iLEGISLATIVE NEWS
DUELING BUDGET BILLS SEE ACTION; IMPASSE REMAINS
Two state Republican budgets were approved on Thursday, revealing spending differences that had been debated behind closed doors. The state House passed its $31.7 billion budget, while the Senate Republicans began debating their own proposal, scheduled for a floor vote on Monday. Both budgets were presented as adjustments to the spending plan approved last year. The House budget included additional raises for teachers and state employees, with 4% raises for state employees and average teacher raises of 4.4%. The Senate proposal maintained the 3% raises already approved. Notably, both budgets allocated more funding for private school vouchers. Despite hours of budget debate, progress on a revised spending plan to be approved by Governor Roy Cooper has stalled. The House Speaker announced that scheduled votes may not resume until the end of July due to members' summer plans. It remains uncertain whether the House will vote on Senate bills or if the Senate will vote on House bills next week.
CAPTIVE INSURANCE LEGISLATION ON THE MOVE
Senate Bill 319, a bill revising captive insurance provisions in North Carolina, has made progress in the General Assembly. A captive is a subsidiary providing insurance to its parent company, essentially a form of self-insurance. The House Rules Committee amended the bill, granting captive insurers a two-year period to redomesticate to North Carolina, along with a two-year premium tax holiday. The measure would amend captive legislation in the state, including risk retention group exams, premium adjustments, and other changes. The amendments also included several technical changes to S.L. 2023-133 concerning the calculation of insured motorist coverage and insurance ratemaking. On Thursday, the bill was sent to the Senate for further debate.
Read more by Captive International
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS COULD BE ON NOVEMBER BALLOT
A North Carolina Senate committee has advanced a bill that would place three constitutional amendments on the November general election ballot. Originally, Senate Bill 630 proposed a constitutional amendment that only U.S. citizens can vote, but it was amended to include two additional amendments. One amendment would expand the voter ID requirement to include all forms of voting, not just in-person, while the other would set a cap of 5% on the state income tax in the constitution. To pass, these amendments would need a three-fifths majority support from both chambers of the legislature and a simple majority vote from the public. The debate primarily focused on the non-citizen voting amendment, with supporters arguing that it clarifies state law and prevents non-citizens from voting, which they see as an attack on democracy. Recent polling shows that the majority of NC voters support all three amendments.
Read more by The Carolina Journal
MEDICAL MARIJUANA LEGISLATION ADVANCES
The North Carolina Senate is making a renewed effort to legalize medical marijuana. House Bill 563 would allow the use of marijuana for treating various medical conditions. The bill, introduced last year, would enable patients with illnesses such as cancer, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and others to use marijuana as prescribed by physicians. This marks the third time in three years that the Senate has voted in favor, but the House has never allowed it to come up for a vote due to opposition from fellow Republican lawmakers. To gain more support, Senator Bill Rabon (R-Brunswick) added his legalization bill to a proposal to regulate sales of hemp-derived CBD products, a priority for House leadership. Public polling shows majority support for marijuana legalization among North Carolinians. Senator Rabon, who survived colon cancer with the help of marijuana use, criticized opponents who have not walked in his shoes. The bill now awaits potential final approval from the House.
PFAS LEGISLATION PASSED
This week, the House Environment Committee passed a bill that seeks to hold manufacturers of manmade per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) responsible for cleaning up PFAS contamination in public drinking water systems. House Bill 864 specifically targets manufacturers like Chemours, which produces PFAS compounds at its Fayetteville Works site. Chemours, like its former parent company DuPont, has a history of releasing PFAS compounds into the environment. PFAS are used in various household items, medical devices, weatherproof products and firefighting foam. The proposed bill would require manufacturers to finance the technology needed to reduce PFAS concentrations in drinking water. Utilities would then reimburse ratepayers through reduced future rates if they had previously spent funds on PFAS contamination. The bill has support from both Republicans and Democrats and is likely to gain favor from Governor Roy Cooper. The bill still must go to the House floor and then to the Senate.
