Rep. Karl E. Gillespie
In this week’s edition of The Legislative Review, the House unveils its state budget, a veto override occurs, and important legislation is sent to the Senate for consideration.
For the legislative week beginning Monday, March 27, a no-vote session was held on Monday afternoon.
On Tuesday, my colleagues and I held a caucus at 10 a.m., to discuss the week’s coming agenda. After meeting with various advocacy groups, House session convened at 3 p.m., and we voted on various bills, including:
– HB10, Require Sheriffs to Cooperate with ICE, would require compliance with immigration detainers and administrative warrants and to require certain reports from local law enforcement, and to fund two jail inspector positions. I voted in favor and the bill passed, 71-44.
– HB231, Yancey County Occupancy Tax Modification, would conform and increase the Yancey County occupancy tax authorization. I voted in favor and the bill passed, 107-7.
– HB347, Sports Wagering, would authorize and regulate sports wagering in North Carolina. I voted in favor and the bill passed, 64-45.
On Wednesday, the House reconvened at 9:30 a.m., to consider a veto override of SB41. I voted in favor and the veto override was successful.
The Agriculture Committee met at 1 p.m., and we voted on one bill, HB377, Grade “A” Dairy Assessment Act, and the bill passed committee.
After meeting with Southwestern Community College President Dr. Don Tomas, session convened once again at 2 p.m., where we considered numerous bills, including:
– HB142, Protect Our Students Act, would modify penalties and definitions for certain sex offenses against students, to increase the penalties for the failure of school administrators to report certain misconduct to the state board of education, to require public school units to show students in grades six through twelve a video produced by the center for safer schools containing age-appropriate information about sexual abuse, and to define conduct directly related to the office or employment as it pertains to the forfeiture of retirement benefits, as recommended by the department of public instruction. The bill passed by unanimous vote.
– HB248, Remember 9/11 with a Freedom Flag, would designate the freedom flag as a symbol of the state’s remembrance of the lives lost due to the terrorists’ attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and authorizing the flag to be displayed on Sept. 11 of each year. I voted in favor and the bill passed, 101-10.
– HB210, Reduce Barriers to State Employment, would reduce barriers to state employment. I am one of the primary sponsors of this bill and it passed, 111-2.
On Thursday, the area appropriations committees met prior to the full Appropriations Committee at 10 a.m. Members discussed and debated the House budget proposal. Dozens of amendments were considered and the discussions and debate continued for about seven hours.
On Thursday afternoon, session convened and votes were held on the following bills:
– HB306, School Calendar Flexibility/Granville & Vance, would provide certain local school systems flexibility in adopting the school calendar. I voted in favor and it passed by voice vote.
– HB252, Multijurisdictional Property, would establish jurisdiction for planning and development regulations for land that lies within the jurisdiction of more than one local government. I voted for the bill and it passed, 77-32.
– HB382, Registered Nurses in Schools, would allow licensed registered nurses to be employed as school nurses. The bill passed unanimously, 109-0.
For the legislative week beginning April 2, the House held a no-vote session Monday morning.
On Tuesday, I met with my colleagues prior to an afternoon voting session, where we considered numerous bills, including:
– HB172, Samantha Rose Davis Act, would require medical condition action plans for certain students and medical emergency plans in all public-school units. The bill passed by unanimous consent.
– HB253, Prevent Students From Harm Act, would incorporate character education in addressing bullying and harassing behavior, to authorize nonprofits to provide child sexual abuse and sex trafficking training programs for educators, and to provide age-appropriate information on prevention of suicide, abuse, and neglect as part of the health education curriculum. The bill passed unanimously.
– HB354, Chiropractic Assistant Modifications, would allow chiropractic clinical assistants in a chiropractic preceptorship program to provide certain services under direct supervision. The bill passed by unanimous vote.
On Wednesday, I attended the Wildlife Resources Committee and the Agriculture Committee. Following the committee meetings, the House held a 2 p.m., voting session, where we considered various legislation, including:
– HB364, Self-Liquidating Projects/Property Transfers, would authorize the financing, without appropriations from the general fund or the state capital and infrastructure fund, of certain capital improvement projects of the constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina and to authorize the transfer of personal property between constituent institutions of UNC. I voted in favor; the bill passed, 112-1.
– HB259, 2023 Appropriations Act, would make base budget appropriations for current operations of state agencies, departments, and institutions. I voted in support and the bill passed second reading by a vote of 78-37.
On Thursday, session reconvened and we voted on third and final reading of the House budget proposal. HB259 passed by a vote of 78-38.
Let us know what you think
Concerned about a particular issue? Contact us and we will assist you in any way we can. E-mail: Andrew.Bailey@ncleg.gov or telephone: 919-733-5859.
