State anti-gang legislation advances

After years of wrangling, state lawmakers may be close to reaching agreement on legislation to curb gang activity.

The state Senate is expected to vote tomorrow on legislation that creates new crimes for gang activity and community-based prevention and intervention programs. The legislation cleared the Senate Rules Committee today.

The state House passed anti-gang legislation last year, and there remain differences between that and the Senate version. Rep. Mickey Michaux, a Durham Democrat and one of the lead sponsors of the House bill, said the differences will likely be resolved in a conference committee of House and Senate lawmakers.

But he was optimistic the differences would be worked out. He said key to an agreement is approval of $10 million in prevention and intervention grants that the House plans to include in its state budget proposal.

Michaux has been working on the issue for six years. "Since then, the problem has exacerbated," he said. "I think it's time to try to get a handle on this."

Gang activity has become a hot issue on the campaign trail in the wake of the deaths of two college students in the Triangle. Eve Carson, UNC-Chapel Hill's student body president, and Duke University graduate student Abhijit Mahato were both shot dead earlier this year. Though arrests have been made, authorities have not said whether the deaths were gang related.

Gubernatorial candidates Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue, a Democrat, and Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, a Republican, both sought to take some credit on the issue. Perdue's chief of staff, Don Hobart, was offered the podium at the committee meeting to announce that she fully supports the Senate legislation, calling it one of her "top priorities."

After the meeting, McCrory made an appearance at the legislature and suggested to reporters that lawmakers were moving quickly because of public pressure. Mayors from across the state are planning to visit the legislature on Wednesday to advocate for anti-gang legislation.

"I'm very pleased with the immediate progress that has been made suddenly overnight," McCrory said.

The Senate legislation isn't pleasing every one. One complaint is that it does not allow those convicted of gang activity the opportunity to later expunge that label if they are rehabilitated