Representative Rick Glazier Receives Legislator of the Year Award (Press Release Courtesy of NCAAHPERD)

The North Carolina Alliance for Athletics, Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (NCAAHPERD) honors award recipients at its 62nd Annual Convention.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Representative Rick Glazier will receive the Legislator of the Year Award on Friday, November 13 at NCAAHPERD’s 62nd Annual Convention in Winston-Salem. Representative Glazier has been a real champion for addressing childhood obesity and overweight issues in our state. He has introduced legislation, co-sponsor legislation, and been a vocal supporter for the need to address this most pressing health issue. Representative Glazier is in his fourth term representing Cumberland County.

NCAAHPERD hosts its annual convention to provide professionals with the opportunity to learn and grow, collaborate with colleagues, make new friendships and renew old ones. This is the second year the convention will be held at the Winston-Salem Benton Convention Center where more than 1500 teachers will participate. There will be more than 140 presentations and the opportunity to earn Continuing Education Units from Wednesday, November 11 through Saturday, November 14. NCAAHPERD membership is required to attend.

NCAAHPERD is a 501(c) (3) not for profit organization of Athletics, Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance professionals whose mission is “To provide advocacy, professional development, and unity for health, physical education, recreation, dance and athletic professionals and students in order to enhance and promote the health of North Carolinians. Our vision is to be the leading organization promoting and supporting a healthier, more creative, and active North Carolina.”

Legislative Champions Honored for Smoke-Free Efforts (Press Release courtesy of NC Alliance for Health)

Raleigh, N.C. – At today’s quarterly meeting of the NC Alliance for Health, six legislators were recognized for their commitment to smoke-free workplaces in North Carolina. Thanks to their leadership and determination, House Bill 2 (HB2/S205) was signed into law and will take effect January 2, 2010. The historic legislation will clear the air of dangerous secondhand smoke in bars and restaurants starting in January 2010.

The Alliance honored the six legislators from across the state who, from introduction of legislation until its final passage, demonstrated their commitment to improving the health of workers and citizens in North Carolina. Those leaders are: Rep. Hugh Holliman (D-Davidson); Sen. William Purcell (D-Anson, Richmond, Scotland, Stanly); Rep. Jeff Barnhart (D-Cabarrus); Rep. Rick Glazier (D-Cumberland); Rep. Wil Neumann (R-Gaston); and Rep. Jennifer Weiss (D-Wake).

“Citizens of the state and workers in restaurants and bars owe a debt of thanks to these legislative champions,” said Pam Seamans, Policy Director for the North Carolina Alliance for Health. “The North Carolina Alliance for Health is proud to honor these members of the NC General Assembly for helping to achieve what few thought was possible – a strong smoke-free law in North Carolina.”

The legislation, supported broadly by the public health community and by the state’s restaurant and hospitality association, will make all restaurants and bars smoke-free at the start of 2010. In doing so, North Carolina becomes the 26th state to enact smoke-free restaurant and bar legislation.

The dangers of secondhand smoke are well documented and accepted by nearly all creditable scientific and medical organizations, ranging from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute and the North Carolina Division of Public Health. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, secondhand smoke causes lung cancer, heart disease, serious respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis and asthma, low birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome.

The North Carolina Alliance for Health is an independent, statewide coalition of public, private, professional and nonprofit organizations advocating for obesity and tobacco use prevention policies before North Carolina’s legislative and executive branches. Alliance members and partners include the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association, NC Pediatric Society, NC Prevention Partners, Local Health Directors Association, State Employees Association of NC, March of Dimes, American Diabetes Association, the NC Health Access Coalition, the Covenant with NC’s Children, AARP, the Council of Churches, the Christian Action League and many others.

For further information about the North Carolina Alliance for Health and its policy priorities, contact Pam Seamans at (919) 949-5992 or pamseamans@nc.rr.com. You may also visit their Web site at www.ncallianceforhealth.org. Learn more about the health effects of secondhand smoke by visiting www.smokefreenc.org.

