August 20th, 2013 by Skip
- Balanced the budget for the third straight year without a tax increase.
- Enacted historic tax reform that provides tax relief to almost everybody.
- The education budget is a slight increase over last year. It gives flexibility to local school districts in spending state funds.
- Overhauled our election laws to require a photo ID to vote. Other significant changes include an end to straight ticket voting.
- Opportunity Scholarships of $4,200 per year for low-income families who choose to send their children to a private school in 2014-15.
- Replaced the Tax Credit for Children with Disabilities with a scholarship grant to reimburse tuition and special education services.
- Reformed our regulatory climate to ease the burden on small businesses.
- Conscience protection for health care providers who object to abortion on moral, ethical or religious grounds; required a doctor to be physically present during an abortion; protected women’s health by requiring DHHS to amend its rules for abortion clinics, prohibited sex-selective abortions, and ended taxpayer funding of abortions.
- Required Sex Ed to include instruction on the preventable causes of preterm birth, including induced abortion, smoking, alcohol consumption, the use of illicit drugs and inadequate prenatal care.
- Repealed the “Racial Justice Act”. The last legislative roadblock to execution of first degree murderers is now history.
- Enacted serious punishment for human trafficking.
- The Strategic Transportation Initiative focused on the critical needs of transportation infrastructure. Funding decisions will be based on objective data rather than the arbitrary “equity formula”.
- Corrected the failed unemployment insurance program by repaying the record debt of $2.8 billion to the federal government and providing for a solvent insurance fund.
- Protected the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Rights of the NC Constitution by strengthening and clarifying rights and responsibilities of concealed carry permit holders while increasing the punishment of criminals who use guns.
- Hospital billing reformed to reduce costs and provide transparency for consumers.
- The Domestic Energy Jobs Act will spur job creation with onshore and offshore energy exploration in North Carolina.
- $10 million fund to compensate living victims of the eugenics program.
- Private employers may give preference to disabled veterans.
- Streamlined process for handling disciplinary matters with state employees.
- Tightened punishment for repeat offenders who drive while impaired. More convicted drunk drivers must install ignition locks.
- Farmers will no longer be required to use only unionized labor on their farms.
