Legislative Update from Rep. Iler — October 16, 2023
Last week at the North Carolina General Assembly was short, but effective. After a brief meeting in Raleigh on Monday, I was able on Tuesday to participate in another historic day of overriding the Governor’s vetoes on five bills, bringing the total overrides to nineteen during this 2023 session.
House Bill 600 – Regulatory Reform Act of 2023 amends State laws related to State and local government, agriculture, energy, environment, natural resources, and other various regulations. Three examples of impacts to our coastal region are provisions concerning stormwater runoff, vegetative buffer areas, and shallow draft inlet dredging. It passed the House 77 – 38 with 5 Democrats joining all 72 Republicans voting for it and became law.
Senate Bill 512 – Greater Accountability for Boards/Commissions gives the General Assembly the ability to appoint members to some key State boards and commissions that is more equal to the Governor’s current authority. Some of the Boards are Coastal Resource Commission, University of North Carolina, and Board of Transportation, for example. It passed the House 72 – 44 and became law.
Senate Bill 678 – Clean Energy/Other Changes includes nuclear energy in the definition of clean energy, addresses the Dam Safety Act, and limits certain agreements by local governments, among other provisions. It passed 77 – 37, including all Republicans and 5 Democrats, and became law.
Senate Bill 747 – Elections Law Changes addresses early voting, prohibits private money financing elections, and clarifies the rights of poll observers, among other important election provisions. It passed 72 – 44. Most of the provisions are effective January 1, 2024.
Senate Bill 749 – No Partisan Advantage in Elections changes the State Bd. of Elections and county Boards of Elections to an even number appointed by the General Assembly. It also addresses emergency powers of the State board, clarifies Voter ID, and changes the procedure of filing a Statement of Economic Interest (SEI) by candidates. It also passed 72 – 44 and became law.
Other business taken up last Tuesday was House Resolution 897 – Support for Israel. It urges Congress to support Israel in its war to protect its existence and in response to the unprovoked attack by Hamas the prior weekend. It passed 104 – 0, unanimous among those present and voting, which was 72 Republicans and 32 Democrats. An unfortunate surprise was that 12 members of one party chose to walk away and not vote.
It appears that there will be no voting sessions this week, so we can be back home attending meetings and visiting with our citizens. However, it is expected we will be back in Raleigh the week of October 24th. Everyone is urged to enjoy the Oyster Festival and the other festivals taking place in the county.