ANTI-PENSION SPIKING
The House Pensions and Retirement Committee yesterday took a bill that crossed over from the Senate- SB 117- and rewrote to add a provision designed to undo the recent court ruling on the anti-pension spiking law. Included in the rewrite of SB 117 is a section that retroactively exempts the Retirement System Board of Trustees from the rule-making process for setting the pension spiking benefit cap factor. In doing so, this section would undo the trial court ruling in cases filed by the Johnston, Union, Wilkes, and Cabarrus school boards that we reported to you last week. The ruling said that State officials did not follow proper procedure in developing the formula used to determine the pension-spiking benefit cap factor.
The bill next goes to the House floor. It has been put on the House calendar for Monday. If you are concerned about this provision please be sure to contact your House member(s).
SCHOOL BOND
Please make another round of contacts asking House members to move HB 866, the school bond bill. Even if you have already contacted them please be sure to contact them again. Attached are a set of talking points on the bond that you can use in discussions.
Budget
Negotiations on the budget are still ongoing, with a few items still to be agreed upon. Lawmakers remain on pace to have a budget in place by the start of the new fiscal year. Yesterday Speaker Tim Moore said that today’s (Friday) session is scheduled today to receive the conference report on the budget. Members would then have two days to review before a vote on Monday and Tuesday. A Saturday session would be held if needed to provide time for negotiations to conclude.
NCSBA has put together a document that compares all the major funding and policy provisions in each budget pertaining to public schools.
Click here to see the budget provision comparison document.
Click here to see the line-item comparison of all the money provisions.
Click here to see a document on NCSBA’s positions on the budget that was shared with the appropriation chairs.
TEACHER PREP REFORM
The Senate this week debated and approved a restructuring of the state’s teacher preparation system. SB 599- Excellent Educators for Every Classroom, was approved 35-13, most along party lines.
Leanne E. Winner
Director of Governmental Relations
N.C. School Boards Association
(919)747-6686 direct dial
Bruce Mildwurf
Associate Director of Governmental Relations
N.C. School Boards Association
(919) 606-3916 mobile
Richard Bostic
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
N.C. School Boards Association
(919)747-6677 direct dial