As you may have read in Footnotes Online, the Chapter's enewsletter, H198, DOT Legislative Changes, won Senate approval with the undesirable changes to billboard laws intact. The measure would expand the tree-cutting zone around billboards and remove protection for native redbuds.
Mirroring the action last week by the Senate Transportation Committee, H198 sailed through the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, then won passage in the full Senate along party lines on Wednesday (all Democrats opposed).
H198 has been sent to the House, which must concur with changes made in the Senate before it can be sent to Governor Cooper for his signature. A vote is scheduled for Wednesday, May 22, and we'll ask House members to vote not to concur, which will channel the measure to a conference committee. If it's ratified, we'll ask Cooper to veto.
We're also awaiting concurrence votes on:
- H426, Various Environmental Amendments. The Senate added language to protect Jockeys Ridge State Park, settling one concern raised by an ongoing power struggle between the Coastal Resources Commission and the Rules Review Commission. Approved by the Senate this week; a House vote hasn't yet been scheduled.
- S166, Building Code Regulatory Reform, which restructures the Building Code Council by removing four members, reducing the governor’s appointments, and requiring the governor’s appointments be confirmed. Passed by the House on May 8, no vote yet scheduled in the Senate.
Budget news: Not much, really. Budget subcommittee chairs are reporting out to the main chairs, but we're hearing that negotiators still have many issues to sort out.
TAKE ACTION:
- We may have more guidance next week, but for now go ahead and contact your House member to ask them to vote against concurrence on H198, DOT Legislative Changes, on Wednesday.
- Join us in supporting a Cape Fear River Watch action alert that urges lawmakers to restore local government rule-making authority to restrict single-use plastics and Styrofoam. Sierra Club volunteers had successfully encouraged several local governments to enact or at least consider such bans, but were stymied last year when the state budget included language to block local plastic bans.
- Be sure to invite your friends to subscribe to this update using the form below!