The crossover deadline at the legislature is approaching quickly, so we are working hard to get bills heard and passed to the opposite chamber. Unless a bill contains an appropriation or finance provision, it must pass at least one chamber by the crossover date to be eligible to be heard.
Question of the Week
Thank you to everyone who took the time to write back on last week’s question. I appreciate you taking the time to share your views and I value your opinion. This week, I would like to get your views on the N.C. Driver’s Ed program. Traditionally, driver education funding has come out of the State Highway Trust, which is the primary revenue source for our roads, bridges and infrastructure. North Carolina is the only state to have used their designated highway fund to pay for a driver education program. I believe it is important to make sure drivers education is funded, and feel that the N.C. Driver’s Ed program’s funding should come from the Department of Public Instruction’s (DPI) budget. Where/who do you think the funding for driver education in North Carolina should come from?
I am a firm believer in learning-by-doing, and along with changing the revenue source for the N.C. Driver’s Ed program, I would like to see students spend more time behind the wheel of the car with an instructor and less time in class. What do you think about increasing the amount of time students spend driving while going through driver education?
Roseboro Movie Night
The town of Roseboro is preparing for its first ever Movie Night event, scheduled for next month. Town officials and the NC Stem Teacher Education Program (STEP) members are inviting citizens to come out to the town’s Movie Night, being sponsored by the town’s STEP Committee. The event will be held on May 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Western District Park; the Disney movie Big Hero 6 will be shown on the jumbo-tron. The movie is scheduled to start at sunset. The event is free and open to the public. The STEP Committee has been working over the last year on promoting the town of Roseboro by attracting more residents and visitors to the downtown area.
District Spotlight
The Cooperative Extension office of Sampson County recently welcomed Daniel Collins as the new 4H Youth Development agent. Originally from Saltville, Va., Daniel graduated from Emory Henry College with a degree in health and physical education. He earned his master’s degree from Virginia Tech, and has a passion and love for the 4H program.
In Sampson County, there are 11 different 4H groups that are a part of the Cooperative Extension office. In all, about 250 kids are serviced through these programs. The 4H program is dedicated to implementing programs to help youth become responsible citizens and lead healthy and productive lives. They aim to accomplish this by discovering and utilizing critical science-focused innovations.
In Closing
Thank you for allowing me to serve as your representative in the North Carolina Senate. I read every email that comes to my legislative account and I encourage you to reach out to me with your thoughts and concerns. If you would like to stay informed of my actions in the legislature, I encourage you to friend me on Facebook and/or follow me on Twitter.