Tanning ban, charter grant not in budget

RALEIGH, N.C. — While much of Thursday's focus will be on what's in the budget bill, there are several notable items that have been left out. Some of these missing items are policy measures that were included in an earlier version of the budget, while other spending provisions were simply dropped. 

 

Language from a bill that would have banned anyone under 18 years old from using a tanning bed had been included in the House budget. It was left out of the final report. 

"It's a sad irony that we received the news about North Carolina tanning bed bill the same week as the U.S. Surgeon General issued a national call to action on skin cancer," said Dr. Brent Mizelle, president of the North Carolina Dermatology Association. "The Surgeon General, 11 states, virtually every health organization in North Carolina as well as the major tanning industry association in the U.S. all support protecting children from the dangers of indoor tanning. We are disappointed that North Carolina teens will not be among those who enjoy this protection."

 

The Senate budget would have closed the Wright School in Durham for children with emotional and behavioral problems. The final budget does not. 

 

The House budget would have eliminated fees on ferries and created an advertising program to replace that revenue. The final budget does not have that language. 

 

Gov. Pat McCrory would have eliminated a tuition tax break for out-of-state students who receive full-ride academic scholarships to University of North Carolina system schools. That provision appears to absent from the final budget bill.