2009 Legislative Action for Children 

The 2009 Long Session closed on Tuesday, August 11, 2009.
The NC General Assembly will reconvene on May 12, 2010.

Did you know? Over 2,700 bills were entered during the 2009 long session. Of those, 577 (22%) became law.

Resources for the 2009 Long Session:

• Session Wrap-up: Action for Children's 2009 Legislative Agenda End of Session Summary and 2009 Final Budget Analysis

In good times and bad, schools, doctors, families, and a patchwork array of community and government services form a quilt to cover our children’s needs. When stitched together, these pieces create a community that can nurture children’s social, emotional, cognitive and physical development. Where patches of the community are lacking or unraveling, our children’s needs go unmet. Action for Children North Carolina's legislative agenda offers public policy changes that sew in some of the missing and frayed patches in order to strengthen North Carolina’s community quilt just when children and families most need the help – during an economic downturn.

Click here to download Action for Children's 2009 Legislative Agenda.

N.C. Child Advocate: Send Stories on Impacts of Medicaid and Mental Health Cuts (12/11/09)
N.C. Child Advocate:Health Reform Update & Community Forums Coming Soon (11/13/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Health Reform Moves Forward & Raise the Age Task Force Meets (10/30/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: State and Federal Updates (10/12/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Health Reform Resources and Upcoming N.C. Events (9/18/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Health Reform Rallies and New Publications (9/4/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Session Wrap-Up & Health Insurance Reform Resources (8/21/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Budget Passes! End of Session Summary (8/7/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Proposed Final Budget Released (8/4/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Budget Deal Near? (7/31/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Raise the Age Vote Delayed (7/24/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Calls Needed on Raise the Age (7/17/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Calls Needed on Raise the Age and Revenue (7/10/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Action Needed on State Budget & Federal Health Care Reform (7/2/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Budget Inches Forward and Bills Pass (6/26/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Work Begins on Compromise Budget (6/19/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: House Revenue Plan and Monday Rally for Children! (6/12/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Budget Devastates Children's Services & Education in Focus (6/5/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: House Subcommittees Release Proposed Budgets (5/29/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Celebrating Julius Chambers, House Budget Targets & Child Safety (5/22/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Crossover Deadline and Juvenile Justice (5/15/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Budget Hole Worsens and Crossover Deadline Approaches (5/8/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Revenue Update, Senate Finance Plan & Federal Budget Passes (5/1/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Senate Revenue Plan, More at Four and Health in Focus (4/24/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Juvenile Justice Update & Key Bills Moving (4/17/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Senate Budget Passes (4/10/09)
N.C. Child Advocate Mid-Week Update: Senate Budget (4/7/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Umemployment Rates, Health Forum and more (4/3/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Financial Literacy, Budget Updates and Call for Stories (3/27/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Governor's Budget & Call for Budget Cut Impact Stories (3/20/09)
N.C. Child Advocate Mid-Week Update: Governor's Budget (3/19/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: New Budget Report and More Budget Cuts (3/13/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Deeper Cuts, Bills Filed and President's Budget (3/6/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Education, Economic Security and Stimulus (2/20/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: House Committees, Juvenile Justice Forums and Stimulus (2/13/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: State Budget, Federal Stimulus and Medicaid Appeals (2/6/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: SCHIP Passes, State Budget Cuts and Mental Health (1/30/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: State Revenue Outlook, 2009 Agenda for Children and SCHIP Alert (1/23/09)
N.C. Child Advocate: Perdue Appointments, Economic Stimulus and SCHIP Reauthorization (1/9/09)

Action Alert: Sign on to Raise the Age Statement of Principles (11/17/09)

Action Alert: Send a Quick Email on Raise the Age! (7/20/09)

Action Alert: Raise the Age Contacts Needed THIS WEEKEND! (7/17/09)

Action Alert: Contact Leaders on Health Insurance and Juvenile Justice! (7/7/09) 

Action Alert: Child & Family Lobby Day -- Wednesday, June 24th (6/17/09) 

Action Alert: Call Senators on Parents' Right to Prevent Corporal Punishment (6/15/09)

Action Alert: Act Today to Protect Children! (6/9/09)

Action Alert: Act Now to Preserve Juvenile Justice Programs! (6/4/09)

Action Alert: Children's Programs Eliminated! Act Now! (5/29/09) 

Action Alert: Support Federal Juvenile Justice Improvements (5/22/09)

Action Alert: Step Up and Act for Children 2009 (5/19/09) 

Action Alert: Establish an N.C. Financial Literacy Council (5/6/09)

Action Alert: Voter Pre-Registration for 16- and 17-year-olds (5/5/09)

Press Event TOMORROW: Raise the Age of Juvenile Court Jurisdiction (5/4/09)

Action Alert: Paid Sick Days Bill Needs Your Help! (4/29/09)

Action Alert: Public Hearing on Senate Budget on Tuesday Evening (4/24/09)

Action Alert: Attend Financial Literacy Month Kick-off at Legislature TOMORROW (3/30/09)

Action Alert: Support Financial Education (3/23/09)

Action Alert: EITC Awareness Day (1/29/09) 

During its 2007 legislative session, the NC General Assembly did a great deal to improve the lives of North Carolina’s children and their families.  The session is notable for expanding affordable health insurance to more uninsured children, creating new higher-education scholarships for foster-youth and low-income students and for creating a new state earned income tax credit.  The session was weak on protecting children from abuse, but more can be done next year.

Action for Children thanks all its supporters for helping make this year's legislative session a success!

State Policy Resources 

Visit our North Carolina Child Advocates page for more information on organizations working to improve policies affecting children and families at the state or regional level, as well as those with local chapters.