Neighbors on Call’s NC Policy Update for 2/27/23

Governance

• On Tuesday the only Republican member of the Wake County delegation in the NC House, Rep. Erin Paré, filed a bill that would change the way Wake County commissioners are elected. HB 99, which faces opposition from the current Wake County Board of Commissioners, would make commissioners elected only by members of their districts rather than at-large and would make the elections nonpartisan and won by plurality rather than majority.

Education Policy

• On Thursday Republicans in the NC House filed a bill that would ban teaching about systemic racism in public schools. HB 187, which is similar to a bill Governor Cooper vetoed in 2021, would prohibit teachers from “promoting” that “a meritocracy is inherently racist or sexist.” Language in the bill also forbids teachers from “promoting” that anyone should feel guilty about their race or responsible for wrongs committed by previous generations.

• On Tuesday the NC House Education Committee heard several bills to exempt school districts from a North Carolina law that prevents traditional-calendar schools from starting before the Monday nearest to August 26. They also reviewed HB 86, which would allow school districts statewide to start classes as early as August 10. Historically the NC House has passed some of these bills, but they are usually blocked by the NC Senate.

• On Tuesday the House Education Committee approved a bill that would increase penalties for public school system employees who engage in a sexual act or take indecent liberties with students. HB 124 raises the offense from a Class I to a Class G felony and makes it a felony for school administrators to fail to report incidents of sexual misconduct involving students. Tuesday’s committee meeting also added an amendment to make it easier to strip teachers of their pensions if they’ve lost their license after a felony conviction.

Environmental Policy

• Legislators in the NC House introduced a bill that would prevent local bans of gas stoves. HB 130 is similar to a bill previously vetoed by Governor Cooper. There is no indication that any municipalities in North Carolina have tried to ban the use of natural gas for appliances, but some progressive cities in other states have done so due to climate and health concerns.

Health Care Policy

• On Tuesday the NC Senate Judiciary Committee approved a medical marijuana bill with some amendments. SB 3 would allow patients with certain medical conditions to use marijuana for treatment and establish a system for growing, processing, and dispensing the drug. Lawmakers added provisions to increase law enforcement access to data about who is purchasing medical marijuana. Medical marijuana legislation previously stalled in the NC House, but there are indications it may have more support in the House now.

Gun Violence Prevention

• On Wednesday the NC House passed a bill that would repeal the state’s pistol permit regulations. A repeal of the pistol permit requirement, which already passed the NC Senate, would mean that prospective handgun buyers no longer need to seek a permit from their local sheriff. A previous pistol permit repeal was vetoed by Governor Cooper, and so far Republicans do not have the one Democratic vote needed to override a veto.

• On Thursday Republicans in the NC House filed a bill that would scrap North Carolina’s concealed carry regulations. Under current state law, gun owners need to complete safety training and pass an accuracy test and a written test covering gun laws, but HB 189 would allow anyone who can legally possess a firearm to carry it concealed.

Immigration

• On Wednesday the NC House Judiciary Committee 2 discussed a bill that would force sheriffs to work with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). HB 10 would require sheriffs to honor ICE detainers and report the immigration status of detainees, including those charged with a misdemeanor offense or violating a protective order. Two similar bills have previously been vetoed by Governor Cooper.

Criminal Justice

• On Friday a federal appeals court ruled that North Carolina's "ag-gag" law, which criminalizes undercover investigations of agricultural facilities, is unconstitutional. The three-judge panel issued a 2-1 split decision, finding that the law violates First Amendment protections of free speech. The ruling was celebrated by advocacy groups who support agriculture industry whistleblowers.

• On Thursday North Carolina lawmakers proposed a bill that would require police associations to have seats on the Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission, an important law enforcement oversight body. Currently the 35-member commission must have at least eight sworn officers, three police chiefs, and four members of the state prison system, but the bill would require that two large police associations (the Fraternal Order of Police and the Police Benevolent Association) also have guaranteed seats on the board.