Heard in the Halls is an email service of NAMI North Carolina to provide updates on state legislative and policy issues. Heard in the Halls is produced for community advocates at least monthly and more frequently during sessions of the General Assembly. To be added to the Heard in the Halls list send a message to heard@naminc.org with just "subscribe" (no quotes) in the subject. Because of the variety of e-mail servers, Heard in the Halls is sent in plain text and as a formatted attachment.

February 6, 2003

And They're Off. (Well, sort of)

The 145th session of the North Carolina General Assembly opened on
Wednesday, January 29th but it took a full week to determine the leadership
in the House. It was the first time since 1866 that the Speaker was not
elected on the first ballot. Last evening the House took the historic action
of electing Co-Speakers. Rep. Jim Black (D-Mecklenburg), Speaker for the
last four years, will share the gavel with Rep. Richard Morgan (R-Moore).
The 89-31 vote ended a week of unprecedented maneuvering as candidates for
Speaker tried, unsuccessfully, to gather the 61 votes necessary for
election. Morgan led a group of dissident Republicans who opposed Rep. Leo
Daughtry and Rep. George Holmes leadership of the Republican caucus.

As difficult as the election was, it does not get any easier. The rules by
which the House will govern itself and the power sharing agreement between
Black and Morgan have yet to be completed. Then there is the task of
selecting committee chairs and keeping members happy. That will not be an
easy task.

In the Senate there were no surprises and the election proceeded on schedule
and as expected. Senator Marc Basnight was re-elected on the opening day of
the session to an unprecedented 6th term as President Pro Tempore. The
Senate already has made committee assignments. Listed below are the chairs
of Senate committees dealing with MH/DD/SA:

Full Appropriations
Co-Chairs: Garrou, Dalton, Hagan
Vice Chairs: Albertson, Gulley

HHS Appropriations Sub-committee
Co-Chairs: Purcell, Reeves
Vice Chair: Dannelly
Ranking Minority: Forrester

Health and Human Resources Committee
Co-Chairs: Purcell, Bingham
Vice Chair: Queen
Ranking Minority: Forrester

One thing is clear, this will be a very interesting session and one that
will require a great deal of work. Nearly one-third of the members of the
General Assembly are new. The General Assembly faces another budget deficit
approaching $2 billion. Our advocacy during this session will be critical.

NAMI North Carolina Policy Agenda
The NAMI North Carolina Board of Directors has adopted its Public Policy
Agenda for the 2003-2004 session of the General Assembly. The document
outlines the policy goals for the session and provides background
information on the issues. Copies of this document have been mailed to all
affiliate presidents. It also can be viewed on the NAMI North Carolina web
site at: http://www.naminc.org/PPAgenda/PPA_home.htm

What's Up With Reform
The reform of the MH/DD/SA system continues at both the state and local
level. In the past few months the Division of MH/DD/SA has produced a series
of Communication Bulletins that provide policy guidance and clarification
for how reform is to be implemented. These excellent documents cover such
topics as Local Business Plan Submission; Management of Target and
Non-Target Populations; Housing; and a Q&A for County Commissioners. The
Communication Bulletins are especially valuable for individuals serving on
local Consumer Family Advisory Committees (CFACs). Viewing the documents
requires Adobe Reader, available free from the Division web site (click on
"Download PDF File Reader"). To view the list of available bulletins go to:
http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/mhddsas/stateplanimplementation/index.html

Save These Dates
Coalition 2001 will once again host a series of Legislative breakfasts at
the General Assembly. These are opportunities for constituents to meet with
their representatives to discuss the needs of the MH/DD/SA system. These
breakfasts are especially critical this year. Thirty percent (51 of 170) of
the members of the General Assembly are new and need to learn about and
understand the issues confronting our public system. The breakfasts will be
held on:
March 12 Eastern Region
March 26 Central Region
April 2  Western Region

More information will follow. For now, hold those dates.

Coalition 2001 Legislative Committee Meetings
The Legislative Committee of Coalition 2001 will meet every Tuesday at 8:30
beginning on February 11th in the snack bar of the Legislative Office
Building. This is an opportunity to discuss issues being addressed in the
General Assembly that impact support for the MH/DD/SA system. Members of the
committee are also available to assist constituents in meeting their
legislators or attending committee meetings.

Vocational Conference
"Can't Wait for Payday", the 18th Annual North Carolina Association for
Person in Supported Employment/Vocational Alternatives Conference will be
held February 26-28th at the North Raleigh Hilton. The keynote speaker is
George McCoy, State Director of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.
For more information and conference registration contact Danielle Thuot at
dthuot@grsinc.org or call 704-852-9446 ext. 233.