The short session of the General Assembly reconvenes next Wednesday, and I am excited to return to Raleigh on your behalf. My focus while we are in session will be finding more and better ways to help retain and attract jobs for our state and to continue being good stewards of public money. There will also be other subject areas that we will address, of course, including continued ethics reform, health care improvements and education.
The following information highlights just some of the bills introduced last year that are eligible for consideration during the upcoming legislative short session, bills that touch on the economy, the environment and election and ethics reforms. Next week we will be discussing bills introduced last year that relate to education, crime, and emergency management, among other important areas of interest.
Thank you as always for your interest in state government. If you have any questions about this information or anything else that I can help with, please contact me. I am always glad to be of service.
Economy and Consumer Protection
_A bill being considered during the upcoming legislative session would enact the Small Business Assistance Act of 2009 and would establish the Small Business Jobs Preservation Fund in the Office of State Budget and Management with related programs coordinated by a technical assistance provider (HB 814).
_The purchaser of foreclosed property would be unable to evict tenants who receive federal Section 8 housing assistance prior to the expiration of the tenants’ leases (HB 1051).
_Expanded consumer protection could be put in place to protect against abusive debt buyers under a bill introduced last session (HB 1059).
_A bill that would enact the Homeowner and Homebuyer Protection Act may be considered. (HB 1060). If enacted, the legislation would prohibit home foreclosure rescue scams and offer protections in land installment sales.
Environment
_Certain environmental laws may be amended under a bill that may be taken into consideration during the coming legislative short session (HB 1099). Among the changes would be to (1) extend by one year the implementation of water system efficiency criteria for eligibility for state water infrastructure funds; (2) prohibit the use of high arsenic content glass beads when marking state or municipal roads or public vehicular areas; (3) modify the nutrient management strategy and adopt a sediments strategy for certain drinking water supply reservoirs; and (4) to protect and restore water quality and quantity in the Upper Neuse River Basin, Falls Lake, and other drinking water supply reservoirs by directing the environmental management commission to provide credit to local governments, land owners, and others who reduce water pollution in the Upper Neuse River Basin before permanent rules are adopted.
_State agencies, including community colleges and public universities, would be required to recycle lights and thermostats containing mercury as part of a bill lawmakers could consider this year (HB 1287). As part of an effort to prohibit mercury in unlined landfills, the legislation would also require the removal of products containing mercury from buildings prior to demolition.
_An act that would authorize the governor to impose fuel rationing measures during a state of disaster, a local state of emergency, or an abnormal market disruption, is eligible for consideration this year (SB 811).
Elections and Ethics Reform
_The threshold for reporting campaign contributions would be lowered to $500 under a bill that has already passed the House and is now in the Senate (HB 388). Existing law exempts candidates who raise less than $3,000 from having to submit detailed reports of contributions, loans and expenditures. The intent of the legislation is to provide more information about how candidates raise and spend money.
_Candidates for political office could market legal services or promote other commercial activities not connected to their political campaigns without being subject to additional campaign reporting (HB 1048). The bill would allow candidates to be mentioned in mailers and TV ads for their businesses, aligning North Carolina’s law more closely with the US Supreme Court decision on nonpolitical communications.
_Legislation that could improve North Carolina’s absentee voting laws may be considered this year in the Senate (HB 614). The bill has already passed the House and is specifically intended to improve the ability of military and overseas voters to cast timely ballots.
_The House has passed a bill that would require more disclosure of campaign fundraising and donations by appointees to state boards and commissions. The Senate may act on the legislation this year. (H944).
_The state's revolving door provision would be expanded to cover executive branch employees, and bar them from lobbying for 6 months after they leave under a bill introduced last session (H1136). The House approved the legislation unanimously last year.
_Vendors who win large state contracts would be prohibited from giving large campaign donations to the elected official whose office makes the contracting decision under a bill introduced last session (H961). The legislation was passed by the House and now awaits action in the Senate.
Prepared with the assistance of the Speaker’s Office of Communications
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Regular Reports On What Is Happening In the NC General Assembly of Interest to citizens in District 51 by Representative Jimmy Love
