Chuck McGrady
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Welcome
  • About Chuck McGrady
  • Current Legislation
  • The General Assembly
    • How laws are made
    • Legislative Building
    • Our State Seal
    • Glossary of terms
  • Links
    • NC dot gov
    • Governor McCrory
    • Speaker Tillis
    • State Capitol Foundation
    • NC Office of Archives & History

The Brass to Class Act

Posted on May 17, 2013 by admin in Education, Military, North Carolina, Veterans

Veterans

On May 16, The House of Representatives unanimously passed House Bill 767, the “Brass to Class” Act, which allows public school teachers and administrators who have been honorably discharged or retired from the military a chance to get their valuable experience counted towards their salaries as state employees.

Educators working in North Carolina’s school districts are required to be paid from a specific salary schedule, which is approved every two years by the General Assembly. It sets a minimum pay based on the educators years of experience and education level.

The legislation, sponsored by Representatives Tom Murry, Chris Whitmire, John Szoka and Garland Pierce, directs the State Board of Education to establish rules for awarding credits to veterans for relevant military service experience. The new rules would include the following provisions: if the vet has already earned his or her Bachelor’s degree, one full year of credit would be awarded for every year of relevant full‑time military experience. If the veteran hasn’t yet earned his or her Bachelor’s degree, one year of credit would be awarded for every two years of full‑time relevant military experience.

The legislation also directs the Board of Education to study the possibility of providing student teaching stipends to veterans, and offering a licensure requirement reductions for veterans who are already certified instructors.

Read More

House bans synthetic cannabinoids

Posted on May 14, 2013 by admin in Health, North Carolina

Synthetic MarijuanaThe North Carolina House of Representatives voted unanimously on Monday, May 13 to ban the use, manufacturing and sale of synthetic cannabinoids — synthetic marijuana. (A “cannabinoid” is a class of chemical compounds in the marijuana plant that bind to receptors in the brain, and the cannabinoid [Delta] 9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the primary psychoactive constituent of marijuana. “Synthetic cannabinoids” are a large family of chemically-unrelated structures but functionally similar to THC.)

Synthetic cannabinoids, best known by the brand names K2 and Spice, were first produced in 1995 for testing on lab animals and were never intended for human use. The drugs are often marketed as herbal incense and are sold online or in head shops and convenience stores. The product itself looks natural but its components are generally made from herbs sprayed with toxic chemicals that can cause convulsions, heart attacks, and psychotic episodes.

At least 45 states have already banned most synthetic cannabinoids, making their possession and distribution illegal. House Bill 813, sponsored by Representatives Craig Horn, Tim Moffitt and John Blust, was written with input from the Drug Enforcement Agency (which classified synthetic cannabinoids as a Schedule 1 drug in 2011) and other law enforcement groups across the nation.

The bi-partisan legislation now moves to the Senate.

Read More

Mid-May legislative update

Posted on May 13, 2013 by admin in Legislative update

Last week the North Carolina House of Representatives voted to offer bonus pay for schools and teachers who best prepare students for highly competitive career and college programs. House Bill 968, called “Increase Successful CTE Participation,” would implement a bonus program for high school systems whose students participate in quality career-ready technical certification programs. The bill also exempts high school students from any fees associated with the certification. Finally, it requires program coordination with the North Carolina Department of Commerce to ensure that the programs are in-step with employer’s workforce needs.

Another bill, also designed to reward teachers and schools for outstanding work, passed the House on Thursday, May 9. The measure requires that increased student participation in Advanced Placement courses and International Baccalaureate Diploma programs be included in the award formula of the schools’ annual report card. The measure, House Bill 969, was added to a bill that establishes an A-F report card system for evaluating North Carolina schools. Both bills now go to the Senate.

The House also passed several measures last week designed to spur the state’s economy. Among them is a repeal of the inheritance or “death” tax, which eliminates a tax on estates valued at over five million dollars. The repeal has been requested over the years by family farmers and others small-business owners, who say that the tax jeopardizes their family companies as they move from one generation to the next. Supporters also say that repealing the tax provides additional incentives to those considering moving their family businesses to North Carolina. The bill now moves to the Senate. (more…)

Read More

Supporting Second Amendment rights

Posted on May 9, 2013 by admin in General Assembly

Second AmendmentThis week, the North Carolina House of Representatives passed House Bill 937, amending various firearms laws. This legislation is an effort to protect the rights of individuals who abide by gun laws and to increase criminal penalties on those who do not.

This legislation allows concealed carry permit holders to have a concealed handgun in a locked vehicle in the following areas: state government parking lots, community colleges, public colleges and public universities. Private colleges have the option of allowing or not. The bill also allows concealed carry permit holders to carry a concealed firearm into an establishment where an admission fee is charged or where alcoholic beverages are sold and/or consumed. However, the owner of the establishment may post a notice prohibiting the carrying of firearms on the premises. It is also important to note that concealed carry permit holders are already currently prohibited from consuming alcohol while carrying.

The provisions of HB 937 strengthening gun laws include increasing penalties for various crimes in which a firearm is used, displayed, or a gun’s use or display is threatened. The legislation also makes it a criminal offense for any person to permit a child under 12 to have access to or possession of a firearm without supervision or parental consent, and it improves our state’s participation in the National Instant Background Check System by requiring reports within 48 hours of an individual being involuntarily committed to a mental health facility.

This well-balanced bill will crackdown on gun criminals, and shore up the rights of law-abiding gun owners. It has wide support from the law enforcement community and public safety officials, as well as 2nd Amendment advocates.

