What we’re watching: These bills from NC lawmakers could go the distance
by Sarah Michels, Carolina Public Press February 21, 2025
Less than a month into the 2025 legislative session, lawmakers have filed nearly 300 bills. Before the filing deadline next month, there will likely be another couple hundred bills presented.
Not all will survive the grueling legislative process, particularly considering North Carolina’s divided government.
After the 2024 election barred GOP legislators from a supermajority by one seat, Democratic Gov. Josh Stein may be able to deny many Republicans’ wishes with his veto pen.
Several bills will probably attract more attention than others.
Current law bars North Carolinians fromcarryingconcealed deadly weapons, including handguns, without a permit outside of one’s property. House Bill 5 removes that restriction for adults 18 and older.
It also abolishes firearms from the statutory list of deadly weapons — a list that includes daggers and stun guns.
The bill loosens some additional concealed-carry restrictions. If passed, state residents could carry a concealed weaponat a public event where admission is charged and at parades and funeral processions. Elected officials would be allowed to have a concealed firearm while performing official duties if they have a permit.
Anyone who carries a hidden weapon must have their ID with them and present it to law enforcement if approached.
Those convicted or charged with certain crimes, dishonorably discharged from the military, ruled by a court to be mentally ill or addicted to a controlled substance are not allowed to have a concealed firearm without a permit under this proposed legislation.
Senate Bill 50 is a twin bill in the other chamber, which suggests a higher priority level for this legislation.
Other gun-related bills this session:
House Bill 38, also known as the Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act, bans gun dealers from creating a record of people in the state who own firearms.
House Bill 9 bans local governments from regulating firearm use on private property as long as it is “conducted with reasonable care.”
House Bill 28 creates a new crime to be treated as a separate offense under the law: possessing a firearm or weapon of mass destruction while attempting or committing a felony.
Helene on the horizon
As Helene recovery continues, the legislature begins work on its next funding package.
Thus far, lawmakers have passed three relief packages that collectively dedicate $1.1 billion to the recovery effort, though not all of the funds have been specifically allocated.
As it stands, the fourth package draws $275 million from the State Emergency Response and Disaster Relief Fund.
The latest Helene relief package from the General Assembly would withdraw $275 million from a state emergency fund. Colby Rabon / Carolina Public Press
While the bill is continually being amended, some of the current allocations include:
$140 million for home reconstruction and repair
$75 million for farmers to resume production and protect against future flood damage
$100 million for repair of private roads and bridges
$55 million for small business infrastructure grants
$20 million to local governments for outstanding debris removal
$10 million to supplement rental assistance payments
$5 million for targeted media campaigns to get tourists back in Western North Carolina
The bill is set to be heard on the House floor as early as Tuesday.
‘Breathtaking legislation’
Last year, Republican legislators told future Democratic Attorney General Jeff Jackson he couldn’t make an argument in court that would invalidate any law passed by the General Assembly.
Now, with House Bill 72 and Senate Bill 58, they’re extending that limitation to presidential executive orders.
One of the most common actions of attorneys general is joining their counterparts in other states in opposition to presidential actions like executive orders.
Some North Carolina Republicans would end the practice as the second Trump administration settles into power.
Democratic state Sen. Graig Meyer, who represents Caswell, Orange and Person counties, said he’s been very critical of the bill, which he called “breathtaking legislation.”
“If you don’t want your attorney general to be able to sue the federal government over things that may be unconstitutional … then you actually want a king,” he said. “But even in just blunt political terms, it’s a very short-sighted bill. Because what if, in four years from now, we’re in the reverse situation, and they have a Republican attorney general and a Democratic president?”
Hold the phone
Lawmakers have had it with technology in classrooms.
Or, at least, that’s what they appear to be saying with bills in the House and Senate requiring school boards to create cellphone or wireless communication-free educational environments.
Enter House Bill 87, which aims to eliminate or severely restrict student access to cellphonesduring class.
Senate Bill 55 goes a step further, including tablet computers, laptops, paging devices, two-way radios and gaming devices as banned technologies.
Election bills in abundance
Coming off an intense election cycle, lawmakers are looking to make a few changes.
House Bill 31 would establish Election Day as a North Carolina holiday for general statewide elections.
House Bill 66 would reduce the number of early voting days in North Carolina. Current law requires early voting to begin 20 days before the election. The proposed bill would allow for nine days.
Several local bills align odd-year municipal elections with even-year state and federal elections. Others extend mayoral terms from two to four years.
Finally, House Bill 85 would ban staffers found to not have exercised “due care and diligence” from future election work.
