NC Legislative Newsletter

Since our last posting covering the week of July 10, 2023, the North Carolina General Assembly has been working on legislative business without holding any floor votes. Last week, lawmakers returned to Raleigh to override Governor Roy Cooper’s six outstanding vetoes and to vote on bills affecting election laws and appointments to various State boards and commissions. The North Carolina House and Senate are expecting the long session of the 2023-24 biennium to continue into September with voting sessions to resume after Labor Day. The MVA Monitor will provide editions for weeks lawmakers hold voting sessions.

Issue Insights

2023 Municipal Elections

• One-stop, in-person early voting for the September 2023 municipal elections in Charlotte (Mecklenburg County) and Sanford (Lee County) begins Thursday, August 24, and ends Saturday, September 9 (North Carolina State Board of Elections)
• Sites and voting hours are available at One-Stop Site List – September 2023 (PDF). They are also available at One-Stop Early Voting Site Search (North Carolina State Board of Elections)

Governor Roy Cooper / North Carolina General Assembly

• Governor Cooper Comment on Veto Override Actions (Press Release)
• NC House of Representatives Overrides Six More Vetoes (Press Release)
• Senate Successfully Overrides Six Vetoes (Press Release)
• The North Carolina General Assembly has passed Session Law 2023-113, appointing persons to various public offices (North Carolina General Assembly)
• Governor Roy Cooper announced today $8.5 million in grants to fund 19 local parks and recreation projects across the state through the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (Press Release)
• Representative Jon Hardister has stepped down as House majority whip due to the demands of campaigning to become the state’s labor commissioner (Greensboro News & Record)
• Governor Cooper Signs State Disaster Declaration for the Town of Dortches Affected by EF-3 Tornado (Press Release)
• Governor Roy Cooper has announced the nomination of the Honorable Quintin McGee to serve as Special Superior Court Judge (Press Release)
• New laws scheduled to take effect in NC Aug. 1 (The Carolina Journal)

News Roundup

• Brian Strong Named Director of North Carolina State Parks (Press Release)
• The North Carolina Board of Elections voted 4-1 Sunday to recognize the centrist group No Labels as a political party in the state (WFAE)
• NCDOT seeks public input for next 10-Year Transportation Plan (The Stanly News & Press)
• State fisheries commission accepting public comments on proposed rule changes (Carteret County News-Times)
• DMVs in NC are offering extra hours on Saturdays, but aren’t seeing many customers (WNCN)
• Commissioner Causey negotiates settlement on automobile insurance rates (Press Release)
• Meredith College President Jo Allen Announces Plan to Retire in 2024 (Press Release)
• Lowering U.S. and NC Flags to Half-Staff in Honor of Former NC Rep. E. Graham Bell, Sr. (Press Release)
• Union County Commissioner Stony Rushing died Tuesday evening, according to Union County Government (WBTV)
• Retired Gen. James Lindsay, whose nearly four decades of distinguished service in the U.S. Army and efforts in his retirement to bring the Special Operations Museum to downtown Fayetteville, transforming the city’s image, has died at the age of 90 in Vass (The Fayetteville Observer)
• Jessie Thomas “Tommy” Bunn, a distinguished leader in national and state level agricultural policy and marketing, and the husband of North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall of Harnett County, died unexpectedly Monday night after suffering a traumatic brain event (The Daily Record)
• Former Onslow County commissioner, Billy Mills, passes away at the age of 90 (The Daily News)
• Christina Koch, NC State grad, to fly NASA’s Artemis-II mission (WCNC)
• NBA approves Michael Jordan’s sale of majority interest in Charlotte Hornets for $3 billion (Charlotte Business Journal)