Senator Hagan proposes bill to help small businesses apply for federal assistance

News Brief as of 4/4/2012

Contributed by Zaira Carranza

Senator Kay Hagan, has announced plans for a bill that will help small business owners cut down on paperwork when looking for federal assistance.

After a review of a 2010 study from the Small Business Administration’s office of Advocacy, Senator Hagan spoke at a small business forum Monday detailing the new bill. The bill proposes to create a common application that will increase efficiency by allowing businesses to apply to various government assistance offices using one form. This reduction in bureaucracy according to Hagan will save businesses time and money

Both the common application and a web portal created by the Small Business Administration should be available within a year if the bill is passed.

NC Libertarian Party Urges North Carolinians to Vote Against Amendment One

News brief as of 3/28/2012

The North Carolina Libertarian Party today declared its formal opposition to Amendment One. The state’s third-largest party is encouraging its members, as well as all other voters, regardless of party affiliation, to vote against the constitutional amendment on the May 8 primary ballot.

J.J. Summerell, chair of the North Carolina Libertarian Party, declared the Libertarian Party’s unequivocal opposition to Amendment One.

“We oppose Amendment One simply because it’s badly designed,” Summerell said in a video released today by Protect All NC Families , the official coalition effort to defeat Amendment One.

Summerell went on to explain how the amendment could harm millions of North Carolina families, women and children by potentially impacting contract agreements between individuals, stripping health care from children of unmarried couples and invalidating domestic violence laws meant to protect unmarried North Carolinians.

In an update to a story previously covered by WUAG on 5/16/2011 —

NC abortion restrictions bill becomes law (Session Law 2011 - 405, formerly House Bill 854)

News Brief for 7/29/2011

The North Carolina General Assembly passed a law that places more restrictions on abortions. On Thursday, the Senate voted to override Governor Perdue’s veto of House Bill - 854. The new law, called the “Women’s Right to Know Act” takes effect in 90 days. It requires:

• Mandated counseling 
• A 24-hour waiting period before an abortion
• The woman to undergo an ultrasound that will be displayed so she can view the image (she may avert her eyes)
• The woman to hear a description of the fetus’ vital organs at its current stage of development (she may refuse to hear the description)

The bill originally required the state to print pamphlets and other materials that would prominently display this statement: “The life of each human being begins at conception. Abortion will terminate the life of a separate, unique living human being.” That provision has since been removed from the bill.

Similar laws in Oklahoma and Texas have attracted significant attention in the past year, with supporters saying they will save innocent lives and opponents claiming they are attempts to make women feel guilty about their decision.

For more information on this story and anything related to the North Carolina General Assembly, check out Laura Leslie’s @NCCapitol page (via WRAL).

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus visits NC

News Brief for 5/27/2011

North Carolina appears poised to be a battleground state in the 2012 presidential election. The state’s 15 electoral votes went to Obama in 2008, but during last year’s midterms North Carolina voted overwhelmingly for Republicans. Democrats have signaled they will fight for North Carolina by choosing Charlotte for their national convention.

Now, Republicans are stepping up their game. Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus visited Raleigh this week to attend a fundraiser at the state GOP headquarters. In an address to fundraiser attendees Priebus emphasized the RNC’s need for money – former chairman Michael Steele left the committee $24 million in debt. The Associated Press reports Priebus did encounter some hostility at the fundraiser from members of North Carolina’s Tea Party, who claim the Republican National Committee hasn’t been supportive of conservative candidates. 

The original story is from the Associated Press via WRAL.

Image is from MSNBC.

North Carolinians rally in support of a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage

News Brief for 5/21/2011

This past Tuesday, around 3,500  people gathered on the lawn behind the state legislative building in Raleigh. A group called Return America held the event to show their support for a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. North Carolina is the only state in the southeast that doesn’t have a marriage amendment on the books. The crowd heard from several conservative Christian leaders and members of the state legislature. House Majority leader Paul Stam promised the crowd the amendment would be passed this year. Earlier in the day, other clergy held a press conference condemning the amendment. Reverend T. Anthony Spearman said legislators should be focusing on economic issues rather than advancing a divisive social agenda.

Marriage amendments have been proposed many times in the past, but have never passed a democratically controlled General Assembly. Last fall, Republicans gained control of both houses for the first time in over a century. Amendments to the state constitution must pass both houses with three-fifths of the vote, and get a majority of the popular vote in a referendum (that means YOU get to vote on it!).

For more information on opposition to the amendment check out the gay rights advocacy group Equality NC.

The original story from the Raleigh News & Observer has more information on the rally.

Image is from a 2007 Return America rally supporting the marriage amendment.

[Thanks for the heads up on this story, Evan Garris.]

NC House subcommittee approves bill that would put more restrictions on abortions (House Bill - 854)

News Brief for 5/16/2011

The North Carolina House is working on a bill that would place more restrictions on abortions. Last week, a House judiciary subcommittee voted to approve House Bill - 854, a bill that’s provisions include:

• Mandated counseling 
• A 24-hour waiting period before an abortion
• The woman to undergo an ultrasound that will be displayed so she can view the image (she may avert her eyes)
• Require the woman to hear a description of the fetus’ vital organs at its current stage of development (she may refuse to hear the description)

The bill originally required the state to print pamphlets and other materials that would prominently display this statement: “The life of each human being begins at conception. Abortion will terminate the life of a separate, unique living human being.” That provision has since been removed from the bill.

Similar laws in Oklahoma and Texas have attracted significant attention recently, with supporters saying they will save innocent lives and opponents claiming they are attempts to make women feel guilty about their decision.

The full text of the bill can be found here via the North Carolina General Assembly website.

More information about this story can be found at WRAL.