Big changes are ahead for education in the state. Republicans have promised to raise or remove the limit on charter schools. Legislative leaders are interested in merit pay for teachers.
Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina wants the legislature to approve state tuition tax credits for parents who send their children to private schools.
"It's a paradigm shift we need to embrace in the 21st century," said Darrell Allison, the group's president.
Incoming House Majority Leader Paul Stam of Apex filed two bills for tax credits in the past two years, one focused on special needs children and the other a boarder measure that would allow a $1,250 credit per semester for parents who meet income guidelines.
The taxable income limit for a couple filing jointly would have been $100,000.
The legislative Fiscal Research Division estimated that, if about 11,500 tax credits were granted, the state would save about $28.8 million a year in the first year because the cost of the credit is less than the state's cost to educate each child.
Stam said he expects someone will propose tuition tax credits again next session, and he gives the bill a good chance to pass.
"I'm right optimistic," he said.
Allison lays out an option for refundable tax credits up to $4,000 a year for parents who send their children to independent private or religious schools.
"When you look at tax credit programs, they generated significant savings," he said.
Tax credit and voucher programs are controversial in the cities and states that use them. There's a debate over whether the children who attend private schools using tax credits do better on standardized tests than students in public schools.
If tax credits get any traction, Stam has a PowerPoint presentation ready.
Poll: Voters want tax cuts
North Carolina voters support cutting taxes to promote job growth even if means greater cuts in government, according to a new survey.
The poll - conducted for the Civitas Institute, a Raleigh-based conservative think tank - found that 77 percent of voters said they would support cutting taxes "even it might require additional cuts in government spending in the short run."
The survey found that 19 percent opposed it.
The spin: "This is further evidence that voters view tax cuts as necessary to spur job creation and to getting the economy on track," said Francis De Luca, president of the Civitas Institute.
The survey comes a month before the new Republican legislature takes office amid talk of possible tax cuts to spur job growth.
The poll of 600 North Carolina voters was conducted Dec. 15 and 16 by Public Opinion Strategies of Alexandria, Va., and had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Highway Patrol promotions
Three longtime members of the state Highway Patrol have been promoted to senior leadership positions.
Lt. Col. Wellington R. Scott will serve as the patrol's deputy commander, making him the agency's second in command. He takes the position vacated when Col. Mike Gilchrist was sworn in as the patrol's commander earlier this month.
As deputy commander, Scott will oversee the management of administrative services section, Office of Professional Standards, training section, and support services section.
He has served with the Highway Patrol since 1985, most recently as the lieutenant colonel responsible for overseeing field operations for the agency's 1,800 troopers.
Maj. Gary L. Bell has been promoted to lieutenant colonel, filling the position vacated by Scott. Bell joined the Highway Patrol in 1986 and was most recently charged with overseeing the professional standards section.
That section, which includes the Internal Affairs Unit, will now be headed by Maj. Jennifer Harris.
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Democratic National Convention organizers released a video Tuesday marking the 100-day countdown from when President Barack Obama gives his acceptance speech at Bank of America Stadium. 
The $20.3 billion budget differs greatly from Gov. Perdue’s, and House Democrats say it doesn’t do enough for schools. 
The wait for a decision prompts questions about whether the jury’s eight men and four women are divided or simply being methodical. Keep up with the latest political stories with our free daily e-mail newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox!
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