Read More

Recording closed meetings

Posted on May 9, 2013 by admin in North Carolina, Open Government

publicrecords-220x165

House Bill 870 — Record Closed Sessions of Public Bodies — requires that public bodies meeting in closed session keep a complete and accurate record their proceedings. The legislation was introduced by Representative Jimmy Dixon and it passed the House on Thursday, May 9.

Public bodies — such as city councils, county boards and school boards — are required to hold open meetings for attendance and observation by the general public, but are permitted to hold closed meetings for certain purposes as specified by state law (G.S. 143-318.11), such as to maintain attorney-client confidentiality.

Currently, state open meetings laws require that the public body prepare written minutes of the closed session and a general accounting of the closed session. Unless the public body takes action in the closed session, the minutes can be recorded in summary form, but the law requires that the general account be detailed enough so that a person not in attendance would have a reasonable understanding of what transpired.

House Bill 870 amends the current law to require that all closed sessions be recorded by either an audiovisual method or by audio alone. The bill exempts meetings held to discuss certain personnel matters. These recordings must also be retained for two years from the time they are released to the public. (more…)

Read More

The curious case of Eustace Conway

Posted on May 9, 2013 by admin in North Carolina, Regulatory Reform

 

Eustace Conway has lived off the land for over 35 years; for the last 20, the Gastonia native — who was the subject of a wonderful 2002 biography called “The Last American Man” and has been featured both on the History Channel’s “Mountain Men” and in the Wall Street Journal — has turned those skills into a thriving business nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Mr. Conway’s Turtle Island Preserve teaches school and scouting groups the old ways of living in the wilderness, including how to build cabins with techniques such as those used by the legendary frontiersman Daniel Boone.

But unlike Mr. Conway, Daniel Boone never had to deal with pesky government bureaucrats.

Last year, Mr. Conway had his Watauga County business shut down after government officials raided the picturesque campground, claiming that he was in violation of all kinds of health, safety, fire, and building codes. Watauga County’s Planning Director, Joseph Furman, claimed that the primitive cabins built by the campers at Turtle Island should have bathrooms, fire sprinklers, and smoke detectors: “Does anyone sleep there? Then it has to meet the residential code,” he insisted. Local officials said that their hands were tied because the regulations were mandated by the state.

The government’s 78-page report also slammed Mr. Conway for his unauthorized use of outhouses, sawdust urinals, an open-air kitchen, and his failure to use county-approved “grade-marked” lumber, which specifies where the lumber was produced. The government required that Mr. Conway tear down all his primitive structures — including the cabins, barn, kitchen, blacksmith shop and sawmill — and put in an expensive septic system before he could rebuild or conduct anymore camping activities.

On April 11, Representative McGrady and Representative Jonathan Jordan introduced legislation to address the situation. House Bill 774 — Building Code Exclusion/Primitive Structures — would protect unique entrepreneurs like Eustace Conway by exempting primitive structures like those on the Turtle Island Preserve from most of these codes.

HB774 addresses issues on behalf of primitive camps and wilderness learning facilities throughout North Carolina and directs the North Carolina Building Code Council, a 17 member Governor-appointed board, to exempt some primitive structures from certain provisions of the building code. The legislation has been assigned to the House Regulatory Reform Committee, chaired by Representative Tim Moffitt.

Read More
Mission Statement: To develop a budget for North Carolina which brings spending into line with available revenues by identifying the proper and necessary functions of state government and then prioritizing them.

Download my newsletter

Contact Representative McGrady

Sign up for my Weekly Newsletter

Please send an email to my Legislative Assistant Edward Stiles and we'll add you to our newsletter distribution list.

How can I help you?

Posts by Category

Recent Posts

  • The Brass to Class Act
  • House bans synthetic cannabinoids
  • Mid-May legislative update
  • Supporting Second Amendment rights
  • Recording closed meetings
  • The curious case of Eustace Conway
  • The curious case of Eustace Conway
  • Protecting private property rights
  • Taxpayer-funded nonprofit compensation
  • Moving, Moving, Moving
  • Preserving military readiness
  • The Legislative Session In Full Stride
  • Well water education
  • House passes bipartisan Voter ID bill
  • Improving educational opportunities for children who are deaf
  • Moving Week
  • Honoring the Army Reserve
  • Weekly Legislative Roundup
  • Corporate Tax Reform
  • Reforming the Redistricting Process
  • Commercial Driver’s Licenses for Vets
  • Job development and community colleges
  • Purgatory
  • What’s in a bill?
  • Representative McGrady speaks on HB488
  • Tax break saving NC small business owners thousands of dollars
  • New Biodegradable Plastics Labeling
  • Honoring Ruth and Billy Graham
  • The apprentice hunting program
  • Governor McCrory Launches “Partnership for Prosperity”: A New Economic Development Approach
  • House recognizes Wildlife Conservation
  • The Voter ID bill
  • Ferry Tolling Alternatives
  • What is Crossover?
  • The Regionalization of Public Utilities
  • Keeping gun permits confidential
  • House fills Board of Governors appointments
  • The return of the Bill of Rights
  • Protecting your privacy in the 21st Century
  • Birthday Wishes
  • Kilah’s Law Passes Unanimously
  • State Approval for Local Action
  • House rolls out Voter ID Schedule
  • Education reform: innovation and flexibility
  • Education Week in the NC House
  • Tillis to hold Education press conference Monday
  • Statement on Carolina Panthers
  • “Death Tax” repeal clears committee
  • Tillis Statement on the State of the State
  • House opts-out of Medicaid Expansion
  • Increasing Access to Vocational Ed
  • Protecting Private Property Rights
  • The Legislative Building turns 50
  • Unemployment Insurance Reform
  • Esse Quam Videri

A constituent service to the people of Henderson County from Representative Chuck McGrady