Representative Harry Warren
♦This week saw movement on several key pieces of legislation to keep an eye on. The most controversial bill to move from the House to the Senate was most likely HB 589, The Voter Information Verification Act (VIVA) which, of course, is the bill that will ultimately require a photo ID when voting in person. Here are several additional public bills that were passed from the House to the Senate:
HB 242 – Volunteer Fire Department Sales Tax Refund Changes. This bill would entitle volunteer fire departments to receive a sales tax refund under certain conditions.
HB 238 – Maintaining Water and Sewer Fiscal Health. This bill would permit a regional takeover of financially struggling water/sewer facilities for a period of up to three years or until such time as the entity is financially sound.
HB 315 – Plastics Labeling Requirements. This piece of legislation would require that non–recyclable plastic be labeled as such in order to avoid weakening products made from recycled plastics.
HB 332 – Notary Act/Satisfaction of Security Interests. This bill provides for an alternative procedure for satisfaction of security interests.
HB 652 – Inheritance by Illegitimate Child. This bill would allow an illegitimate child to inherit and to receive a year’s allowance from a person who died prior to or within one year after the birth of the child, if paternity can be established by DNA testing.
HB 660 – Amend Funeral Procession Law. HB 660 firmly establishes that funeral processions shall have the right of way at intersections, regardless of traffic control signs or signals. It also exempts a funeral director and funeral establishments from liability for injuries caused by a person operating a vehicle in a funeral procession.
HB 707 – Ensure Safe Navigation Channels. This directs DENR (Department of Natural Resources) to determine other strategies to ensure that the State’s shallow draft navigation channels are safe and navigable.
HB 706 – Preserve Landfill Space. The bill provides that the disposal of on-site debris from the decommissioning of manufacturing buildings is exempt from the landfill permitting requirements.
HB 548 – Marine Fisheries Rulebook Production. HB 548 empowers the Department of Marine Fisheries to provide new licenses with electronic copies of the rules and allows the Division to send electronic notices of new rules or changes to existing rules.
HB 641 – Amend Deferred Prosecution/First Drug Offense. This bill gives a judge the discretion to defer proceedings against a person charged with certain controlled substance offenses, place the offender on probation and discharge and dismiss the case upon fulfillment of the terms of probation.
HB 646 – Airports Exempt from Local Tree Ordinances. This bill would prohibit a county or city airport from enforcing any ordinance that regulates the trimming or removal of trees on property owned or operated by a public airport authority.
HB 589 – VIVA – The Voter Information Verification Act. This is the voter photo ID bill. It passed the House on its second reading (80-36) and its third reading (81-36). Now it goes to the Senate and begins its committee hearing process there.
SB 369 – Name Change Requirements for Minors. This bill would authorize a parent to apply for a name change for a minor child without consent of the other parent in cases where the other parent has been convicted of certain criminal offenses against the minor child.
Here are some bills to keep an eye on that passed in the Finance Committee this week:
HB 35 – Limit State Facilities Finance Act Debt. This bill passed the House and went to the Senate last year where it died. Unlike last year’s bill that sought to repeal the State Facilities Finance Act (that authorized the government to avoid going to the voters to go into debt by using certificates of participation to borrow money), this compromise bill places a limit on what percentage of debt can be acquired via COP’s.
HB 341 – Tax Credit for DOL Apprentice Hires. This bill will give a $1,000 tax credit to employers who participate in an apprenticeship program approved by the Department of Labor. This is a great job creating bill.
HB 325 – Park Fees for Active Military/Veterans. This will authorize DENR to set reduced rates for military personnel who wish to use the facilities and conveniences at state parks and state lakes.
And finally:
The Town Hall for this month will be held in Cleveland, on Friday, April 26, from 6:00 to 7:00 pm at the Cleveland Lions Den. We will take advantage of this time to discuss the Voter ID bill, the RECLAIM NC Act and other bills of interest that are before the General Assembly.
Sincerely, Harry
N.C. House of Representatives District 77, Rowan County
611 Legislative Office Building Raleigh,
North Carolina 27603
