Pardon Our Dust
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After a week of long days and late nights, the legislature has met theirself-imposed crossover deadline wherein bills that do not have a financialimpact must cross from one chamber to another to remain eligible. While thelegislature focused on crossover, Gov. Cooper made an appointment to asurprise vacancy on the Court of Appeals before the legislature overrodetwo vetoes from last week.
House and Senate Tackle Crossover Deadline
This week marked the final day of bill filing for the legislature for thelong session. The Senate’s final bill filing deadline passed on April 4 th, and the House’s passed this Tuesday. Between the twochambers, 1,594 bills have been filed since the long session began in lateJanuary.
Of the 919 bills filed in the House, 332 bills have been sent to theSenate, and 118 of the 675 bills filed in the Senate have been sent to theHouse. Additionally, bills with a fiscal impact, including a fee,appropriation or criminal penalty are not subject to crossover. A ruleadopted earlier in this in the Senate week also excluded amendments to theNC Constitution, statutory amendments necessary to implement proposed NCConstitutional amendments, and those ratifying an amendment or amendmentsto the US Constitution from this deadline.
Bills that did not make it past the crossover deadline may still pop up inthe form of committee substitutes, as it is the bill number, not thecontent of the bill, is subject to the deadline. This provides legislatorswith a way to gut and replace bills. As the end of the fiscal yearapproaches, the General Assembly now turns its attention to finalizingtheir budget proposals.
Here’s a quick look at some of the bills that have made it from one chamberto another:
Agriculture, Energy & Environment
HB 56: Amend Environmental Laws
HB 218: Prohibit Hunting from Right of Ways/ Buncombe County
HB 500: Alcoholic Beverage Control Omnibus Legislation
HB 576: Allow Aerosolization of Leachate
SB 434: Amend Environmental Laws 2
Business Regulations
HB 35: Protect North Carolina Workers Act
SB 145: Government Immigration Compliance
SB 375: Limit Payroll Deduct./ Wage Withhold
SB 407: Employee Misclassification Reform
SB 470: Personal Injury Bankruptcy Trust Claims
Constitutional Amendments
HB 105: Const. Amendment-Limit Governor/LG to 2 Terms
HB 148: Amend NC Constitution-Literacy Requirement
HB 551: Strengthening Victims’ Rights
HB 819: Protect NC Right to Work Constitutional Amendment
Courts
HB 160: Forfeiture of Retirement Benefits/Judges
HB 335: Vacancies/NC Supt. Ct/ Ct of App/Superior Ct/DAs
Education
HB 285: Suicide Prevention/ Awareness School Personnel
HB 514: Permit Municipal Charter School/Certain Towns
HB 527: Restore/Preserve Campus Free Speech
HB 681: Teacher Licensure/ Military Spouses
HB 704: Divide School Systems/ Study Committee
HB 751: Career and College Ready/ High School Grads.
HB 779: Charter School Changes
HB 800: Various Changes to Charter School Laws
HB 806: Student Notice/ Charter School Closure/ Restr.
HB 826: Modify Low-Performing School Definition
HB 849: Restore Longitudinal Data System Board
SB 343: Increase Teacher Supplement/Electronic Notice.
SB 448: Professors in the Classroom
SB 531: School Boards Can’t Sue Counties
Elections
HB 496: Fair and Nonpartisan Ballot Placement
HB 659: Filling Vacancies/U.S. Senate
SJR 36: Convention of the States
SB 285: Equal Representation for Asheville
SB 655: Change Date When Primary Elections Held
SB 656: Electoral Freedom Act of 2017
Finance & Tax
HB 406: Repeal Orange County Impact Fees
SB 126: Change the LOST Adjustment Factor
SB 660: Economic Development Incentives Modifications
SB 325: Billion Dollar Middle Class Tax Cut
Health Care
HB 36: NC IOM Study of Eye Care Access
HB 164: Check-Off Donation: Cancer Screening
HB 187: Modernize Physical Therapy Practice
HB 243: Strengthen Opioid Misuse Prevention (STOP) Act
HB 250: Body Art Regulation Changes
HB 277: Expand Rx Drug Abuse Advisory Committee
HB 283: DHHS Recommended Telemedicine Policy
HB 285: Suicide Prevention/Awareness School Personnel
HB 466/SB 384: The Pharmacy Patient Fair Practices Act
HB 657: Improve Adult Care Home Regulation
Justice & Public Safety
HB 37: Protect Law Enforcement Officers
HB 113: Pvt Action Local Government Compliance/Immigration Laws
HB 330: Civil Procedure/ Qualified Immunity for Auto Accident
HB 571: Automatic Expunction/Wrongful Conviction
HB 597: Willful Injury of Person/Trap in Public Park
HB 630: Rylan’s Law/ CPS Observation
HB 797: Changes to Current BWC Law
SB 145: Government Immigration Compliance
SB 224: Include B/E With Intent to Terrorize in HB/E
SB 299: Habitual Impaired Driving/10-Year Period.
SB 561: Expunction-Charges Dismissed/Not-Guilty
SB 600: Britny’s Law: IPV Homicide
Transportation
HB 11/SB 160: Handicap Parking Privilege Certification
HB 21: Driver Instruction/ Law Enforcement Stops
HB 242: License Plate Reader Systems in State Rights-Of-Way
HB 469: Regulation of Fully Autonomous Vehicles
HB 528: Traffic Impact Analysis Time Frame
HB 802: Exempt Motorcoach Manufacturer and Distributor
SB 182: Prohibit Use of Light Bars on Motor Vehicles
Governor’s Desk
Several bills were sent to or signed by the Governor this week:
Signed by the Governor:
HB 5: Unemployment Insurance Technical Changes
HB 13: Class Size Requirement Changes.
Sent to the Governor:
HB 467: Agriculture and Forestry Nuisance Remedies
SB 131: Regulatory Reform Act of 2016-2017
Judicial Appointment
Gov. Cooper appointed John Arrowood, a Democrat, to the Court of Appeals onMonday. Arrowood, an attorney from Charlotte was previously appointed tothe Court of Appeals bench in 2007 by Governor Mike Easley. Arrowood losthis bid for reelection in 2008. He also unsuccessfully ran for a seat onthe Court in 2014. The appointment came as the result of the surpriseresignation of Judge Doug McCullough, a Republican, 36 days before hiscompulsory retirement date. In his resignation statement, Judge McCulloughcited his opposition toHB 239: Reduce Court of Appeals to 12 Judges, which became law after the General Assembly overrode the Governor’s veto.
Vetoes Overridden
This week the legislature overrode the twovetoesissued by Gov. Roy Cooper last Friday.SB 68: Bipartisan Bd of Elections and Ethics EnforceandHB 239: Reduce Court of Appeals to 12 Judges, both passed the legislature primarily by party lines earlier this month,both under the threat of a veto from the Governor. Upon arriving at theGovernor’s desk, vetoes were issued, and both bills were sent back to thelegislature for reconsideration. To override a veto, a bill requires theapproval of three-fifths of members present in each chamber. Withveto-proof majorities in both chambers, the GOP was able to override thevetoes and both SB 68 and HB 239 have become law.