Stateline.

• Position: North Carolina's School Violence Prevention Act of 2012 - Bill raising minimum-wage in New Jersey - Bill to disclose on privacy notices of health care providers in South Carolina

1 TEACHER PROTECTION

Students who bully teachers online are committing a crime under North Carolina's School Violence Prevention Act of 2012. The law--which adds to a 2009 law protecting students makes it a misdemeanor for students to post items online "with the intent to intimidate or torment a school employee." The law is believed to be the first in the country to make student-on-teacher cyberbulling a crime. "Certainly if you put something in print that could damage the reputation and character of a teacher then there should be some sort of penalty," the bill's sponsor, Senator Tommy Tucker (R), told The News & Observer. Critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina, are concerned the law is unclear on what constitutes cyberbullying or intimidation, and that it could stifle free speech.

2 PAY RAISE

Minimum-wage workers in New Jersey are scheduled to get a raise under legislation sponsored by Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D), but lawmakers expected Governor Chris Christie (R) to veto it. The wrinkle is that the bill not only raises the hourly minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.50, it includes annual cost-of-living increases, which the governor said he might not support. If the bill is vetoed, the Democratic-led Legislature plans to put the wage increase on the ballot in November. If it passes, at $8.50, New Jersey's minimum wage would be the nation's third highest, behind Washington at $9.19, and Oregon at $8.95. New Jersey is currently among 22 states that match the federal minimum wage of $7.25. At least half the states considered raising their minimum wages in 2012, and 10 states did so (Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington).

3 BEWARE OF HACKERS

"For $25,000, we wouldn't be here," South Carolina Senator Kevin Bryant (R) said after learning a dual password system costing that much might have prevented hackers from stealing tax data. The state Department of Revenue breach, which affected nearly 6.5 million people and businesses, is believed to be the largest hacking incident at a state agency. After the breach, the department installed a dual password system--required by the Internal Revenue service for state agencies that access federal tax records remotely. Meanwhile in Utah, in response to a hacking incident last year, Senator Stuart Reid (R) introduced a bill that would require health care providers to disclose on privacy notices how they share...