State lawmakers have hit the ground running on the first day of the 2012 short session.

During its brief noon session, the House suspended its rules to read in a bill filed today. House Bill 947, Eugenics Compensation, would set aside $10 million dollars for surviving victims of North Carolina's forced sterilization program. 

The legislation proposes a payment of $50,000 to each verified survivor. Its primary sponsors include Speaker Tillis and Rep. Stam as well as Reps. Womble and Parmon, so it's clearly on the fast track. 

House Rules today will hear a proposal to ban televisions on death row. 

Meantime, in the Senate, the LRC today recommended Sen. Rucho's fast-track fracking bill.

Senate Rules committee is set to take up bills today on annexation and Indian gaming. 

At 3:30, Senate Finance is expected to debate a proposal to lower and cap the gas tax. 

Senate leaders also filed a bill to patch the Medicaid shortfall, which could reach $250M by the end of June. 

The proposal, S797, would authorize the budget director to take $205 million from other places:

• $105M would come from General Fund reversions,
• $50M from DHHS,
• $10.5M from DHHS repairs and renovations,
• $20M from the surplus, and
• another $20M from state repairs and renovations.

That proposal has been sent to Senate Appropriations.