N.C. Public Policy Boot Camp: For Edgecombe, by Edgecombe Voices

North Carolina Public Policy Boot Camp

North Carolina Public Policy Boot Camp: Fostering students’ understanding of public policy and the effects on their daily lives

What is N.C. Public Policy Boot Camp?

Nate Barilich, EdNC Summer Fellow

A public policy boot camp for students, designed by teachers

Telling student stories to change public policy

Change: The fairy tale come to life

Be Social, Media Matters

There are many tools to use throughout the next couple of hours to tweet questions, thoughts, and share your overall excitement.

#NCBC #publicsolutions #communitysoluctions #rebrandENC

At EducationNC we are “Including you in the conversation about our schools.”

Twitter: @EducationNC
Facebook: @EducationNC
Instagram: @educationnc

Represent: Who watches out for you? N.C. House

Test Yourself: Representation in the House

N.C. General Assembly: The Basics

Each session of the General Assembly in North Carolina convenes for two years – often referred to as a biennium.  

• “Long” session started on January 28, 2015
  • Bills are introduced and a two-year budget is adopted.
  • The state’s fiscal year runs July 1-June 30.
  • The “long” session typically lasts until July or so.
  • This past year, the General Assembly adjourned on September 30th, making it the longest “long” session since 2002. It ran 13 weeks past the end of the fiscal year.
•  “Short” session convened in April 2016 and ended July 1, 2016
  • During the “short” session, bills that have passed one house, recommendations from a study commission, or issues related to the budget are in play during the short session.  
  • Earlier start than in previous years
  • This session, lawmakers changed the primary date to March, and with the primary date moved up, the “short” session can begin earlier.
    

• “New” long session convenes January 11,  2017, at 12pm.

Citizen Legislature

• This is a citizen part-time legislature.
• 120 members of the N.C. House. (U.S. House: 435 voting members)
• 50 members of the N.C. Senate. (U.S. Senate: 100 voting members)
•  All legislators serve 2-year terms. There are no term limits.

Should we switch to a full-time paid legislature?

Who represents you?

Representative Shelly Willingham 2015-2016 Session Democrat – District 23 N.C. House of Representatives 300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 501 Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 919-715-3024 [email protected]

Senator Erica Smith-Ingram 2015-2016 Session Democrat – District 3 N.C. Senate 16 W. Jones Street, Room 1118 Raleigh, NC 27601-2808 (919) 715-3040 [email protected] Information courtsey: ncleg.net

Republican Control

Republicans control all three branches of government for the first time since 1898:

• Pat McCrory, Governor
• Veto-Proof majority in the House and Senate
• A majority on the N.C. Supreme Court

N.C. House of Representatives

Test Yourself: Representation in the House

Take a few minutes and complete the below poll. Feel free to comment and leave thoughts.

House Demographics: Politics

2015-2016 Session: House

• Republicans: 74 (62%)
• Democrats: 45 (37%)
• Unaffiliated: 1 (1%)

House Demographics: Gender

2015-2016 Session: House

• Men: 94 (78%)
• Women: 26 (22%)

House Demographics: Race/Ethnicity

2015-2016 Session: House

• White: 97 (81%)
• Black: 22 (18%)
• American Indian: 1 (1%) (C. Graham)
• Latino: 0 (0%)

Latinos and School Enrollment

Trend in Pupil Membership for NC Public Schools by Race/Ethnicity, 1989-2016

N.C. Senate

Test Yourself: Representation in the Senate

Take a few minutes and complete the above poll. Feel free to comment and leave thoughts.

Senate Demographics: Politics

2015-2016 Session: Senate

• Republicans: 34 (68%)
• Democrats: 16 (32%)

Senate Demographics: Gender

2015-2016 Session: Senate

• Men: 38 (76%)
• Women: 12 (24%)

Senate Demographics: Race/Ethnicity

2015-2016 Session: Senate

• White: 39 (78%)
• American Indian: 0 (0%)
• Black: 11 (22%)
• Latino: 1 (2%) (Apodaca)

Population Demographics: Edgecombe County

Does Experience Matter?

20 Members are Serving First Elected Term in N.C. House; 13 Members are Completely New to the NCGA.

12 Members Are Serving First Elected Terms in the N.C. Senate; 6 New Members are completely New to the NCGA.

65% of the legislators (110 members) were not in the N.C. General Assembly five years ago.

How and Idea Becomes a Law

5 Steps to Student Success in the N.C. General Assembly

1. Do your homework.

2. Find a champion.

3. Visit the policymaker in person.

4. Take the legislators to see the problem.

5. Use your numbers.

Thank you

Thank you, go forth and close gaps between students, communities, and policymakers.

Exit Poll: End of Day

Please use the below scale to provide feedback on your experience
Using a scale of 1-5
1: Strongly disagree
2: Disagree
3: Neutral
4: Agree
5: Strongly agree