Legislative Update & Session Wrap-Up from Rep. Frank Iler – July 25, 2011
After more than a month away from regular business in Raleigh, this week it is time to return for scheduled votes in House floor sessions. The past two weeks have been taken up with “skeleton sessions” and no votes so that bills could be read in and sent to committee. The biggest issues have dealt with redistricting of the Congressional districts (13), the N.C. Senate districts (50), and the N.C. House districts (120). The House and Senate redistricting committees met for long hours last week in preparation for floor action this week. The other big issues involve the Governor’s vetoes and whether we can override them.
A lot of attention has been focused on the Congressional district. In the first draft map the district was a coastal district, running from Robeson County to Brunswick and up the coast to Carteret County. Last week, the second draft came out and had taken away Carteret, Onslow, and Robeson Counties and had added Johnston and Lenoir Counties, running up to the southern suburbs of Raleigh and up to Kinston. Needless to say, there was much conversation and consternation over these changes. This week will determine if we can change or vote for the district.
The original map of Brunswick County with N.C. House districts 17 and 18 came out with several towns and precincts split that raised some eyebrows and tempers. The towns of Southport and Leland were split. The Mosquito precinct which includes St. James, Winding River, River Run, and Sunset Harbor was divided in a way that your representative’s house on Oak Island was isolated from much of his district (House District 17) on the western side of the county.
After appearing at the public hearing in Wilmington last Monday and a trip to Raleigh for face-to-face meetings, I was able to get some changes made to remedy these situations. The map we are considering today (Monday) has all of Southport back in the district, as well as all of the Mosquito precinct and Boiling Spring Lakes. Leland is in District 18, as it is close to the main part of the district in Wilmington, except for a few neighborhoods on the southern end of Highway 133. Seven precincts in the north and central county will be in District 18, as it had to be made up of 30,000 Brunswick County residents and 48,000 from New Hanover County.
The Governor’s vetoes that we are taking up this week include the voter I.D. bill, House Bill 351 – Restore Confidence in Government and Senate Bill 33 – Medical Liability Reform, which should lower healthcare costs. Others include House Bill 854 – Abortion – Woman’s Right to Know, Senate Bill – Regulatory Reform Act of 2011, and Senate Bill 709 – Energy Jobs Act.