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There were several headliner bills passed in the N.C. General Assembly last week — including a controversial, statewide smoking ban for public and work places, ratified by the House (HB 2) and Senate (SB 205); the North Carolina Racial Justice Act (SB 461) to provide for ”fair and reliable” imposition of the death sentence, passed by the Senate; and the Healthy Youth Act (HB 88), establishing the option (at the request of parent/guardian) of comprehensive sexuality education in local schools beginning in the seventh grade, passed in the House.
But a large number of other bills, with far less notice, slipped under the crossover wire by May 14, making them eligible for further action or passage this session. Cancer Patient Assistance (HB 1020), passed in the House, would direct the Division of Public Health in the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a “cancer patient navigation program” to assist cancer patients — initially through the Breast and Cervical Cancer Control program, but with the intent of future expansion to other cancer types. The Senate passed Small Business Assistance (SB 982) to establish jobs-preservation fund and related programs for small businesses. A bill strengthening domestic-violence protection orders passed in the Senate (SB 1062) and the House (HB 881) on May 14, amending current law to add provisions for the care, custody and control of any animal owned or kept as a pet in a domestic-violence household, and for the inclusion of cruel treatment or abuse of such animals as a part of restraining orders.
With the crossover deadline passed, the following is a compilation of legislation for which WNC legislators were primary sponsors in this session, along with their successes in moving the legislation forward in their own houses by the crossover deadline. (Each legislator also served as co-sponsor for a larger number and variety of bills. This primary-sponsorship tally is based on information available at the General Assembly Web site on May 17.)
N.C. HOUSE
Rep. Susan Fisher, Buncombe County; primary sponsor, 58 bills — 7 passed:
• HB 88, Healthy Youth Act
• HB 348, Modify Education Requirement/School Board Members
• HB 649, Tax Info Disclosure to State Treasurer
• HB 1114, Living Will Indication on Drivers License
• HB 1353, No Ordinances/Deeds May Stop Clotheslines
• HB 1387, Solar Collectors on Residential Properties
• HB 1388, Brownfields Property Notifications
Rep. Phillip Frye, Avery/Caldwell/Mitchell/Yancey counties; primary sponsor, 12 bills — 3 passed:
• HB 128, Authorize Grandfather Mountain as State Park (ratified)
• HB 722, Paraphernalia Control Act
• HB 1098, Kill Search and Rescue Animal
Rep. Bruce Goforth, Buncombe County; primary sponsor, 65 bills — 6 passed:
• HB 1031, Building Standards/Pre-K Classes in Public Schools
• HB 1035, UNC Performance & Payment Bond Modification
• HB 1159, Insurance Licensing Changes
• HB 1313, Regulate Public Adjusters
• HB 1317, Sex Ofrfender Registry Changes
• HB 1490, Extend Permits Regarding Land Development
Rep. David Guice, Henderson/Polk/Transylvania counties; primary sponsor, 12 bills — 3 passed:
• HB 97, Active Duty Hunting/Fishing License Exemption (presented to Gov.)
• HB 557, Future Volunteer Firefighters Act (enacted)
• HB 859, Amend Conditions of Probation
Rep. Phillip Haire, Haywood/Jackson/Macon/Swain counties; primary sponsor, 44 bills — 2 passed:
• HB 637, Honor Horace Kephart/Great Smoky Mountains (resolution adopted)
• HB 1504, Transfer NC Center for the Advancement of Teaching to State Board of Education
Rep. Carolyn Justus, Henderson County; primary sponsor of 16 bills — 3 passed in the House:
• HB 1094, Require Documentation - Certain Special Plates
• HB 1342, RVAP/Ensure Grant Eligibility
• HB 1410, Building Code Exclusion/Hot Water Heaters
Rep. Ray Rapp, Haywood/Madison/Yancey counties; primary sponsor, 68 bills — 4 passed:
• HB 116, Railroad Corridor Management
• HB 593, Change School Starting Date
• HB 633, Yancey Commissioners Election
• HB 1083, Extend State Vet’s Animal Disease Authority
Rep. Roger West, Cherokee/Clay/Graham/Macon counties; primary sponsor, 14 bills — 3 passed:
• HB 136, DOT/Fiber-Optic Cable
• HB 385, Public School Activity Bus Use/Stecoah Valley Center
• HB 946, Bear Paw Serice District/ Motor Vehicles Law;s.
