Legislative Update from Rep. Frank Iler – May 31, 2016

Last week in the North Carolina House of Representatives: we passed a new bill dealing with coal ash clean up, we had many visitors from the hospitals, homebuilder, and rural electric communities, and we had visitors concerning a Sunset Beach de-annexation bill.

Many discussions were going on during the week concerning Senate Bill 71 – Commission Appointment Modifications. What the bill does is re-establish the Coal Ash Management Commission, provide fresh water to those citizens whose drinking water is affected by the coal ash sites, and provide more flexibility in the methods used to clean up the sites. This includes the use of coal ash in the concrete construction of highways, as well as evaluating which sites can be safely capped in place. It could save utility ratepayers, our citizens, from having to pay a 50% rate increase on utility bills. After much debate, the bill passed the House by a vote of 86 – 25. The Governor had abolished the commission and has threatened to veto this bill.

On Tuesday, Senate Bill 875 – Town of Sunset Beach/Deannexation was in the Senate’s State and Local Government Committee. Several citizens and local officials from Brunswick County testified to the committee and then visited with Senator Rabon and me. I personally spoke with Mayor Ron Watts, as well as the developers requesting that their properties be de-annexed. I had met earlier with individual council members in Sunset Beach. The bill would de-annex three properties, one on each end of Sunset Beach island and one on the mainland. It passed the committee and has moved to the Senate Finance Committee.

Also Tuesday, representatives of our county’s hospitals visited to discuss issues that may come up this session. The Dosher Hospital board and leadership were well represented, as was Novant Brunswick County Hospital. Some of the large delegation included Dosher Board Chair Sherri Marshall, Dosher CEO Tom Siemers, and Novant’s June Baker.

Wednesday, additional delegations were in town. It was good to see the Brunswick Electric board members and CEO Don Hughes. N.C. Homebuilders from our area also stopped in, along with a representative of Brunswick County Association of Realtors.

We adjourned Wednesday with a promise that the House members would have a long weekend, and would reconvene on Tuesday. However, many members, including your representative were still around Thursday, catching up on constituent contact, and paperwork.

We expect that this week we may see the budget from the Senate, and begin work on the compromise budget soon.

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