SHORT-CHANGED in the SHORT SESSION: The 2022 Legislative Issue

Sure, it was a short session. And unlike in the last few years, it has ended near the beginning of summer — though the North Carolina General Assembly has, in its wisdom, left the door open to reconvene down the line. The 2021 session, remember, went on for 14 months, the longest in state history. So a brief session was not unreasonable. And yet, history will remember the 2022 short session for the things that did not get done: no Medicaid expansion, no medical marijuana, no sports betting, all populist issues that, with the exception of sports betting, have been adopted by 39 states each. On the plus side, NC’s version of the Don’t Say Gay Bill — the Parents Bill of Rights, was also devoured by a tangle of subcommittees. And this was also the year that the state finally abolished the ancient practice of requiring a membership to drink in a bar in an omnibus Booze Bill that should quench the populist thirst.

FORSYTH HOUSE

Rep. Evelyn Terry (D) District 71

Terms: 5

About the district: The district starts in Walkertown and stretches diagonally across the southeast part of Winston-Salem to Highway 150.

Committee chairs: Education – universities (vice chair)

Primary Sponsor: 1 bill (1 signed into law)

Highlights:

HB243 — Budget Technical Corrections (with Hardister): An omnibus bill that makes multiple amendments and corrections to the 2021 budget.

            Status: Signed into law on March 17

Rep. Amber Baker (D) District 72

Terms: 1

About the district: District 72 starts at Oak Summit Road, stretches from North Winston to Harmony Grove and extends west and then south through Buena Vista, South Fork and Ardmore.

Committee Chairs: None

Primary Sponsor: 4 bills (0 signed into law)

Highlights:

HB1032 – A Sound Basic Education (with Harrison): The act instructs the General Assembly to fully fund the state comprehensive plan established by the Leandro decision, which found our schools underfunded by billions.

            Status: Died in committee

HB1123 – ReEnact Solar Energy Tax Credit: Restores a 35 percent tax credit for the cost of installing solar panels up to $5 million.

            Status: Died in committee

Rep. Lee Zachary (R) District 73

Terms: 4

About the district: The district stretches from Rural Hall in the east to Pea Ridge in the west and covers both Forsyth and Yadkin counties.

Committee chairs:  Judiciary 3 (chair)

Primary Sponsor: 3 (0 signed into law)

Highlights:

HB1173 – Elect SBE Members/Super as Chair of SBE (with Hardister): This act amended the NC Constitution to take appointments to the State Board of Education out of the governor’s and and put it under the General Assembly, one of many bills this session to degrade the governor’s authority.

            Status: Died in committee

Rep. Jeff Zenger (R) District 74

Terms: 1

About the district: The district is on the west side of Forsyth County and covers Lewisville and Clemmons.

Committee chairs: Finance (vice chair)

Primary sponsor: 3 (1 signed into law)

Highlights:

HB211 – Social District/Common Area Clarifications: Clarifies laws regarding outdoor alcohol use in “Social Districts” in NC. Tucked in the end is a provision that allows residents who are denied city or county  water and sewer service to get it from “another unit of local government.”

            Status: Signed into law on July 7

HB1022 – High School Trade Study: “An act to require the Department of Labor to study ways to increase the number of workers practicing the trades in the labor force of North Carolina”

            Status: Died in Committee

Rep. Donny Lambeth (R) District 75

Terms: 5

About the district: The district starts at Walnut Cove Road and Belews Creek near and extends down to Walburg, excising most of the city of Winston-Salem.

Committee chairs: Appropriations (senior chair), Appropriations, Health and Human Services (vice chair), Health (chair)

Primary sponsor: 7 bills (1 signed into law)

Highlights:

HB177 — Extend Spiking Moratorium/LGERS surety: Extends for one year the sunset of a moratorium prohibiting school board members from suing the state about their pension benefits.

            Status: Signed into law on July 8

HB990 – Medicaid Hospital Assessments Act (with Harrison): An act expanding Medicaid access in NC.

            Status: Passed the House in June, died in Senate committee four days later.

