North Carolina Legislative Report - May 8, 2015
May 8, 2015
The General Assembly convened for the 2015 legislative session on January 14. Lawmakers returned to Raleigh on January 28 to begin the session in earnest. The MVA Public Affairs Legislative Report on North Carolina will be distributed on a weekly basis to keep you up to date on the latest legislative issues facing the state.
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On The Floor
For legislative action lookup by day, click below:
Committees
House Transportation Committee
The Committee met on Tuesday, May 5, to discuss H 927, Reestablish NC as the “Good Roads State”. H 927 sets out a plan to improve long term transportation funding in the State. The bill proposes to temporarily reduce the gas tax by five cents until 2017, when it would be adjusted based on population growth and inflation; to raise the highway use tax from three to four percent; and increases fees on licenses, registrations and titles. The bill also phases out the annual transfer from the Highway Trust Fund to the General Fund and appropriates an additional $300 million in transportation funding in the upcoming fiscal year. During the discussion, the bill sponsor agreed to remove a provision that would impose a six and half percent tax on auto insurance contracts. The Committee could take action on a revised version of H 927 as early as next week.
House Commerce and Job Development Committee
The Committee met on Wednesday, May 6, and approved S 105, Include No. Veterans Employed/Annual Report. The bill would require corporations and limited liability companies to include information on the number of veterans they employ in annual reports to the Secretary of State.
House Finance Committee
The Committee met on Thursday, May 7, and approved three bills. H 182, Property Insurance Fairness, would a) make certain property insurance data public; b) create the North Carolina Recovery Finance Authority (Authority) as a new public agency; c) authorize the Authority to finance deficits of the North Carolina Insurance Underwriting Association related to catastrophic events, including the authority to issue tax-exempt revenue bonds as a municipality; d) require notice when seeking consent to rate policies; e) modify the catastrophe modeling used for property rate-making purposes; and f) create the Joint Legislative Study Committee on Property Insurance Rate Making. H 289, NC Money Transmitters Act.-AB, would enact a new Money Transmitters Act (MTA) as requested by the Office of the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks. H 430, County Omnibus Legislation, would reestablish the State Payment in Lieu of Taxes Study Commission, direct the Environmental Review Commission to study statewide approaches to control invasive aquatic noxious weeds, direct the Revenue Laws Study Committee to study the financial impacts on local governments of exempting previously taxable properties from the property tax base when acquired by nonprofits, and explicitly authorize counties to establish residential recyclable materials collection programs.
Senate Agriculture/Environment/Natural Resources Committee
The Committee met on Wednesday, May 6, and approved three bills. H 65, Wilkes Fox Trapping, seeks to establish a season for trapping foxes in Wilkes, Cherokee and New Hanover Counties. H 601, Sale of Deer Skins, would provide for the lawful sale of deer skins subject to tagging and reporting requirements and season limits. H 706, Building Code/Rustic Cabins, would require the Building Code Council to amend the North Carolina building code to exempt open air camp cabins from certain requirements of the code.
Senate Education/Higher Education Committee
The Senate Education/Higher Education Committee approved two bills on Wednesday, May 6. H 358, School Performance Grade Scale, would extend the use of the fifteen-point scale for assignment of school performance grades for the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school years only. H 393, Tri-County CC/Bd. Of Trustees, seeks to change the manner of selection of members of the Tri-County Community College Board of Trustees.
In The News
Raleigh News & Observer: Revenue surplus colors NC House budget talks
Raleigh News & Observer: Senate approves keeping 15-point scale for A through F school grades
Raleigh News & Observer: NC Supreme Court sets August hearing in challenge to redistricting
Triangle Business Journal: N.C. budget surplus could trigger corporate tax rate cuts
Raleigh News & Observer: House OKs freeze on renewable energy goals
Raleigh News & Observer: House Speaker Tim Moore says bond vote should wait
Calendar
| Mon, May 11, 2015 | ||
| 4:00 PM | Session Convenes (House) | |
| 7:00 PM | Session Convenes (Senate) | |
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| 8:30 AM | Finance (House) Sheriffs' Supp. Pension Fund Changes. (H385) | |
| 10:00 AM | Pensions and Retirement (House) Retirement System COLAs. (H759) | |
| 10:00 AM | Agriculture/Environment/Natural Resources (Senate) North Carolina Farm Act of 2015. (S513) | |
| 11:00 AM | Education - Universities (House) Recruit CC Students to Teach/Pilot. (H602) | |
| 12:00 PM | State and Local Government -- CORRECTED (Senate) Clarify County Comm Oath Filing. (H71) | 423 LOB |
| 12:00 PM | Transportation (House) Required Number of Operating Brake Lights. (S90) | |
| 1:00 PM | Judiciary II (House) Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act. (S123) | 421 LOB |
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| 10:00 AM | Agriculture/Environment/Natural Resources (Senate) Opossum Exclusion From Wildlife Laws. (H574) | |
| 12:30 PM | Judiciary I (House) Probation Violation Court Costs. (H615) | |
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| 3:00 PM | ||
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| 11:15 AM | Senator Brown Press Conference | |