Welcome to the Nexsen Pruet Weekly Legislative Update! The Nexsen Pruet Public Policy team provides attorneys and clients with a newsletter summarizing the week's activities and conveying the inner workings of the legislative process and state government in Raleigh.

Session Gavels In

The 2015-16 “Long Session” of the North Carolina General Assembly reconvened on Wednesday January, 28th to begin the lawmaking process. A largely uneventful first week, it is likely to remain that way for another week or two as bills are filed and assigned to various committees. Lawmakers had a no vote session and none are expected until the Governor addresses the General Assembly next Wednesday.

NC House won’t take votes until McCrory’s State of the State speech – N&O

There was one piece of legislation that passed both chambers on Wednesday, the resolution inviting the Governor to address all 170 members of the General Assembly in the biennial State of the State address. That will take place next Wednesday Feb. 4th at 7:00PM. The Governor is expected among other things, to lay out his proposals for enhancing economic development and to give further detail to his $1 billion transportation and infrastructure bond recommendation.

Wednesday was also the first day legislators could begin filing bills. The 47 bills filed so far cover a wide range of topics including restoring partisan judicial elections, a constitutional amendment to prohibit eminent domain, crowd funding, unemployment insurance, etc. A full list of 2015 bills can be found here.

1st day bills filed at the NC General Assembly at-a-glance – WRAL

New bills would allow more leisurely breakfasts, end dues drafts for state employee groups – WRAL

Legislators file crowdfunding measure in Raleigh – TBJ

Committee Chairs

Senate Pro-Tem Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) announced his committee chairs two weeks ago and unsurprisingly, there was little difference from last session. Sen. Apodaca (R-Henderson) remained Rules chairman. Senators Brown (R-Onslow), Jackson (R-Sampson) and Harrington (R-Gaston) will continue to serve as co-chairs of Appropriations. And Senators Rabon (R-Brunswick) and Rucho (R-Mecklenburg) return as Finance co-chairs along with a new co-chair, Sen. Tillman (R-Randolph).

Speaker Moore (R-Cleveland) announced the new House committee chairs on Tuesday of this week, the day before session and handed out gavels on Wednesday. While several members will chair the same committees as they did last session, there are also some changes. Rep. Lewis (R-Harnett) will serve as Rules chairman, the role previously served by Speaker Moore. Rep. Dollar (R-Wake) will continue to serve in the capacity of senior chairman of Appropriations. Rep. Saine (R-Lincoln) and Rep. Brawley (R-Mecklenburg) will serve as senior co-chairs of the Finance committee.

Significantly, a large number of second-term lawmakers will serve in high ranking chairmanships. Speaker Moore also gave other co-chairmanships to two Democrats, Rep. Brisson (D-Bladen) and Rep. Glazier (D-Cumberland) as well as Rep. Tine (U-Dare), who recently switched parties from Democrat to Unaffiliated to caucus with Republicans. A link to the full list of chairmen and chairwomen of the various House committees can be found here and a link to both the House and Senate standing committees and their membership can be found here.

In Other News

• The University of Virginia’s Center for Politics analyzed the recently released 2014 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The estimates project which states are poised to gain additional representation in the U.S. House of Representatives and which states are poised to lose a seat. According to projections, North Carolina is one of several states in line to gain a seat in the 2020 census, increasing the state's congressional delegation in the U.S. House to 14 members. North Carolina fell just shy of getting a 14th seat in the 2010 census after gaining its 13th just a decade prior in the 2000 census. Read the full analysis here
• Longtime public servant Sen. Earline Parmon (D-Forsyth) resigned her Senate seat on Wednesday to serve in the district office of U.S. Rep Alma Adams (D-Guilford) as Director of Outreach. The Forsyth County Democratic Party on Thursday announced that it had selected Rev. Paul Lowe. The Winston-Salem Chronicle has an article here highlighting Sen. Parmon’s career of service to North Carolina.
• The Caldwell County Republican Party announced Thursday evening that it had selected former state Rep. George Robinson to fill the seat vacated by former House majority leader Rep. Starnes (R-Caldwell). Rep. Starnes resigned his seat two weeks ago to serve as a legislative liaison under Treasury Secretary Janet Cowell (D).
• Former Rep. Tom Murry (R-Wake) who was defeated last November by freshman Rep. Gale Adcock (D-Wake), announced that he will continue his public service in a new role as chief legal counsel for governmental affairs at the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts. Murry will be taking the lead on the AOC’s legislative agenda which will be primarily to promote critical funds needed for the courts. Read the News & Observer article here.

In the News

North Carolina House chairmen named for next 2 years – WRAL

N.C. legislature meets, lobbyists in tow - CBJ

Jobs, education on legislative radar, but specifics are scarce – WRAL

Big splashes unlikely as NC lawmakers start 2015 session – WNCN

Former regulator moves back to legislature – WRAL

Incentives policies return to General Assembly's hot seat – Star News

Incentive Battle To Be Renewed In Legislature – Carolina Journal

NC Chamber, others back more transportation funding – Citizen-Times

North Carolina transportation crisis looming for lawmakers – Fayetteville Observer

Lawmakers want details on McCrory infrastructure plan – WRAL

Leading from the center: Moderate Dems unite for party’s future – Richmond Daily Journal

Commission weighs options for common core in N.C. – Star News

State officials staying silent on possible Volvo plant in NC – WRAL

2014 excise tax collections for beer, wine edge up in North Carolina – TBJ

Some NC homeowners getting 'consent to rate' letters – WNCN