FAYETTEVILLE – Former NC Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. will speak to the students of the 2009-2010 class of Leadership Fayetteville on Government Day, Thursday, October 8^th at 11:00 am.

NC Representatives Rick Glazier, Margaret Dickson, Elmer Floyd, William Brisson, and NC Senator Larry Shaw are among the state elected officials who will also speak to the students. They will hold a Legislative Forum at 11:30 am. Thirty-one students from Terry Sanford High School Student Government Association will join the Leadership class to listen to the state officials

The class will also hear from City and County government officials and several District Court Judges. A highlight of the day is the traditional Elected Officials Luncheon held at the Arts Council.

Leadership Fayetteville, a program of the Fayetteville/Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce, is over 25 years old and has produced over 700 leadership graduates. Their mission is to educate, challenge, and motivate traditional and non-traditional leaders to utilize their skills to work towards the betterment of the Fayetteville community. For more information visit www.fayettevillencchamber.org.

The schedule is below. All Media are welcome and invited.

RALEIGH – NC State Representative Rick Glazier (D-Cumberland) has been re-appointed to serve on the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee. He will serve a 4-year term as co-Chairman of the Committee.

The Committee is responsible for all complaints against legislators over which they have jurisdiction.

Duties of the Committee include:

• Prepare a list of ethical principles and guidelines to be used by legislators and legislative employees to identify potential conflicts of interest and prohibited behavior, prepare advisory memoranda to legislators and legislative employees on specific ethical concerns, and suggest rules of conduct that shall be adhered to by legislators and legislative employees.
• Advise each General Assembly committee of specific danger areas where conflicts of interest may exist and to suggest rules of conduct that should be adhered to by committee members in order to avoid conflict.
• Advise General Assembly members or render written opinions if so requested by the member about questions of ethics or possible points of conflict and suggested standards of conduct of members upon ethical points raised.
• Review, modify, or overrule advisory opinions issued to legislators by the State Ethics Commission under G.S. 138A‑13.
• Propose rules of legislative ethics and conduct. The rules, when adopted by the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall be the standards adopted for that term.
• Upon receipt of information that a legislator owes money to the State and is delinquent in making repayment of such obligation, investigate and dispose of the matter according to the terms of this Article.
• Investigate alleged violations in accordance with G.S. 120‑103.1 and hire separate legal counsel, through the Legislative Services Commission, for these purposes.
• Perform other duties as may be necessary to accomplish the purposes of this Article.

In 2008, a House Select sub-Committee of the Legislative Ethic Committee was formed to investigate alleged misconduct and other matters included in indictments against former Representative Thomas E. Wright.

RALEIGH – NC State Representative Rick Glazier (D-Cumberland) has been appointed to serve as Vice-Chair on the Joint Legislative JOBS (Joining Our Businesses and Schools) Study Commission. The appointment was announced this week by House Speaker Joe Hackney.

During the long session of the 2009 General Assembly, Senate Bill 1069 was enacted to create a new commission which would implement educational programming tied to economic development and job creation in North Carolina’s communities.

The Joining Our Businesses and Schools (JOBS) Commission will establish innovative high schools to unite the goals of education and economic development so that students graduate ready for the jobs of the future and industry benefits from a prepared workforce.

The JOBS Commission is as the next innovation in North Carolina’s schools, setting a clear path to prepare students for the jobs in the state and its communities.  The JOBS Commission would study the establishment of early and middle colleges in the seven economic development regions that are integrated to the needs of the local economy.

The intent is to create educational programs that give students real world experiences and link them to future opportunities to join the local workforce or pursue an advanced degree.  Business and industry also gain a reliable, well-educated workforce. Included in the development of these educational programs will be a focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), disciplines that drive many of the industries in the new, technology-driven economy, as well as vocational-technical programs that match the workforce needs of each region.