By Cassie Gavin
Senior Director of Government Relations
After an extremely long 2019 legislative session, the N.C. General Assembly convened this week for the first time in 2020. Even years are when the legislature normally has a short session that focuses on budget adjustments. But, as you may recall, no state budget was passed in 2019. Substantive bills are very limited in the short session; only budget-related bills or those that have already passed one chamber are allowed, although there are ways to get around this general rule.
Now, everything has changed with the COVID-19 pandemic, so all expectations for 2020 are being adjusted. Legislators’ focus this week has been entirely on responding to the COVID-19 crisis and allocating federal relief funds. Because of the virus, the Legislative Building is open only to legislators, their staff, and the media. The public and lobbyists can monitor activities via audio and, in some cases, YouTube. Environmental legislation has not been on the table.
So far this week, both the House and Senate passed versions of bipartisan COVID-19 relief bills: House Bill 1043 Pandemic Response Act and Senate Bill 704 COVID-19 Recovery Act. The bills cover similar priorities such as modifications to ease unemployment benefits and education requirements, and support for small businesses and hospitals but differ on the amount of funding to be allocated now and how much to save for later. The chambers are negotiating the differences between the bills, with the goal to pass a final bill on a rare Saturday session tomorrow. Read or watch WRAL’s coverage.
Changes requested by the State Board of Elections are not a part of the current relief bills. In April, the State Board of Elections made numerous recommendations to the legislature to ease voting in 2020 since COVID-19 may still be affecting the state. The asks include:
- Expand options for absentee requests
- Establish an online portal for absentee requests
- Pre-paid postage for returned absentee ballots
- Reduce or eliminate the witness requirement for absentee ballots
- Temporarily modify restrictions on assistance in care facilities
- Expand student poll worker program
- Make Election Day a holiday
- Increase poll worker pay
- Eliminate the requirement that a majority of poll workers reside in the precinct
These elections recommendations might be taken up in a future session, although the date of the next session has yet to be determined.