New laws passed. Some vetoed

Author

Jason @ Port City Pulse
October 03, 2023

TOGETHER WITH

Good Morning Wilmington

The NC General Assembly has had some recent legislative activity. Here’s a summary newly ratified and vetoed laws:

Vetoed Bills by Gov. Roy Cooper:

  1. House Bill 600 Regulatory Reform Bill:

    • Eliminates environmental oversight of how farmers dispose of dead chickens.

    • Ends efforts to promote minority-owned businesses for state contracts.

    • Raises concerns about rubber-stamping the construction of a new natural gas pipeline.

  2. Senate Bill 678:

    • Incentivizes nuclear power by changing state laws promoting "renewable energy" to "clean energy."

    • Gov. Cooper argues that the focus should remain on renewable energy to address climate change.

New Laws Ratified

  1. House Bill 125: NC Health & Human Services Workforce Act.

  2. House Bill 142: Protect Our Students Act.-AB

    • Makes several changes related to sex offenses against students, reporting misconduct by school administrators, and educational materials.

    • It also addresses the establishment of electoral districts in Buncombe County and the possibility of merging school administrative units in Buncombe County and the City of Asheville.

  3. Senate Bill 211: Permit Multistate Water/Sewer Authority.

  4. Senate Bill 579: Prevent Harm to Children.

  5. Senate Bill 477: Amend Bus. Corp. Act/Bus. Opp. Disclosures.

  6. Senate Bill 531: Dam Safety Law Clarification.

  7. House Bill 8 Various Statutory Changes:

    • Adds a computer science credit to the state's high school graduation requirements.

    • Requires age verification on pornographic websites to prevent access by individuals under 18.

    • Allows parents to sue website owners if their minor children access these sites after a specific date.

    • Introduces new accreditation protocols for state universities and community colleges, which Gov. Cooper considers an unnecessary burden.

  8. Senate Bill 452 DOI & Ins Law Amd/Revise HS Athletics:

    • Makes changes to auto insurance rules, offering more protections to local drivers.

    • Includes provisions related to the North Carolina High School Athletics Association, limiting corporate sponsorships and altering decision-making processes.

  9. House Bill 361 Require Report/Protection & Advocacy Agency:

    • Requires Disability Rights NC to file new reports with the General Assembly, including specific examples of how they've helped people with disabilities.

    • Mandates two status reports per year and encourages future legislatures to examine the agency's activities and their impact on state budgets.

In today’s PortCityPulse:

  • New law targets drug dealers

  • WRAL offers virtual tour of colleges in NC

News

Bill strengthening penalties for fentanyl distribution signed into law

Fentanyl is one of the leading causes of death for people ages 18-44. This new bill targets dealers with stiffer penalties

❝

Anyone who’s buying or selling drugs needs to assume it’s laced with fentanyl at this point

Ben David, District Attorney, New Hanover and Pender Counties

Effective on December 1, 2023. It primarily focuses on several changes related to the trafficking and distribution of heroin, fentanyl, and carfentanil, as well as the possession of controlled substances.

Key provisions include:

  1. Increasing fines for individuals convicted of trafficking in heroin, fentanyl, or carfentanil.

  2. Modifying the offense of "death by distribution" to include cases where the unlawful delivery and ingestion of certain controlled substances proximately causes the death of a person. Additionally, it increases the penalties for individuals committing this offense.

  3. Adding possession of less than one gram of any controlled substance to the list of offenses for which limited immunity from prosecution applies to individuals seeking medical assistance.

  4. Establishing a Task Force on Enforcement of Fentanyl and Heroin Drug Violations.

  5. Implementing certain changes to autopsy laws.

These changes collectively aim to address issues related to drug trafficking and overdoses, with a focus on heroin, fentanyl, and carfentanil, while also providing limited immunity for those seeking medical assistance in cases of drug overdose.

WRAL College Road Trip Segment

[WRAL] Kudos to WRAL for their “College Road Trip” segment. The half hour video highlights seven colleges in North Carolina.

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