Newsletter for April 20, 2007
My Heart’s In Blacksburg Like everyone else in our Nation, my thoughts and prayers are with the families who lost loved ones in the terrible crime that occurred this week at Virginia Tech. During my own college days, I had the opportunity to attend a lecture series at Virginia Tech. The University is located in a beautiful town and most University buildings are made with this beautiful gray stone mined from the mountains of Virginia. It is almost unbelievable thirty of our best and brightest young people lost their lives by the act of a lunatic. I have wrestled, in my own mind, with the question, “Is there anything the State Legislature can do to help prevent anything like this from happening in the future?” The sad conclusion is that there is very little rational people can do to protect ourselves from those who act completely irrational. I have much the same helpless feeling I had after the terrorist attacks on September 11th. Just like 9/11, I know that faith in our God and hope for a brighter tomorrow is really all we have. Like you, I’ll just keep going. This Week In The House Bill Filing Deadline: Thursday was the last day to “File” most Bills in the House of Representatives. The week saw a flurry of Bill filings as more than 400 Bills were introduced this week alone. The total number of Bills filed is 1,861. Alcohol Inhalers Banned: The House gave final passage this week to a House Bill 267 filed by Rep. Pryor Gibson (D-Anson) which banned Alcohol Inhalers. The Bill now goes to the Senate. Pistol Permits: Local sheriffs would be required to alert the State Bureau of Investigation when they deny a handgun permit to anyone in a bill that cleared a House judiciary committee. The measure is designed for sheriffs to know when someone has been rejected for a permit in another county. Rep. Ronnie Sutton, D-Robeson, a bill sponsor, said sheriffs could access the information through a SBI database and the denial would serve as a "red flag" should that same person seek a permit in their own county. Sutton cited a case in which a person received a permit after a denial in another county and used the weapon to commit suicide. I am very concerned with this act and fear it may provide the foundation for a gun owner’s registry. I plan on opposing this Bill. Crop Losses In: Gov. Mike Easley has asked for federal disaster declarations in 56 counties, including some in the mountains, that suffered crop damage during the Easter weekend freeze. The estimated statewide loss has reached about $111.7 million, according to U.S. Farm Service Agency offices in North Carolina. The designation would allow farmers to get federal emergency loans for damage caused by the four-day cold snap, which began April 6. Harnett County Bill Clears Committee: Rep. Jimmy Love (D-Lee) and I have filed House Bill 530 which provides that the County may undertake and expedient means to construct a new water and wastewater plant to serve Fort Bragg. The County has signed a contract to provide 10 million gallons of water to and handle 12 million gallons of wastewater from Fort Bragg beginning in 2009. It is my hope this will help offset the cost of water for County residents. The Bill has passed Local Government and Judiciary III Committees and is on the House Calendar for Monday night. National Conference of State Legislators: I am attending the National Conference of State Legislatures this weekend. The conference is held in Washington, DC. I was appointed by Speaker Joe Hackney (D-Orange) to work on Rural Development and other issues coming before the Congress as they debate the 2007 Farm Bill. Yesterday I was afforded the opportunity to meet with Mike Johanns, the Secretary of Agriculture. Other topics I have worked on include permanent disaster relief and bio-fuels. The conference has been very beneficial. I am attending at my own expense and have learned a lot. Listen In: Please know that you can listen to House Sessions or view House Calendars by visiting my website: www.davidlewis.org.
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