NORTH CAROLINA LEGISLATIVE NEWS

The 2009-2010 session of the North Carolina General Assembly convened on January 28, 2009.

Since revenue is expected to be down this year it is doubtful if legislation that requires new funding will be passed.
In the 2008 Session there were 260 Bills passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Easley. You can look at these bills by logging onto www.ncga.state.nc.us. Then under “News & Information” click on 2008 Enacted Laws by Date or by Bill number.

In a discussion with Representative Grier Martin he advised me that he would be working on the following legislation to help our veterans. The word Veterans as used in this article includes active duty, Reserves and National Guard, retirees and prior service members.

1. In the area of Traumatic Brain Injuries he will be looking at how Medicaid funds can be opened up to those veterans in need of treatment.
2. He will be looking at the Mental Health needs of our veterans and what can be done to meet their needs.
3. He will be convening a group to look at the homeless veterans and what North Carolina can do to support their needs.
4. Grier will also be looking at ways to make voting easier for our service members.

The above list is not all inclusive but includes some of the important veteran’s issues that Representative Martin will be addressing.

The NC JOINT STUDY COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS completed the assigned studies. The Findings and Recommendations can be viewed by signing onto the following. The Findings and Recommendations are near the end of the report.
View the report
If this link does not work, right-click (control-click on a Mac) and choose "Save target as" to save the document to your own computer and then open it after it has finished downloading. This is a fifty page document and may take some time to download. If you still have trouble, you may also paste this address into your browser:
http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/documentsites/legislativepublications/Study%20Reports%20to%20the%202009%20NCGA/Military%20and%20Veterans%20Affairs.pdf

In addition to the above Senator Neal Hunt (District 15, Wake County) is presently working on a bill that would allow dependents of military personnel who die during active duty to receive in state tuition if they live in NC.

To read the recently released VA/DOD Joint Executive Council Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2009-2011 click on the address below. If that does not work, type the link below to your address line. http://www.tricare.mil/DVPCO/downloads/SIGNED%20JSP%20FY09-11%2001-08-2009%20FINAL.pdf

The Lobby Day at the General Assembly will be held in May. No specific date has been set. This is the day that all veterans should convene at the Legislative Building to discuss their desires with their representatives. As always, it is advisable to keep in touch with your representatives and let them know your concerns and recommendations.

Prepared by Ken Tigges, Triangle Chapter Legislative Chair