Today@NCCapitol (June 30): House poised to debate budget

As House members get ready to debate the state budget, some members are working on potential changes to House Bill 2. Senators are scheduled to take up a bill making changes to a bill calling for three constitutional amendments.

Posted 10:00 a.m. Jun 30, 2016 — Updated 10:00 a.m. Jun 30, 2016

Mark Binker

RALEIGH, N.C. — Good morning and welcome to Today@NCCapitol for Thursday, June 30. Here's what's going on around state government:

JOINT SESSION (10 a.m.): The House and the Senate are scheduled to hold a joint session to confirm appointments to the State Board of Education.

HOUSE FLOOR: House members are scheduled to debate and take a first vote on the state budget. Leaders announced Wednesday that that debate would be limited to an hour for either side.

McCrory visit with lawmakers spurs discussions of HB2 changes

SENATE FLOOR: Among the bills on the Senate calendar is a measure making changes to the recently passed bill calling for a trio of constitutional amendments.

THE GOVERNOR (11 a.m.): Gov. Pat McCrory hosts an Independence Day kickoff ceremony at the state Capitol.

COMMITTEES: The General Assembly publishes a full committee scheduled daily. Here's what we're keeping an eye on:

House Elections (8:30 a.m.): The committee takes up a rewritten version of House Bill 667. The new bill distributed to committee members Wednesday night would, among other things, "require the State to be a party to all actions related to the validity or constitutionality of a local act enacted by the General Assembly, and for the Attorney General to represent the State in those actions," according to a bill summary.

Senate Finance (1 p.m.): The committee is scheduled to take up House Bill 728, which currently changes the law for the North Carolina Chiropractic Board.

ADJOURNING? There has been off-and-on optimism this week that lawmakers could adjourn their session for the year on Saturday. House Speaker Tim Moore told members Wednesday that was still a possibility, but it would depend on members finishing their work. He also expressed a desire to carry out the formal end-of-session sine die ceremony, during which lawmakers in both chambers adjourn at the same moment. Leaders have foregone that ceremony since Republicans took control of the legislature in 2011. He added that he would like this ceremony take place "at a reasonable time on a reasonable day." No word on exactly what that means or whether an adjustment to House Bill 2 would be a prerequisite.

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