• • Week 7 Update
• • Nanny Tracker
• • Quote of the Week

Week 7 Update

Seven weeks into the session and the bill introduction deadlines are looming. To date, 1,472 bills have been introduced, with the Senate’s bill introduction deadline on Wednesday, March 25. Bill introductions in the House must be completed by April 1, 2009, for local bills and by May 6, 2009, for public bills. The deadline by which any bill must pass one chamber in order to remain eligible for consideration (AKA crossover deadline) is May 14, 2009.

Introductions this week included:

• H 616/S 714 Offense for Portable Toilets/Pumper Trucks, which makes it a misdemeanor to steal, take from its temporary location or from any person, or to vandalize or damage a portable toilet or pumper truck (Good for builders, bad for Fraternity pranksters).
• S 711 Annexation Laws Omnibus (one of five annexation bills introduced this week) is probably the annexation bill to watch. Includes provisions for meaningful services, puts limits on the extension of ETJ, eliminates municipal “doughnut holes” and other items.
• H 643 Authorize Aquifer Storage of Reclaimed Water would allow “gray” water injection into aquifers to prevent depletion.
• H 663 NC Ten in Ten Plan would provide a tax credit of up to $10,000 for the purchase of a permanent residence. No limit to the number of eligible claimants – this bill is good, but could be a budget breaker.
• S 648 Allow DOT to Provide Direct Funding would allow DOT to partner with private developers on transportation improvement projects.
• S 696 Beach Plan Surplus would require the retention of accumulated surplus by the Beach Plan.
• S 719 Amend Environmental Laws which includes a revised sunset for the payment of nutrient offset fees.
  

Passing the House this week, both H 22 Enhance Youth Employment Protections and H 23 Strengthen Child Labor Violation Penalties move to the Senate for consideration. NCHBA is tracking both of these bills to ensure that the provisions pertaining to small businesses and family-owned businesses remain unchanged.

House Bill 426 Stay on Homeowners Insurance Actions was heard in the House Insurance Committee last Thursday. A large crowd was present and NCHBA members from the coast came to Raleigh to hear the debate. The bill will be heard again on Tuesday, March 24, with comments being offered by the insurance industry. We do not know when the committee will vote.

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Nanny Tracker

Nanny Tracker was busy this week! 

First, each and every week there is a proliferation of bills to create specialized license plates.  For instance, recent introductions included a special plate for master gardeners, for the Town of Oak Island, for the volleyball association, and one for “First in Turf”!   In the future, no one will know what the official North Carolina license plate looks like.  So, this week H 677 was introduced to require that all special plates have the “First in Flight” background on them - proving once again that there’s a first for everything.

Second on the Nanny list is S 634 Truth in Music Advertising filed by Sen. David Weinstein after he was contacted by Jon “Bowzer” Bauman, formerly of the band Sha Na Na.  Bauman is leading a national crusade to prevent concert promoters from advertising a performance by a classic band that does not have any of the remaining original members. Sadly, folks are being hoodwinked by bands pretending to be Sha Na Na!

Finally, S 652 Prohibit the Sale of Novelty Lighters would prohibit the sale of lighters designed to resemble characters, guns, vehicles, animals, food or beverages, or that play musical notes or have flashing lights.  So much for our Build-PAC fundraiser idea of selling Paul Wilms bobble-head lighters complete with a concealed handgun and playing the Who song “I’m Free” while lighting your cigar!

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Quote of the Week

Senator Richard Burr has named his new spokesman, David Ward.  Along with being a Wake Forest grad and having other stellar credentials, Ward was selected in 2008 as one of the “50 Most Beautiful People on Capitol Hill”.  Damned by faint praise?  We hope not! See you next week.

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