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RALEIGH A bill has been filed in the State House that would compensate victims of North Carolina's former eugenics program.

Up until the 1970's, victims of the program were forcibly sterilized and some state leaders believe that the state should offer a monetary reimbursement to the victims. A bill offering $50,000 per victim was approved by the House last year but died in the Senate.

On the opening day of the 2013 legislative session House leaders put in a bill to make another attempt at this proposal.

We believe we can convince the senators that it is a good idea. We are not facing a huge budget crunch this year, like we were last year, $3 billion dollar deficit. This needs to be done. This needs to be done sooner rather than later and might as well do it in 2013, said Rep. Paul Stam

If the bill were approved by the full General Assembly, it would make North Carolina the first state to compensate eugenics victims.

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Bill filed in State House to compensate victims of eugenics program