HB1014 – UNCH Opioid Mitigation Institute/Funds (with Hardister): Earmarked $10 million from the UNC BOG Opioid Abatement Reserve for the formation of a center at UNCG.

            Status: Died in committee

FORSYTH SENATE

Sen. Joyce Kraweic (R) District 31

Terms: 4 (+1 in House)

About the district: The district contains Forsyth’s rural tracts outside Winston-Salem and the entirety of Davie County.

Committee chairs: Appropriations on Health and Human Services (chair), Health Care (chair), Pensions and Retirement and Aging (chair)

Primary sponsor: 4 (1 signed into law)

Highlights:

SB448 — Amendments to Schedule VI of the CSA: “An act providing… for the automatic removal from Schedule VI of the Controlled Substances Act prescription drugs approved by the Federal Food and Drug Administration.” They’re talking about medical marijuana.

            Status: Signed into law on June 14

SB869 – Let Parents Choose/Sammy’s Law: An act written to protect children on the internet written by people who don’t understand the internet.

            Status: Died in committee

Sen. Paul Lowe (D) District 32

Terms: 3

About the district: District 32 contains most of the city of Winston-Salem and outlying areas to the north and south.

Committee chairs: None

Primary sponsor: 9 (0 signed into law)

Highlights:

SB711 – NC Compassionate Care Act: NC’s medical marijuana bill, more strict than most of the legal states.

            Status: Passed the Senate, should be addressed in the House next session.

SB790 – Support for Forsyth Co. Public Def’s Office: One of a slew of Winston-Salem specific bills, this one appropriates about $1 million a year for the Forsyth public defender’s office.

            Status: Died in committee.

SB859 – In-State Tuition Flexibility Act: Allows DREAMers and other immigrants who live in NC to pay in-state tuition at UNC System schools.

            Status: Died in committee.

GUILFORD HOUSE

Rep. Ashton Clemmons (D) District 57

Terms: 2

About the district: The district starts in east Greensboro near East Market Street and stretches north and northwest, picking up much of the northern parts of the city before ending at the edges of Lake Brandt and Lake Townsend.

Committee Chairs: None

Primary Sponsor: 13 bills (0 signed into law)

Highlights:

HB1003 – Support UNC Greensboro GCSTOP Wrap Project (with Faircloth, Hardister, Harrison): This act would allocate $1 million dollars to UNCG to strengthen its GCSTOP programs, develop a program in partnership with Guilford County and create diversion programs in cooperation with law enforcement to serve opioid-affected community members.

            Status: Died in committee

HB1023 – Funds/Establishing Safe Cultures Program (with Hardister, Quick): This act would have allocated $126,000 to the Prestige Empowerment Group to start an “Establishing Safe Cultures” program to “provide young people with constructive actions to lessen gun violence rather than lecture them on their negative behaviors.”

            Status: Died in committee

HB1034 – Child Care 2018 Market Study Rates (with Lambeth): This act would have given anywhere from $206-215 million to child care centers and homes to reduce the waitlist for children, starting with those who are in foster care

            Status: Died in committee

HB1145 – Higher Ed Savings Grant Pilot Program (with Hardister): This act would have established a pilot program that would have provided funds to students to pay for higher education in several counties including Guilford.

            Status: Died in committee

House Minority Whip Amos Quick (D) District 58

Terms: 3

About the district: This southwestern district reaches towards Jamestown near Grandover Resort and then creeps up towards the UNCG area and Hamilton Lakes.

Committee Chairs: None

Primary Sponsor: 7 bills (1 signed into law)

Highlights:

HB1106 – Greensboro School Suspension Support (with Hardister): This act would have allocated $500,000 to the New Light Intergenerational Outreach Resource and Enrichment Center which provides conflict resolution and life skills and helps students complete assignments while suspended.

            Status: Died in committee

HB1155 – HFA/Funds for Affordable Housing Development: This act would have allocated $20.66 million to support statewide affordable housing development

            Status: Died in committee

House Majority Whip John Hardister (R) District 59

Terms: 5

About the district: Hardister’s district, which is shaped like a backwards “C,” covers almost half of the county including much of the rural eastern parts. It then curves westward towards Summerfield in the north and Jamestown in the south.

