The budget conference committee was just appointed, so we finally have an opportunity to let our voices be heard about Section 15.1.6(b) of the budget bill. This provision would dramatically change the terms of Deputy Commissioners who hear workers’ compensation cases at the Industrial Commission. The Senate budget provides for four year terms for deputy commissioners with a limit of two terms. The House budget provides for eight year terms without term limitations. Both bills would allow for the discharge of every sitting deputy commissioner within eighteen months, with the least senior going first. Both bills would remove deputy commissioners from the protections of the State Personnel Act. This means every single workers’ compensation judge could be fired for no reason at all and replaced by an anti-worker, pro-business judge. The budget conference committee will decide what will become law.
Below is a list of the committee members with party affiliation, hometown and county, phone number and email. Please contact them and tell them you oppose Section 15.1.6(b) of the budget bill.
2014 Budget Conference Committee House
Rep. Nelson Dollar, Chair (R) Cary/Wake; 919-233-8399;
Rep. Linda P. Johnson, Chair (R) Kannapolis/Cabarrus; 919-733-5861;
Rep. Bryan R. Holloway, Chair (R) King/Rockingham/Stokes; 919-733-5609;
Rep. Justin P. Burr, Chair (R) Albemarle/Montgomery/Stanly; 919-733-5908;
Rep. Pat McElraft (R) Emerald Isle/Carteret/Jones; 919-733-6275;
Rep. D. Craig Horn (R) Weddington/Union; 919-733-2406;
Rep. Chuck McGrady (R) Hendersonville/Henderson;919-733-5956;
Rep. Hugh Blackwell(R) Valdese/Burke;919-733-5805;
Rep. Marilyn Avila(R) Raleigh/Wake; 919-733-5530;
Rep. Mark W. Hollo(R) Taylorsville/Alexander,Wilkes,Yadkin;919-715-8261;
Rep. Donny Lambeth(R) Winston-Salem/Forsyth; 919-733-5747;
Rep. William D. Brisson(D) Dublin/Bladen, Johnston, Sampson; 919-733-5772;
Rep. Roger West(R) Marble/Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Macon; 919-733-5859;
Rep. Tom Murry(R) Morrisville/Wake; 919-733-5602;
Rep. N. Leo Daughtry(R) Smithfield/Johnston; 919-733-5605;
Rep. James L. Boles, Jr.(R) Southern Pines/ Moore; 919-733-5903;
Rep. John Faircloth(R) High Point/Guilford; 919-733-5877;
Rep. Pat B. Hurley(R) Asheboro/Randolph; 919-733-5865;
Rep. George G. Cleveland(R) Jacksonville/Onslow; 919-715-6707;
Rep. Rayne Brown(R) Lexington/Davidson; 919-715-0873;
Rep. John A. Torbett(R) Stanely/Gaston; 919-733-5868;
Rep. Phil Shepard(R) Jacksonville/Onslow; 919-715-9644;
Rep. Jason Saine(R) Lincolnton/Lincoln; 919-733-5782;
Rep. David R. Lewis(R) Dunn/Harnett; 919-715-3015;
Rep. Tim Moore(R) Kings Mountain/Cleveland; 919-733-4838;
Senate
Sen. Harry Brown, Chair(R) Jacksonville/jones,Onslow; (919) 715-3034;
Sen. Tom Apodaca(R) Hendersonville/Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania; (919) 733-5745;
Sen. Phil Berger(R) Eden/Guilford, Rockingham; (919) 733-5708;
Sen. Andrew C. Brock(R) Davie, Iredell, Rowan; (919) 715-0690;
Sen. Kathy Harrington(R) Gastonia/Gaston; (919) 733-5734;
Sen. Ralph Hise(R) Spruce Pine/Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Yancey; (919) 733-3460;
Sen. Neal Hunt(R) Raleigh/Wake; (919) 733-5850;
Sen. Brent Jackson(R) Autryville/ Duplin, Johnston, Sampson; (919) 733-5705;
Sen. Wesley Meredith(R) Fayetteville/Cumberland; (919) 733-5776;
Sen. Louis Pate(R) Mount Olive/ Lenoir, Pitt, Wayne; (919) 733-5621;
Sen. Bill Rabon(R) Southport/Bladen, Brunswick, New Hanover, Pender; (919) 733-5963;
Sen. Shirley B. Randleman(R) Wilkesboro/Stokes, Surry, Wilkes; (919) 733-5743;
Sen. Bob Rucho(R) Mecklenburg; (919) 733-5655;
Sen. Dan Soucek(R) Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Watauga; (919) 733-5742;
Sen. Jerry W. Tillman(R) Archdale/Moore, Randolph; (919) 733-5870;
Sen. Tommy Tucker(R) Waxhaw/Union; (919) 733-7659;
About the Author
Robert C. Younce, JR
Robert C. Younce is an attorney at Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A. and concentrates his law practice on personal injury and workers’ compensation law. He has tried over 100 workers’ comp cases to Opinion and Award and about a dozen personal injury jury trials to verdict. He has been board-certified by the North Carolina State Bar as a specialist in workers’ compensation law since 2001.
