VOLUME 2 ISSUE 8
|
WWW.NSJONLINE.COM |
SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 2017
Inside What comes next for NC State, Duke? Sports
EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL
Harlem Globetrotters star Julian “Zeus” McClurkin, graduate of N.C. A&T gets a shy answer on bullying from third grader Jasmin Smith on stage during his ABCs of Bullying Prevention assembly at Wiley Magnet Elementary, March 22, 2017. McClurkin uses a lot of humor and little bit of basketball to deliver a message to kids about how they can help prevent bullying.
the weekend
NEWS BRIEFING House passes pro-Israel legislation Raleigh The N.C. House voted to cut business ties with any company that is actively boycotting Israel. Reps. Jon Hardister (R-Guilford), Steve Ross (R-Alamance) and John Szoka (R-Cumberland) sponsored the legislation that blocks the N.C. Treasurer’s office from investing state pension and other funds in such companies and prevents the state government from contracting with companies that are actively boycotting Israel. House lawmakers from both sides of the aisle passed the bill 88-21. According to the press release issued by bill sponsors, the measure was to be a disincentive to boycotts against Israel. Similar legislation has been proposed at the federal level.
Tillis moves to cut costs for reservists traveling to drills
NORTH
STATE
JOURNaL
Washington, D.C. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) introduced legislation this week that would help servicemembers deduct more of their travel expenses when driving to complete required drills and duty training. Typically, members of the National Guard pay for travel out of their own pocket. They can only claim mileage and other travel expenses on their taxes if they go more than 100 miles from their residence for training, or if the expenses are more than two percent of a soldier’s adjusted gross income. The Savings for Servicemembers Act would reduce the travel minimum for a deduction to 50 miles, just like other federal employees.
Representatives unanimously passed a regulatory reform bill in 2016, the legislation never cleared both chambers and so lawmakers are taking another swing at passing that bill this session with some updated changes. “What we’re doing now is we’re basically pulling the food out of the freezer and we’re going to heat it back up,” said Rep. John Bradford (R-Mecklenburg). Much of the streamlining involves consolidating redundant reporting requirements for state agencies, but some items like increasing the allowable distance of required riparian buffers or easing language regarding local school testing requirements repSee NCGA, page A2
See BULLYING, page A2
General Assembly moves on with regulatory reform, confirmations and more
By Jeff Moore North State Journal RALEIGH — Besides handing Gov. Roy Cooper his first overridden veto this week, the N.C. General Assembly and its legislative committees pressed ahead with unfinished business such as regulatory reform, continued the Senate confirmation process for the governor’s cabinet picks, and introduce several pieces of legislation that are to see action in coming days. While the N.C. House of
Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) led opposition to the health care plan saying it did not go far enough in repealing Obamacare By Donna King North State Journal
Princess Leia, Batman and friends celebrate Oak City Comicon the good life JONATHAN ERNST | REUTERS
20177 52016 $2.00
8
“It may not look like it, because I’m 6 foot 8, 225 pounds, but when I was your age and your size, I was bullied in school.” — Julian “Zeus” McClurkin, Harlem Globetrotter
GOP health care bill pulled from House floor after votes come up short
INSIDE
5
By Liz Moomey North State Journal RALEIGH — A is action, B is bravery and C is compassion. Julian “Zeus” McClurkin of the Harlem Globetrotters visited Wiley Magnet Elementary on March 22 to teach students about the “ABCs of Bullying Prevention.” McClurkin mixed in humor, games and some basketball tricks to promote anti-bullying. He broke down the steps of what the students can do starting with telling a parent or teacher about the bullying. “A lot of times a bully will never stop intimidating people until they get in trouble for their actions,” McClurkin said. “I promise you if you tell on a bully that action will be corrected and hopefully that person won’t bully anybody anymore. Hopefully, you won’t just help the bully out so they don’t get in trouble anymore, but you will help people down the line. That person may try to intimate you in middle school, in high school, in college, later on in your adult life at your job. We have people who grow up and remain bullies, because no one ever stepped up and told on them.” Lynn Christiansen, the school’s librarian, said telling an adult is one of the lessons they teach to students. “We definitely teach them to talk to an adult as their first step, and we teach them to walk away or laugh it off,” Christiansen said. “It is pretty consistent with the message we always try to send our students. It was spot on.” McClurkin used examples from his childhood when he was bullied. “It may not look like it, because I’m 6 foot 8, 225 pounds, but when I was your age and your size, I was bullied in school,” he said. “One instance I can think of is when a girl would always mess with me in my music class. Every time I started playing the drums she would start throwing drumsticks at me. She was just looking for a reaction out of me. I was just this happy-go-lucky kid. Every time she would mess with me I skipped right over to the teacher, and the teacher would see her, and she would get into trouble.” McClurkin said he joined the Harlem Globetrotters because of their anti-bullying ideals. They were the first basketball to have African-American play-
ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION
On top of veto overrides and fresh H.B. 2 repeal efforts, lawmakers attend to pushing through more Cooper cabinet picks
Harlem Globetrotters’ McClurkin teaches the ABCs of anti-bullying
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) holds a news conference after Republicans pulled the American Health Care Act bill at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Republican leaders of the House of Representatives pulled legislation to overhaul the U.S. health care system from consideration on Friday due to a shortage of votes, despite aggressive lobbying by the White House and its allies in Congress. “This is a setback, no two ways about it, but it is not the end of the story,” said House Speaker Paul Ryan in a press conference
after the bill was pulled. “Now I know that every man and woman in this conference is now motivated more than ever to step up our game and deliver on our promises.” Republican leaders had planned a vote on the American Healthcare Act after Trump cut off negotiations on Thursday with Republicans who had balked at the plan. Trump issued an ultimatum to vote on Friday, win or lose. Some Republican moderates as well as the most conservative lawmakers had objected to the legislation. Congressman Mark Meadows (R- N.C.), chairman of the Freedom Caucus, led opposition to the initial version of the bill, leading to amendments that were presented earlier in the See HEALTH CARE, page A2