THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 18, 1994 TAG: 9407180062
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY HUNTER T. GEORGE II, ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RALEIGH LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
Bleary-eyed and bedraggled legislators ended their second session this year early Sunday morning after a 17-hour marathon gathering that has become all too familiar for some.
At 1:55 a.m., the legislative staff opened the great brass doors of the House and Senate chambers as lawmakers and lobbyists gathered to watch the closing ceremony.
Denise Weeks and Sylvia Fink, the principle clerks of the House and Senate, respectively, then raised white handkerchiefs and dropped them simultaneously. When they landed, House Speaker Dan Blue and Lt. Gov. Dennis Wicker then struck brass bells with their gavels, marking the end of the eight-week session.
``It's crazy,'' Blue said after the adjournment ceremony. ``Even this evening when everything had been resolved, there were still some issues that they simply would not say yes to until 10 o'clock.''
The session had been a long one, extending 17 days beyond the deadline that lawmakers set last year in an effort to do the state's business faster. It also continued the tradition of ending legislative sessions in the middle of the night.
Still, Blue said he expects lawmakers to set a deadline for next year's session.
Lawmakers approved a compromise shortly before midnight on a $1.2 billion adjustment to the state budget that included major raises for teachers and state employees and millions of dollars for schools.
The budget gives teachers a 7 percent raise, with a 1 percent bonus, while state workers will get 4 percent raises with a 1 percent bonus.
The raises sparked a few hard feelings.
The head of a state workers' group claimed lawmakers caved in to threats from educators and gave nonteaching employees ``a pop in the face.''
But Gov. James B. Hunt, who offered his own version of the budget in May, applauded the General Assembly for staying focused on education.
Lawmakers approved many of Hunt's proposals, including millions for a teaching academy, more staff and new computers in schools, as well as money for buses, textbooks and other supplies and equipment.
The governor's Smart Start program for early-childhood education also received a $19 million boost from lawmakers.
But Hunt said the extra funding isn't enough. He plans to push for more changes next year.
``All of these efforts make for a good start, but we need to do more to help teachers teach, and help children achieve more,'' Hunt said in a statement. ``That means keeping classrooms safe, setting higher standards for students and giving teachers the tools they need to help students achieve those standards.''
On other fronts, lawmakers provided $7 million for a business recruitment fund and $7 million for establishment of the information highway.
They approved some of their own projects, including Sen. George Daniel's bill that attempts to reform North Carolina's workers' compensation system.
And they rejected others, such as Sen. Dennis Winner's bill to replace the intangibles tax and Sen. Charlie Albertson's proposed constitutional amendment that would stop letting criminals choose prison over probation.
The session was the second that the General Assembly has held this year. Hunt called legislators to town in February for a special session on crime that lasted seven weeks.
While other issues were considered during the regular session, it mainly focused on adjusting the second year of the state budget adopted in 1993.
KEYWORDS: BUDGET by CNB