Thursday Wrap: Teacher pay, driver's licenses, patient visitors

Legislative leaders are once again working on "mini budget" bills this year because of uncertainty surrounding both revenue and expenses during the coronavirus pandemic.

The first bill rolled out Thursday, promising small bonuses to teachers instead of percentage salary increases. Republican lawmakers and Gov. Roy Cooper's administration disagree on whether federal pandemic relief money can go into the pot for teacher pay.

In other pandemic-related action, lawmakers passed a measure that would allow some teen drivers to skip the required road test for a driver's license because the Division of Motor Vehicles isn't provided them right now. The waiver will will disappear as soon as the DMV restarts the test.

Lawmakers also sent to Cooper a bill making several changes to absentee voting and polling place operations this fall because of coronavirus concerns. The bill passed despite complaints by some Democrats over its voter ID provisions.

Finally, a key Senate committee ignored opposition by hospital lobbyists and back legislation that would guarantee patients could have at least one visitor. Most hospitals in the state banned visitors in March to limit the spread of coronavirus.