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Committee
actions and floor votes
Sponsors
combine session limits bill, four-year terms measure
Sens.
David Weinstein (D-Robeson) and David Hoyle (D-Gaston) told
the Senate Judiciary 1 Committee on Tuesday that they want to
combine separate constitutional amendment bills they
previously introduced calling for session limits and four-year
terms for legislators. Those bills are S. 104 Session
Length Limits {Hoyle} and S. 96 Four-Year Terms
{Weinstein}.
Testifying in favor of both the measures, NCCBI
Vice President of Governmental Relations Leslie Bevacqua told
the committee that North Carolina is the only state in the
Southeast without a limit on the length of legislative
sessions. She added that 38 other states currently allow
four-year terms for state representatives.
Expanding terms to four years also should cut the
costs of election and encourage more citizens to run,
Weinstein and Hoyle
told the panel. The combined measure also would limit
legislative sessions to 135 calendar days in odd-numbered
years and 60 days in even-numbered years. The sessions could
be extended once, by 10 days, with approval from both
chambers. The bill also calls for the General Assembly to
convene for two days in December following the November
election for the chambers to elect leaders and appoint
committees. That would allow the legislature to be ready for
business when it convenes in January. A similar session limits bill was approved by the Senate last
session but died in the House.
Most members of the Judiciary 1
Committee expressed support for the concepts in the combined
bill, but there were some questions about how to properly
implement the four-year term provision, particularly how it
would relate to redistricting after each 10-year census. A committee substitute
combining both bills was adopted and referred to a
subcommittee for additional work.
Gubernatorial
team ticket bill clears the Senate
On
a 41-9 vote, the Senate on Tuesday gave final approval to
legislation that will end the practice of candidates running
for lieutenant governor. Instead, the Democratic and
Republican party executive committees would choose running
mates for their standard bearers after each gubernatorial
primary. The bill, S. 2 Gubernatorial Team Ticket {Rand},
now goes to the House. During the Senate’s third-reading
vote, six of the seven African-American senators voted against
the measure, including two who voted for it on second-reading
last week, Luther Jordan (D-New Hanover) and Bill Martin
(D-Guilford). The only black senator voting for the bill was
Howard Lee (D-Orange) -- who lost a 1976 Democratic party
runoff election for lieutenant governor to Jimmy Green. Senate
Republicans also split on the bill, with 14 supporting it and
one opposed, Sen. Hugh Webster (R-Caswell).
Other actions of note. .
.
 By a margin of 36-14, the
Senate on Tuesday approved a bill designed to take party
politics out of elections for District Court judgeships. The
measure, S. 119 District Court Elections Nonpartisan
{Dalton}, now goes to the House. All 35 Democrats and one
Republican, Sen. Fletcher Hartsell, a Concord attorney, voted
in favor.
The Senate on Tuesday gave
final approval to a bill imposing stiffer fines on parents or
rowdy students who hinder or delay a school bus driver. The
measure, S. 45 Unlawful to Impede a School Bus {Wellons},
was approved unanimously and now goes to the House. The
legislation would increase the level of misdemeanor for anyone
who boards or leaves a bus contrary to the driver's orders, or
delays or stops a school bus. People now found guilty of the
offenses face up to 30 days in jail, community service and a
$1,000 fine. The bill would extend the jail time up to 45 days
and give the judge discretion in setting a fine.
The Senate Commerce
Committee on Tuesday favorably reported S. 85 Expand N.C.
Business Opportunities {Harris} and S. 169 Corporate
Asset Transfers {Hartsell}. S. 85 directs the state
Commerce Department to initiate programs encouraging Tar Heel
businesses to seek contracts with the U.S. Department of
Defense. S. 169 would allow a corporation to transfer assets
to a wholly-owned unincorporated subsidiary. Companion bills
for both measures have been filed in the House.
The House Election Law and Campaign Reform Committee on
Wednesday favorably reported H. 33 Presidential Electors by
District {Goodwin}.
The House Local Government
2 Committee on Wednesday favorably reported H.163 Furniture
Market Improvement Act {Jarrell}.
The
Senate on Thursday gave second- and third-reading approval to S.
85 Expand N.C. Business Opportunities {Harris} and S.
267 Nominate/Elect At-large Member of UNC Board of Governors
{Dalton} and sent the bills to the House.
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