|
|
|
|
|
Happy Birthday
Friday, July 3rd Rep. Susan Fischer (D-Buncombe) Wednesday, July 8th Sen. Katie Dorsett (D-Guilford) Thursday, July 9th Rep. Garland Pierce (D-Scotland) |
|
| Worth Remembering | |
Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed - else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die. - President Dwight D. Eisenhower |
|
Listen Now
|
| Today's Newscast |
|
FROM THE SGR.COM NEWS DESK TODAY: LISTEN AT :04 MINUTES PAST EVERY HOUR: HOUSE CONSIDERS PUBLIC REFERENDUM ON EMINENT DOMAIN POWERS State lawmakers may end up putting it to a public referendum to decide whether the government should be allowed to take a person’s land for economic development purposes. The House is considering a bill that would put the issue on the May 2010 ballot. The power of eminent domain allows governments to seize private property for public use, provided the owner receives fair compensation. Likewise, a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court ruling has some property rights advocates worried about expanded eminent domain authority in North Carolina. Bill co-sponsor Rep. Paul Stam argue that governments should only use eminent domain for projects like new highways, schools or public utilities, while opponents to the move - including officials with the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners - maintain that North Carolina has already taken the necessary steps to prevent any abuses of power. ------ LISTEN AT :22 MINUTES PAST THE HOUR: STATE BUDGET UPDATE: NEGOTIATIONS HELD UP FOR HOLIDAY House and Senate leaders say there is still plenty of heavy lifting to do before negotiators can finalize an annual spending plan for the (now) current fiscal year. Budget writers have agreed on spending targets for most state agencies, but lawmakers still have very different ideas about how to raise almost $1 billion in new revenue next year. The House plan would increase the personal income tax for individuals making more than $200,000 and closes some loopholes for multistate corporations. It also increases the sales tax by a quarter-cent and adds several previously untaxed services. The Senate proposal lowers income and sales tax rates, while expanding the sales tax base by including a much broader array of services. It also raises the so-called “sin-taxes” on cigarettes and alcohol. Sen. David Hoyle, (D-Gaston) maintains that if they agree with the House tax package, they’ll be stuck dealing with same budget problems in two years. Meantime, House Majority Leader Rep. Hugh Holliman (D-Davidson) questions some items in the Senate proposal, including plans to tax electricity, Social Security and unemployment benefits. Lawmakers will put budget negotiations on hold over the holiday weekend. ------ LISTEN AT :33 MINUTES PAST EVERY HOUR: SUSTAINABILITY TAKES ON NEW MEANING FOR NC COUNTIES As a series of local forums held for county leaders recently illustrated, in this day and age "sustainability" is taking on a lot more meanings than just those connected to energy production. Job creation, tax policies, school construction, and meeting future energy demand were all issues addressed by county commissioners and other officials at various district meetings, and will be addressed again at the NC Association of County Commissioners annual Conference coming to Catawba County's EcoComplex in late August. SGR.com's Scott Carr reviews some of the topics - under the heading of "sustainability" - that will be addressed at the NCACC Conference as well as some emerging economic development opportunities that every county leader should be watching. ------ LISTEN AT :53 MINUTES PAST THE HOUR: NC DEPT OF INS REPORT Officials with the Fire Marshall's Office and the Safe Kids-NC program give their tips for having a safer, and less stressful, Fourth of July holiday. First and foremost, they recommend staying away from any off-the-shelf fireworks and sticking with viewing the professional displays. ------
------ ~ Playing now on SGR's "Politics & Newsmakers" page ~ FOR YOUR INFORMATIONAction for Children senior fellow and advocate Tom Vitaglione joins Don Curtis to discuss how the proposed cuts to education and state services will impact children in North Carolina. |
| SGR Poll | ||||||||||
| A quick check on Tweet-ing among SGR listeners: How pressured do you feel to get aboard the social networking Twitter phenom? | ||||||||||
|
Current Poll Results
|
| Today's AP Stories |
|
