Strategies brings years of experience providing clients in a diverse range of industries with comprehensive policy and advocacy advice before federal, state, and local agencies. In North Carolina, we advise local municipalities, corporate transportation entities, nonprofit organizations, statewide associations, government vendors, and Fortune 500 companies before the North Carolina General Assembly and executive branch.
Below is an update on the activity at the NC General Assembly this week.
Veto Override Votes
This week, the Senate voted to override Governor Cooper’s veto of the following four pieces of legislation:
- SB 364, Nondiscrimination & Dignity in State Work – This bill would prohibit discrimination against job applicants based on personal beliefs or political affiliations. The bill would also prohibit concepts related to race or sex from being promoted in the workplace of state employees.
- SB 299, Reimburse Late Audit Costs with Sales Tax Revenue – This bill would authorize the Local Government Commission to withhold a county or municipality's sales tax distribution if the county or municipality fails to submit an annual audit report.
- SB 329, Retail Installment Sales Act Amendments – This bill would modify the maximum finance charge rates that may be applied to consumer credit installment sale contracts. It would also increase the default charge for past due installment payments from $15 to $18.
- SB 331, Consumer Finance Act Amendments – This bill makes various changes to statutes in the Consumer Finance Act.
The Senate has successfully voted to override six vetoes from Governor Cooper this session. These bills have been placed on the House calendar for consideration next week.
Elections Bills
On Wednesday, the Senate voted to approve two bills that would make various changes to the elections process in North Carolina. S747, Elections Law Changes, would require absentee ballots to be received by 7:30 PM on Election Day, require same day registration voters to vote via a provisional ballot if the address on the voter's photo ID does not match the address on a HAVA document provided by the voter, and prohibit private money from elections administration. It would also require County Boards to utilize signature verification software for absentee ballots.
S749, No Partisan Advantage in Elections, would increase the number of members on the State Board of Elections from five to eight. Members would be appointed by the General Assembly instead of the Governor. The Senate President Pro Tempore, Speaker of the House, and both the House and Senate minority leaders would each have two appointments. The bill would also change the composition of County Boards from five members to four members. Both bills passed along party lines (28-19) and have been sent to the House for consideration.
Fairness in Women’s Sports Act
HB 574, Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, received its final stamp of approval from the General Assembly this week. The House voted to concur with the Senate changes by a vote of 62-43, with one Democrat voting in favor. The bill would prohibit biological males from competing on women’s sports teams. The bill will now be sent to Governor Cooper for consideration. We anticipate he will veto the legislation, but the legislature has the votes for an override.
