Bills of Interest- First Week of Session

Below are a few bills of interest to social workers and their clients. I have highlighted a few points in the bill that may be of concern. As a citizen of NC, you may contact your legislators to let them know how you feel about particular bills. You may also contact the bill sponsors!

Bills of interest:

Protect Health Care Freedom
http://ncleg.net/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2011&BillID=H2
- opting out of the federal mandate to have health care by 2014
- this will add NC to the host of other states that have taken this to federal courts.
- let your legislators know how this bill has already impacted you and your clients and how it will impact you if it is not obtained.

Disapprove Closure of Dorthea Dix Hospital
http://ncleg.net/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2011&BillID=H4
- Closure of the hospital has to be voted upon in the General Assembly
- Let your legislators know how you feel about the closing of this historic state hospital and how it impacts the mental health system in our state

No Post-secondary Education/Illegal Aliens
http://ncleg.net/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2011&BillID=H11
- This would ban the illegal aliens that can pay out of state costs to attend our community colleges from obtaining degrees
- This bill also adds public universities to the list of where they cannot attend school (not just community colleges)
- Let your legislators know how this infringes on rights of the people in this state

Children's Advocacy Center Funds
http://ncleg.net/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2011&BillID=H16
- This bill allocates a certain amount of money to advocacy groups to continue to research needs faced by children in this state.
- Let your legislators know the importance of these funds for our children and for our state!

Upcoming bills:
Requiring Photo ID's to Vote
- This bill has not been introduced yet but will be SOON. Let your legislators know how it would limit vulnerable people in this state that do not have ID from voting (elderly folks that no longer have licenses, people with disabilities, people that cannot afford to get government ID, etc!).