NC House logs 20-minute week

Last week, House Speaker Tim Moore announced plans for voting sessions Monday and Tuesday. But he told members Monday evening that plans had changed because the Senate has taken the entire week off and isn't working on House bills.

"We were considering taking up more bills today and possibly tomorrow," Moore, R-Cleveland, said, "but the chair's convinced [that], where we are with the schedule of the budget and with the schedule of other bills moving through both the House and the Senate, that the most prudent course would be to look at taking up a lot of those other policy matters next week."

"The Senate's not actually taking up bills this week, so it seems best for us to have a two-way conversation," he explained. "We'll take up most of the other bills next week that we were going to take up today."

Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger has criticized the House before for taking time off, and Moore was ready to return the favor. It's not uncommon for chamber leaders to slow the movement of legislation from the other chamber if their own members' proposals are not being advanced.

"What I can tell you is that, from a policy standpoint, a lot of the bills that will be taken up have have already had some hearing in committee," Moore said. "Next week, I think you'll see things move much more rapidly."

Moore also said budget chairs are making progress and are on track to release a schedule later this week for budget hearings in August.

Only 82 of the House's 120 members even showed up for Monday night's session, in which they passed a bill signing North Carolina onto a multi-state compact allowing licensed professional mental health counselors to practice in member states without having to obtain state licenses in each state.

'I'm sure we're all aware there is a critical shortage of professional mental health services," said sponsor Rep. Diane Wheatley, R-Cumberland. "This will improve care for patients by allowing qualified licensed clinical mental health counselors to provide service to underserved and geographically isolated areas across state lines."

"North Carolina is already a member of five of these compacts, which are working to improve the quality of care to our citizens," Wheatley added.

On a unanimous vote with no debate, House Bill 791 moved on to the Senate.

The House doesn't plan another voting session until Aug. 3.