Legislative Update form Rep. Iler — July 1, 2024

Last week at the North Carolina General Assembly saw bills flying back and forth between the House and Senate, being passed, and either becoming law or going to the Governor for his approval.  Bills that had been lounging in committees were emerging and passing, some after being amended.  They changed many local laws and DMV laws, increased penalties for human trafficking, and other changes.  There were far too many bills to list here, but we will look at some of the key ones impacting our area.

House Bill 911 – Various Local Provisions II makes changes to some of our municipalities’ boundaries and voting districts.  It removes Southport’s Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ), de-annexes a small area from Boiling Spring Lakes, and sets up voting districts for the Town of Northwest.  It passed 89 – 21 in the House.  Having already passed the Senate, it became law.

Senate Bill 607 – Regulatory Reform Act of 2024 adjusts many of the state’s regulations.  One involves a dune-building project on Ocean Isle Beach.  It gives temporary relief from a dune vegetation regulation that would have cost the state and town thousands in additional expense.  This will save money and will result in a better project in the end.  It passed both chambers and went to the Governor for his approval.  Inclusion of this important project was a result of knowledgeable and timely communication by the town leaders with me and some of our other House and Senate members.

House Bill 984 – Removal of Squatters from Private Property provides an expedited legal procedure to remove unauthorized occupants from a lawful owner’s property without having to go through a court action.  This applies to trespassers known as squatters, not to regular tenants, who must be evicted for cause through court action.  I am a primary sponsor of this bill.  It passed the House 104 – 8 and went to the Senate.  It had not passed the Senate by the time we adjourned for July.

Senate Bill 915 – General Assembly Appointments includes appointments to Community College Boards of Trustees by the House and Senate for the first time.  I was glad to see that Mayor Alan Holden and Col. Les Tubb were re-appointed to the Brunswick Community College Board of Trustees.

Many bills have been sent to the Governor for his approval.  Many became law, such as the local bills, which are not subject to his approval.

Last Thursday it was my privilege to submit a representative statement that was read and spread across the journal honoring the Brunswick Community College baseball team for their outstanding record and performance in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) World Series at Enid, Oklahoma.  I spoke briefly on the House floor about the statement.  The BCC Dolphin baseball team and Coach Robbie Allen went 51 -10 in the season and won the Region 10 championship over teams from NC, SC, and VA.  They then were runner-up in the NJCAA World Series championship game and had National Player of the Year (Colby Thorndyke).  Several team members received accolades, and 9 players are going on to play at 4-year colleges and universities next year. 

We adjourned last Thursday after passing an adjournment resolution which gives us the ability to reconvene at later dates.  We could return in mid to late July, as needed.