Moore County. He was 84. Sen. Blake and I
served together in the Senate for eight years. He was a good friend
and I remember vividly his vehement opposition to the state
lottery. To refresh your memory, the lottery passed in 2005 on a 25
to 24 vote. Harris Blake will be truly missed.
THANK YOU
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you in the North Carolina
Senate! Please contact my office if you have any questions or
concerns.
Sincerely,

Neal Hunt

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