Committee Chairs: Alcoholic Beverage Control (vice-chair); Appropriations (vice-chair); Appropriations, Education (chair); Education – Universities (chair); House Select Committee on Strategic Transportation Planning and Long-Term Funding Solutions (vice-chair); UNC Board of Governors Nominations (vice-chair)

Primary Sponsor: 24 bills (5 signed into law)

Highlights:

HB755 – Parents’ Bill of Rights: Drafted as a reaction to vaccine requirements, LGBTQ+ rights and critical race theory, this bill notes that parents have the right to seek exemption from vaccines, opt out of sex education, as well as the right to inspect school textbooks.

            Status: Died in committee

HB995 — Greensboro Deannex/Weldon City Board of Ed Pay(sole sponsor): Removes a tract of land from the western boundary of the city of Greensboro, sets pay for Weldon Board of Education members at $550/month.

            Status: Signed into law on July 1

HB1050 – The Youth Sports Scholarship Act (with Lambeth): This act would establish a youth sports scholarship program which would provide scholarships to low-income families to expand participation in sports and encourage regular physical activity.

            Status: Died in committee

HB1068 — UNC Non-Appropriated Capital Projects: Allows UNC schools to make capital improvements with revenue not from the General Fund, like donations, grants or reimbursements.

            Status: Signed into law on June 30

HB1173 – Elect SBE Members/Super as Chair of SBE (with Zachary): This would have amended the state constitution to elect members of the State Board of Education, made the Superintendent of Public Instruction the chair of the State BOE and would have required that vacancy appointments by the Governor be confirmed by the General Assembly.

            Status: Died in committee

Rep. Cecil Brockman (D) District 60

Terms: 4

About the district: District 60 runs vertically along the western part of the county, starting near West Market Street near the airport, and moves south towards High Point, catching a bit of Jamestown on the way.

Committee Chairs: Education K-12 (vice-chair)

Primary Sponsor: 3 bills (1 signed into law)

Highlights:

HB263 – High Point/Council Delegate Rezoning Powers (with Faircloth, Hardister, Quick): This act amends the charter of the city of High Point to authorize city council to allow the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission to change the zoning classification of property

            Status: Signed into law on July 1

HB1016 – GTCC Esports Funds (with Clemmons, Faircloth, Hardister): This act would have given GTCC $749,000 to facilitate student participation in esports events, given them the technology needed for esports competitions, and allowed for repairs and renovations of school buildings to create an esports arena. The move comes in the wake of a trend of universities and colleges creating esports centers.

            Status: Died in committee

Rep. Pricey Harrison (D) District 61

Terms: 9

About the district: Harrison’s district covers a swath of Greensboro from Franklin Boulevard on the eastern side through downtown towards Guilford College to the west.

Committee Chairs: Environment (vice-chair)

Primary Sponsor: 10 bills (0 signed into law)

Highlights:

HB1116 – Fiona Mae Wagglebottom’s Act: This act would have changed the law to include failure to provide adequate shelter or space to an animal as cruelty to animals

            Status: Died in committee

HB1123 – Re-enact Solar Energy Tax Credit: This act would have re-enacted the solar energy tax credit law and would have expanded the eligibility for the tax credit to include those who invest in solar energy equipment

            Status: Died in committee

HB1142 – Revise Motor Vehicle Emission Laws: This act would made it illegal to modify a diesel-powered vehicle with a device that temporarily or permanently enables it to emit visible air contaminants exceeding legal limits. The act would also have required law enforcement to train to identify illegal emissions.

            Status: Died in committee

Rep. John Faircloth (R) District 62

Terms: 6

About the district: Faircloth’s district covers the northwestern and westernmost portion of the county, starting in Stokesdale, descending all the way to High Point.

