Today @NCCapitol (Feb. 24): Of revenue and religious objections

Lawmakers return to work Tuesday with their busiest day of the session so far. Economic development, gas taxes, and a religious refusal bill are all on today's committee agendas.

Posted 10:00 a.m. Feb 24, 2015 — Updated 4:09 p.m. Feb 24, 2015

Mark Binker

RALEIGH, N.C. — Good morning and welcome to Today @NCCapitol for Tuesday, Feb. 24. Here's what's going on at the General Assembly and around state government.

IN THE COURTS: The state Supreme Court will hear oral arguments over the state's school voucher program. The case was delayed from last week by inclement weather. WRAL.com will carry the hearing live starting at 9:30 a.m.

EARLY BRIEFINGS: Along with a bevy of budget subcommittees at 8:30 a.m., the House Finance Committee will hear a set of briefings on economic development, income tax and the gas tax.

SPEAKING OF COMMERCE: The Senate Commerce Committee meets at 11 a.m. to hear from Commerce Secretary John Skvarla.

FLOOR SESSIONS: The state Senate has no bills on is floor calendar for Tuesday. The House meets at 2 p.m. and will take up a bill making budget fixes for the coal ash commission and the group considering changes to the state's Common Core standards. The same measure would take $100,000 from the Department of Public Instruction and transfer it to the Rules Review Commission over a legal fight between the two agencies.

THE COMMITTEE WE'RE WATCHING: The Senate Judiciary II Committee takes up a bill to allow magistrates to refuse to conduct civil marriage ceremonies due to religious objections. Although the measure is widely viewed as a reaction to the fact same-sex marriages being declared legal in the state, a magistrate would have to decline to perform all marriages.

ADVOCATES: Young Invincibles, a nonprofit coordinating a group of college students from across North Carolina, is launching a campaign to give the student member of the UNC Board of Governors a vote. The groups will hold meetings throughout the day, including a student-lawmakers summit at 10 a.m. and a news conference at 1 p.m.

HITTING THE STREETS: At noon, the House Transportation Committee takes up bills allowing for drivers to pass slow-moving vehicles in no-passing zones and defining autocycles. At 1 p.m., the House Judiciary II Committee takes up bills tightening blood-alcohol restrictions for drivers who have had drunken driving convictions.

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