Rep. Jane Whilden, Buncombe County; primary sponsor, 16 bills — 1 passed:
• HB 1114, Living Will Indication on Drivers License
N.C. SENATE
Sen. Tom Apodaca, Buncombe/Henderson/Polk/Transylvania counties; primary sponsor, 13 bills — 0 passed.
Sen. Doug Berger, Franklin/Granville/Vance/Warren counties; primary sponsor, 25 bills — 2 passed:
• SB 262, Expunctions/Purge Online Databases
• SB 928, The Castle Doctrine.
Sen. Steve Goss, Alexander/Ashe/Watauga/Wilkes counties; primary sponsor, 25 bills — 4 passed:
• SB 18, Amend Cemetery Act
• SB 93, Dare/Watauga Commissioners Vacancy (enacted)
• SB 341, Appalachian Mountains Preservation Act
• SB 649, Modify Speed Zone Restrictions
• SB 1098, Honor Wade Edward Brown Resolution (adopted)
Sen. Martin Nesbitt Jr., Buncombe County; primary sponsor, 28 bills — 4 passed:
• SB 556, Asheville City Civil Service Board
• SB 954, Protections from Abusive Debt Buyers
• SB 958, Disciplinary Proceedings/NC Medical Board
• SB 962, Probationary Teacher Appeals,
Sen. Joe Sam Queen, Avery/Haywoo/d/Madison/McDowell/Mitchell/Yancey counties; primary sponsor, 11 bills — 1 passed:
• SB 89, Authorize Grandfather Mountian as State Park (adopted and signed by governor)
Sen. John Snow , Cherokee/Clay/Graham/Haywood/Jackson/Macon/Swain/Transylvania counties; primary sponsor, 54 bills — 2 passed:
• SB 583, Tuitions Reciprocity/Community Colleges
• SB 1089, Low-Risk Probationers May Be Unsupervised
http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/members/viewMember.pl?sChamber=S&nUserID=135
— Nelda Holder, associate editor
Editor’s note: The shad boat, a small sailing craft developed on Roanoke Island and named for the fish it was used to catch, was adopted as the official State Historical Boat by the General Assembly in 1987. The boat’s shallow-draft design made it suitable for the coast’s shallow sounds, where the weather changed rapidly. Constructed of native timber, production ended in the 1930s, but a few nearly 100-year-old craft remain in use around Manteo and Hatteras.
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none of the environmental bills made it out on the floor. One of these bills would let you know where they were spreading sewage sludge… would it not be nice to know what kind of crap is fertilizing your food stuff. |
Don Yelton May 18, 2009 |
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Note that the version of the Racial Justice Act passed by the Senate contains an amendment that will end the defacto moratorium on executions. If the House passes the same version, we are apt to see monthly executions on into the future, making us the Texas of the East. The death penalty is so randomly assigned, and convictions are now so often overturned due to DNA evidence or proof of prosecutorial misconduct and police fabrication, that execution is neither fair nor impartially assigned. In addition, execution costs the state far more than life imprisonment, and given a 20 percent reduction in the state budget, eliminating the death penalty should be a no-brainer. |
Cecil Bothwell May 19, 2009 |
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Is there an easily accessible list of the bills that did not make the crossover? Specifically I’m looking for HB 920, if anyone has info. |
 May 19, 2009 at |
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HB 920 (Motorcycles - No Passengers Under Age 16) never was passed by the House, and a bill (except certain $$$$ bills) does not meet the crossover requirement unless passed by the House or the Senate in time for the deadline (now passed). So in essence, that bill is dead for this year. The General Assembly Web site is very helpful in tracking bills. Go to http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/homePage.pl, and over on the righthand side you can enter the bill number, if you know it, or enter the subject for a search. |
May 20, 2009 |
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Thanks Nelda. I’ve navigated the site before, but I couldn’t figure out if it had passed the House or not. |
May 20, 2009 at |