Committee Chairs: Appropriations, Justice and Public Safety (vice-chair)

Primary Sponsor: 7 bills (1 signed into law)

Highlights:

HB1009 – Funds for Ready for School, Ready for Life (with Clemmons, Hardister, Quick): This act would allocate funds for Ready for School, Ready for Life, a nonprofit organization that cares for children 0-5 years old to improve outcomes and school readiness.

            Status: Died in committee

HB1029 – Inn. Signature Career Academy Pilot/Funds(with Clemmons, Hardister, Quick): This act would allocate funds to Guilford County Schools to support their Innovative Signature Career Academy Program which hosts up to six areas of career and technical education at high schools.

            Status: Died in committee

GUILFORD SENATE

Sen. Amy S. Galey (R) District 24

Terms: 1

About the district: District 24, covers all of Alamance County and the rural eastern strip of Guilford.

Committee Chairs: None

Primary Sponsor: 8 bills (6 signed into law)

Highlights:

SB372 – Electrical Lic./Bldg. Code/Dev. Reform 2022: This bill changed multiple changes to electrical contracting licenses, wastewater treatment, building code rules and local inspection rules including capping the number of hours of experience required to get an electrical contracting license.

            Status: Signed into law on June 29

SB671 – Virtual Educ./Remote Acad./Virtual Charters: This act would allow for public schools to create virtual public, private and charter schools in North Carolina going forward.

            Status: Signed into law on July 8

Sen. David Craven (R) District 26

Terms: 1+

About the district: District 26 covers all of Randolph County plus most of High Point in Guilford County’s southwest corner.

Committee Chairs: None

Primary Sponsor: 5 bills (2 signed into law)

Highlights:

SB766 – Organized Retail Theft: This bill would increase the penalties for organized retail theft depending on the value of goods stolen and provide additional recovery to businesses for their losses.

            Status: Signed into law on June 30

SB836 – Jordan’s Law: This act would allow judges to temporarily renew a domestic violence protective order if the hearing to renew the order is set to take place after the current order expires.

            Status: Died in committee

SB869 – Let Parents Choose/Sammy’s Law of 2022 (with Krawiec): This act would require large social media platforms with more than 1 million monthly active users to make available to third-party safety software providers, real-time information about the activities of children to their parents or legal guardians.

            Status: Died in committee

Sen. Michael Garrett (D) District 27

Terms: 2

About the district: District 27 includes all of rural Guilford County with the northern tier and west side of High Point, and a sliver of Greensboro west of Guilford College Road.

Committee Chairs: None

Primary Sponsor: 22 bills (1 signed into law)

Highlights:

SB292 – Greensboro Small Business Enterprise (with Robinson): This bill authorizes the city of Greensboro to establish a small business enterprise program to promote the development of small businesses in the city

            Status: Signed into law on July 1

SB807 – Student Mental Health Support Act: This act would have allocated $40 million create a school mental health grant program for public schools.

            Status: Died in committee

SB833 – Make Election Day A State Holiday/Funds: Similar to past acts, this bill would have made the statewide general election day an official paid state holiday

            Status: Died in committee

SB912 – Greensboro Civilian Traffic Investigators/SBE (with Robinson): This act would allow civilians to investigate traffic crashes and issue citations. The bill also included the establishment of the small business enterprise program, which ultimately passed as a separate bill.

            Status: Died in committee

Rep. Gladys Robinson (D) District 28

Terms: 6

About the district: District 28 is now most of the city of Greensboro, with a bit in the east ceded to District 24.

Committee Chairs: None

Primary Sponsor: 5 bills (1 signed into law)

Highlights:

SB835 – A Sound Basic Education: The act instructs the General Assembly to fully fund the state comprehensive plan established by the Leandro decision, which found our schools underfunded by billions.

            Status: Signed into law on July 1

SB853 – Wage Theft/Funds: The act would amend labor laws so employers have to notify employees of any changes to their wages or employment status in writing and would punish employers who violate the rules to pay back wages plus interest. Employers could also be fined up to $500 per employee per violation.

            Status: Died in committee

See more details on the short session at ncleg.gov.