SUMMARY: Donald van der Vaart, a former North Carolina environmental secretary and climate skeptic, has been appointed to the North Carolina Utilities Commission by Republican Treasurer Brad Briner. Van der Vaart, who previously supported offshore drilling and fracking, would oversee the state’s transition to renewable energy while regulating utility services. His appointment, which requires approval from the state House and Senate, has drawn opposition from environmental groups. Critics argue that his views contradict clean energy progress. The appointment follows a controversial bill passed by the legislature, granting the treasurer appointment power to the commission.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-30 14:47:00
(The Center Square) – Called “crypto-friendly legislation” by the leader of the chamber, a proposal on digital assets on Wednesday afternoon passed the North Carolina House of Representatives.
Passage was 71-44 mostly along party lines.
The NC Digital Assets Investments Act, known also as House Bill 92, has investment requirements, caps and management, and clear definitions and standards aimed at making sure only qualified digital assets are included. House Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, said the state would potentially join more than a dozen others with “crypto-friendly legislation.”
With him in sponsorship are Reps. Stephen Ross, R-Alamance, Mark Brody, R-Union, and Mike Schietzelt, R-Wake.
Nationally last year, the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act – known as FIT21 – passed through the U.S. House in May and in September was parked in the Senate’s Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.
Dan Spuller, cochairman of the North Carolina Blockchain Initiative, said the state has proven a leader on digital asset policy. That includes the Money Transmitters Act of 2016, the North Carolina Regulatory Sandbox Act of 2021, and last year’s No Centrl Bank Digital Currency Pmts to State. The latter was strongly opposed by Gov. Roy Cooper, so much so that passage votes of 109-4 in the House and 39-5 in the Senate slipped back to override votes, respectively, of 73-41 and 27-17.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article presents a factual report on the passage of the NC Digital Assets Investments Act, highlighting the legislative process, party-line votes, and related legislative measures. It does not adopt a clear ideological stance or frame the legislation in a way that suggests bias. Instead, it provides neutral information on the bill, its sponsors, and relevant background on state legislative activity in digital asset policy. The tone and language remain objective, focusing on legislative facts rather than promoting a particular viewpoint.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-30 11:04:00
(The Center Square) – Hurricane Helene recovery in North Carolina is being impacted by a federal agency with seven consecutive failed audits and the elimination of hundreds of its workers in the state.
Democratic Attorney General Jeff Jackson joined a lawsuit on behalf of the state with 23 other states and the District of Columbia against AmeriCorps, known also as the Corporation for National and Community Service. The state’s top prosecutor says eight of 19 AmeriCorps programs and 202 jobs are being lost in the state by the cuts to the federal program.
Jeff Jackson, North Carolina attorney general
NCDOJ.gov
The litigation says responsibility lies with the Department of Government Efficiency established by President Donald Trump.
“These funds – which Congress already appropriated for North Carolina – are creating jobs, cleaning up storm damage, and helping families rebuild,” Jackson said. “AmeriCorps must follow the law so that people in western North Carolina can confidently move forward.”
Jackson, in a release, said 50 of the 750 volunteers terminated on April 15 were in North Carolina. Three programs with 84 people employed were impacted on Friday when AmeriCorps cut federal funds to grant programs that run through the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service.
Project MARS was helping in 18 western counties, providing supplies and meals to homebound and stranded families. Clothing, crisis hotlines and school supports were also aided. Project Conserve was in 25 western counties helping with debris removal, tree replanting, storm-system repairs and rain-barrel distribution. Project POWER helped large-scale food donations for more than 10,000 people in the hard-hit counties of Buncombe, Henderson and Madison.
The White House has defended its accountability actions and did so on this move. AmeriCorps has a budget of about $1 billion.
Helene killed 107 in North Carolina and caused an estimated $60 billion damage.
The storm made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Dekle Beach, Fla., on Sept. 26. It dissipated over the mountains of the state and Tennessee, dropping more than 30 inches in some places and over 24 consistently across more.
U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., said last year AmeriCorps has a legacy of “incompetence and total disregard for taxpayer money.” She was chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, which requested the report showing repeated failed audits and financial management troubles.
“AmeriCorps,” Foxx said, “receives an astounding $1 billion in taxpayer funds every year but hasn’t received a clean audit for the past seven years. As instances of fraud continue, the agency has proven time and time again incapable of reforming itself and should never be given another opportunity to abuse taxpayer dollars.”
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
The article presents an ideological stance that leans toward the right, particularly in its portrayal of AmeriCorps, a federal agency, and its financial mismanagement. The language used to describe the agency’s struggles with audits, financial troubles, and alleged incompetence reflects a critical perspective typically associated with conservative viewpoints, especially through the quote from Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx. Additionally, the inclusion of comments from North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson and other Democratic officials highlights a contrast in political positions. However, the article itself primarily reports on legal actions and the consequences of funding cuts without pushing a clear partisan agenda, thus maintaining a degree of neutrality in reporting factual details of the case.
