RALEIGH -- Phil Berger, the Republican Senate Pro Tem in North Carolina, addressed the media, setting the menu for the legislative short session beginning later this month. One topic that will draw the attention of lawmakers is coal ash. Berger laid out a very straight forward goal for the by-product of energy production.

Berger said, "The bottom line is that..we need to have a solution that ensures that coal ash is not going to be a potential problem for our drinking water supplies."

Berger said how we get to that resolution is where opinions will begin to differ. In February, toxic sludge leaked into the Dan River in Eden after a malfunction at a Duke Energy Plant.

Berger added the topics up for discussion included teacher pay, fracking in the state, and with medicaid.