The head of North Carolina's state Senate, Phil Berger, says he's looking forward to beginning this year's six-week legislative session.
What's known as the short session is intended primarily to make budget adjustments to the state's two-year budget cycle. Berger says that is the main focus of the session, which starts next Wednesday.
"This session we intend to continue the work that we've engaged in over the past three years and we intend to pursue further those policies that have proved successful over the past three years," says Berger.
Berger says those include regulatory reform, tort reform and adopting an energy policy promoting natural gas drilling.
He says teacher and state employee raises are a big priority, as well as measures to make sure Duke Energy cleans up the coal ash spill and prevent other future incidents.
