Today @NCCapitol (July 9): Abortion bill holds center stage as lawmakers begin to wind down work for the year

House Bill 695 has not officially crossed back from the the Senate to the House yet, so House leaders say it is unlikely there will be a formal vote on the measure today. Because the bill has technically already passed the House – although it contained none of the abortion language when it left that chamber – House leaders can pass the measure with a simple concurrence vote on the floor. 

However, House Speaker Thom Tillis has asked the House Health and Human Services Committee to hold a public hearing on the bill today at 10 a.m. in Rom 643 of the Legislative Office Building.

"Given the focus on the bill, we thought it was appropriate to give it a couple of hours of hearing," Tillis said Monday. 

Committee Co-Chairman Mark Hollo, R-Alexander, told WRAL last night that those representing groups on either side of the abortion debate would be given a chance to speak after the bill was explained and committee members had a chance to ask question. Members of the general public would be allowed to weigh in if time allowed, he said. 

It's unclear how critical the test is in a setting where a fetus is being terminated.  

Closing down committees is an annual sign that legislative leaders are working to close down the General Assembly for the year. Without committees in session, the flow of bills to the House and Senate floor ebbs. However, that means most legislation that is not heard in committee this week will likely have to wait until the May short session for its chance to pass. 

General Assembly police Chief Jeff Weaver said he was offended by suggestions that his officers' actions are influenced by partisanship.

"We have never had the disruptions at this facility that we have had this year, and the amount of people in these disruptions," said Weaver, who has policed the legislature the past dozen years. "The building rules clearly indicate about disturbances. When you're blocking ingress and egress, clapping and singing, that's disruptive."

Among the most pressing items left on his agenda, McCrory said, was a bill that rewrites the state's antiquated tax code. However, he told reporters that the tax debate between the House and Senate cannot be allowed to derail budget negotiations. And, he said, and new bill must give the state enough money to operate the basic functions of government.

Both the House and Senate have drawn tax reform proposals that would trigger changes in the tax code in 2016, 2017, and 2018. The Senate plan, for example, would phase out the state corporate income tax rate in 2017.

"I do think its unreasonable to project after the year 2015, especially with some of the growth analysis that have been presented in several of the plans," McCrory said. "Anything beyond 2015 I think is very speculative."

During the same news conference, McCrory trod carefully between a campaign promise he made not to sign legislation that further restricts abortion and legislation now under consideration at the General Assembly.

"There is a fine line between safety measures and restrictions. Those two lines should not be confused," McCrory said. "I'm very concerned about our responsibility to ensure the health of women is protected."

"I think parts of the bill, personally, clearly deal with safety and help protect these women," McCrory said. "But I also see there are parts of the bill that could clearly cross that line where they are adding further restrictions to access, and I think that's where we need further discussion and further debate."