The 2009 session of the General Assembly has adjourned, but not before we finished up work on a number of important matters.
Since passing our budget, we have concluded work to strengthen criminal laws, reform the state’s coastal insurance plan, improve transportation and clear the way for more efficient use of energy.
As I have shared a number of times, this has been a difficult session. The global economic crisis reached North Carolina this year and hurt our workers and businesses. The work by those of us in the General Assembly was in large part a response to this crisis, and I am happy to have supported a number of measures that create and protect jobs, help people protect their homes and ease the burdens on small business owners.
I will share more detailed information about the work of this session in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, thank you for your interest in state government and please let me know if I can be of any assistance.
Crime/Safety
Sex offenders would be prevented from driving a bus with children under a bill that has been ratified by the General Assembly (HB 1117). Under the legislation, the Division of Motor Vehicles could not issue or renew the driver’s license needed to transport children to registered sex offenders. The bill has now been presented to Gov. Perdue to be signed into law.
Taking indecent liberties with a student would be added to the list of sex offenses that require registration under the sex offender and public protection registration program under a bill that has been ratified by the General Assembly (HB 209). The bill has now been presented to Gov. Perdue to be signed into law.
The manufacture, sale, distribution, or possession of the plant Salvia Divinorum would be made unlawful under a bill that has been ratified by the General Assembly (SB 138). For a first or second offense under this section, the offender must pay a fine of at least $25. Subsequent offenses will result in a Class 3 misdemeanor. The legislation exempts researchers, nursery owners and landscapers. The bill has now been presented to Gov. Perdue to be signed into law.
The penalty for Misdemeanor Death by Motor Vehicle would be increased from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class A1 misdemeanor under a bill that has been ratified by the General Assembly (HB 889). The increased penalty will allow judges to impose a stiffer sentence, including additional jail time. The bill has now been presented to Gov. Perdue to be signed into law.
People with developmental disabilities would be allowed to testify remotely in some court proceedings under a bill that has been approved by the General Assembly (SB 984). Under the bill, the court would have to determine by clear and convincing evidence that the witness would suffer serious emotional distress from testifying in person. The bill has now been presented to Gov. Perdue to be signed into law.
Pyrotechnics safety in North Carolina would be improved under a bill that has been ratified by the General Assembly (SB 563). The legislation would establish new requirements for handing, transporting and displaying pyrotechnics. The legislation was passed in reaction to an accident that took place on Ocracoke Island on July 4 of this year, when a truck carrying fireworks exploded, killing four people. The bill has now been presented to Gov. Perdue to be signed into law.
Children in North Carolina would be further protected from cyber bullying under a bill passed by the General Assembly (HB 1261). Once enacted, the legislation would make cyber bullying a criminal offense punishable as a Class 1 Misdemeanor. The bill has now been presented to Gov. Perdue to be signed into law.
Smoking would be prohibited on the premises of correctional institutions under a bill that has been ratified by the General Assembly (SB 167). The legislation would also prohibit the possession of tobacco products or cell phones outside of a locked vehicle on the premises of correctional institutions and make it a criminal offense to provide tobacco products or cell phones to inmates. The bill has now been presented to Gov. Perdue to be signed into law.
Transportation
Both bodies of the legislature have approved a bill that would allow counties to raise more money for mass transit projects, including rail service and buses (HB 148). The legislation would allow residents of Durham, Forsyth, Guilford, Orange and Wake counties to vote on whether to increase local sales taxes by ½ cent and car registration fees by up to $2. The money would be used for public transportation. Other counties could increase sales taxes by a ¼ cent for such projects. The legislation is based on a plan Mecklenburg County used to finance its new downtown rail line. The bill has now been presented to Gov. Perdue to be signed into law.
The Division of Motor Vehicles would be allowed to waive the commercial motor vehicles skills test for qualified military personnel who have operated similar vehicles for at least two years prior to applying to the state and have completed a similar skills test administered by the military (SB 423). The bill has now been presented to Gov. Perdue to be signed into law.
Insurance
State lawmakers have ratified legislation that improves the state’s Coastal Property Insurance Pool, presently known as the Beach Plan (HB 1305). Among other things, the bill would decrease the maximum coverage limit per home from $1.5 million to $750,000 and caps the amount of money that private insurance companies who participate in the plan are liable for at $1 billion. Homeowners outside of the 18 coastal counties that participate in plan could be asked to pay up to 10 percent more a year only if storm damage in a season exceeded $2.4 billion. The most the plan has ever paid out in claims in a previous year is $150 million. The bill has now been presented to Gov. Perdue to be signed into law.
Counties interested in establishing health insurance pilot demonstration projects to provide a model for affordable employer-based health insurance would be authorized to do so under a bill that has been ratified by the General Assembly and sent to the governor to be signed into law (HB 212).
Energy
The sunset for the credit for investing in renewable energy equipment would be extended under a bill that has been ratified by the General Assembly (HB 512). The credit was originally set to sunset on January 1, 2011, but under this legislation it would be extended to January 1, 2016. The intent of the credit is to offer an incentive to encourage property owners to invest in renewable energy equipment in North Carolina. The bill has now been presented to Gov. Perdue to be signed into law.
State lawmakers have ratified legislation that would promote voluntary, year-round conservation and water use efficiency measures by commercial car washes (HB 1236). The bill has now been presented to Gov. Perdue to be signed into law.
Notes
Members of the General Assembly officially honored the life and memory of Eugene Burns Turner with a House Joint Resolution (HJR 1657). Eugene Burns Turner was one of Robeson County’s most influential leaders, providing excellent service to all while serving on the Robeson County Board of Commissioners for 12 years and the Lumberton City Council for nearly 30 years, during which time he served as Mayor Pro Tempore. Eugene Burns Turner served as Vice-Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, as President of the North Carolina League of Municipalities, and as a member of the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina. He died last October at the age of 84.
Meetings/Events
I plan to attend the following meetings/events:
Please invite me to attend your county, city, community or civic, etc. meetings or events.
As I’ve said many times before, I hope you will continue to let me know how you feel about the issues that are being debated by the North Carolina Legislature and the challenges you and your family are facing each day.
By working together, we can make Northampton, Vance and Warren Counties and all regions of North Carolina a better place to live, work and raise a family.
Please remember that you can use the General Assembly’s website to look up bills, view lawmaker biographies and access other information. The site also contains detailed information about the state budget and legislative schedules.