Lumbee bill heads to Senate with N.C. support

The Lumbee tribe of Robeson County took another step toward full federal recognition Wednesday when the Senate Indian Affairs Committee passed, on a voice vote, a bill to help the tribe.

Sen. Elizabeth Dole, a Salisbury Republican, sponsored the bill. It would allow the Lumbees to receive millions of dollars in federal assistance for housing, health care and education.

The Lumbees, based in Pembroke near the South Carolina line, have been seeking recognition for decades. The American Indian tribe is considered the largest east of the Mississippi, with about 50,000 members.

But some other tribes, including the Eastern Band of the Cherokee, oppose recognition of the Lumbees. They dispute the Lumbees' heritage and fear the tribe could take limited federal dollars.

"The Lumbees have patiently waited for more than a century for full federal recognition and the benefits that accompany that recognition," Dole said in a statement. "I commend the Indian Affairs Committee for understanding that this is an issue of fairness and approving this legislation."

Sen. Richard Burr, who is on the committee, is among the bill's supporters.

"This is an issue of fairness," said Burr, a Winston-Salem Republican.

The bill now goes to the Senate, though its chances are unknown.

Senate procedures allow such a bill to be blocked by any senator. The Lumbee bill passed the Senate committee last Congress but was opposed by senators with strong tribal constituencies opposed to Lumbee recognition.

"Senator Dole recognizes there are some members who have concerns about the bill, and she'll reach out to members to see if their concerns can be addressed," said Katie Norman, Dole's spokeswoman.

Students' reading improves

State education leaders usually know by this time of year how public schools measured up to the expectations of the federal No Child Left Behind law. But new math tests in grades three through eight last year mean that results won't be out until October.

On Wednesday, members of the State Board of Education got an early, encouraging glimpse of how schools performed, at least on the state's reading tests.

The percentage of students scoring "proficient" or better was up in all elementary and middle grades except eighth grade. The biggest increases were in fourth grade, from 83.5 percent in 2004-05 to 85.4 percent last school year, and seventh grade, from 86.2 percent to 88 percent. Proficiency rates for eighth-graders slipped a bit, from 88.9 percent to 88.5 percent.

For third through eighth grades combined, the passing rate on the end-of-grade tests in reading increased from 85.7 percent in 2004-05 to 86.7 percent last year.

The percentage of students with proficient-or-better scores has increased each year since 1996-97, when the state began demanding accountability for student performance from individual schools.

Data on individual school districts and for racial and ethnic groups have not been released.

Cell-phone restriction is law

Gov. Mike Easley on Wednesday signed into law a bill that prohibits people younger than age 18 from using a cell phone while driving.

The law goes into effect Dec. 1. Law enforcement officials have said it will be difficult to enforce because it includes exemptions for talking to a parent or spouse, or calling 911 or a doctor. But Easley said the new law sets an important standard for young drivers.

"While all our motorists should avoid distractions and focus on driving safely and navigating traffic, this law is particularly important to our young drivers who are just learning the rules of the road," Easley said.