The Raleigh Report by Cullie Tarleton for September 27, 2010

Government

September 27, 2010. RALEIGH, NC -- Each week, Blowing Rock News publishes The Raleigh Report, which is prepared by State Representative Cullie Tarleton as a service to voters in the High Country.

The Raleigh Report

From the Office of Representative Cullie Tarleton

Our seniors have helped make North Carolina a place that is growing and vibrant and have led us through many difficult times. During my past term in the General Assembly, I supported several initiatives that we hope will keep them healthy, safe and financially secure. Below, I have included a few highlights of our work in the past two sessions, as well as some information from the 2010-11 budget. I hope you will find it useful. Please contact me if I can be of any help. I can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 828-295-3353. I look forward to continuing to serve you.

Planning

The General Assembly has directed several agencies to begin better preparing for the aging baby-boomer population. The law (SB 195 - SL2009-407) directs the University of North Carolina Institute on Aging and the Division of Aging and Adult Services to organize meetings of gerontologists, researchers and others to identify and prioritize issues the state will have to address. It also calls for the development of a website with information about how serve increasing numbers of adults.

Adult Care

The Division of Aging and Adult Services has been asked to study the issue of criminal history record checks for owners, operators, volunteers, and prospective owners, operators, and volunteers in adult day care programs and adult day health services programs. Among other things, the legislation (HB 1703 -SL2010-93) specifies that the study should identify which positions warrant a background check, develop a process for conducting the checks and designate who is responsible for requesting and paying for the check.

County Departments of Social Services have been directed to conduct follow-up monitoring of adult care homes (HB 1186 - SL2009-232). The law is meant to improve patient safety by improving oversight of adult-care homes.

Health

Legislation to establish a long-term care partnership program was passed (SB 1193 - SL2010-68). Under a partnership program, a person who purchases a qualified long-term care insurance policy that provides a certain dollar amount of benefits will be allowed to disregard assets equal to the insurance payout when applying for Medicaid. States that have initiated a partnership program have found that this encourages people to plan for their long-term needs and also results in savings to their state Medicaid programs.

Several recommendations made by the N.C. Study Commission on Aging to expand dental care services for older and disabled North Carolinians with special care needs were approved, including having state agencies look at Medicaid reimbursement for certain services and coordinating workforce efforts to increase the number of dental care providers serving persons with special care needs. (SB 188 - SL2009-100).

Automated calls to protect the public health, safety, or welfare are now allowed under a new state law (HB 1034 - SL2009-364). The system will be used to inform people that they have purchased products or medication that may be subject to a safety recall; that the person has not picked up a filled prescription drug or that one of their accounts may be subject to potential fraudulent activity. The calls cannot be used for any commercial purposes.

Safety

The Division of Emergency Management is establishing a voluntary registry that counties and municipalities can use to identify functionally and medically fragile people during a disaster under a new state law (SB 258 - SL2009-225). The law also authorizes counties and municipalities to operate similar registries.

We passed a new law to clarify that a Silver Alert may be issued for a person of any age (HB 1129 - SL2009-143). The Silver Alert System is a statewide system used to notify people about missing persons believed to be suffering from dementia or other cognitive impairments.

Housing

The Statutory Homestead Exemption has been increased under a new state law (HB 1058 - SL2009-417). Qualified people aged 65 or older qualify for the exemption, which increased from $37,000 to $60,000.

Budget

$100,000 was approved to support Project C.A.R.E., the respite care and support program for families caring for persons with Alzheimer’s.

Funding for optional services under Medicaid (such as dental care; eye care and eyeglasses; occupational, physical, and speech therapies; hospice; prosthetics and orthotics; community alternative program; and rehabilitation services) for aged, blind, and disabled adults was preserved for the most part.

The one area in which there was a significant cut was to Medicaid personal care services which provides in-home help to disabled and frail older adults. This program received a recurring cut of $50.7 million. The program had been criticized for allegedly serving people who did not meet the specific disability criteria and for providing more hours of service for people than what they needed.

No additional funding was appropriated for the Home and Community Care Block Grant, but no money was cut, either. The program helps older adults stay in their homes.

$450,000 was appropriated for the operation of the Stroke Advisory Council, the continued implementation of the public awareness campaign and identification of stroke rehabilitation services throughout the State.

$150,000 was authorized for a grant-in-aid to Prevent Blindness of North Carolina.

$50,000 was provided for a non-recurring grant-in-aid to NC Arthritis Patient Services is provided for in the budget.

Notes

The latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics report shows that North Carolina led the nation in employment gains from July to August with the addition of 18,600 jobs. The report also points out that our state ranked fourth among the states in employment gains from August 2009 to August 2010 with 36,700 jobs. We were third in the nation in over the year jobless rate with a decline of 1.2 percentage points.

Cree Inc., a global leader in LED lighting technology and products, will expand its manufacturing operations in Durham. The company plans to create 244 jobs over the next two years and invest $135 million.
Empire Foods Inc., an advanced-technology food processing company, will bring 200 jobs to Halifax County. The company, using technology licensed from N.C. State University, plans to create 200 jobs and invest $2.5 million over the next five years.
Baltek Inc., a manufacturer of core materials for the wind energy, mass transit, marine and military markets, will relocate to a new manufacturing facility in Guilford County. The company plans to create 68 jobs and invest $3.25 million over the next three years.
DNP IMS America Corp., a printing-technology company, will expand in Concord. The company plans to create 37 jobs and invest $24.8 million during the next three years.

Please remember that you can listen to committee meetings and press conferences on the General Assembly’s website at www.ncleg.net. Once on the site, select "Audio," and then make your selection – House Chamber, Senate Chamber, Appropriations Committee Room or Press Conference Room. A calendar of meetings is also available on the site.

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