A new state law passed last session helps keep small-scale urban beekeepers from being regulated out of existence by their own towns. A provision in the “Local Government Regulatory Reform of 2015” (House Bill 44) prohibits cities and counties from enforcing any ordinance or resolution that prohibits folks from owning or operating five or fewer beehives. The bill […]
Private Property Rights
Enhancing Private Property Protections
With an overwhelming bipartisan vote earlier today of 104 to 9, the North Carolina House passed House Bill 3, legislation that proposes a constitutional amendment to preserve the private property rights of citizens across the state. The constitutional amendment would specify that any government taking of private property may only be undertaken for a “public […]
Responding to the NCAA
The following post is reformatted from a September 13 press release from the Office of Speaker Pro Tem Representative Paul Stam. You may download the original version from Representative Stam’s website here. The Breathtaking Hypocrisy of the NCAA Citing a commitment to “fairness and inclusion,” the NCAA announced September 12 that it will move seven championship […]
Bolstering Private Property Rights
On June 24, the North Carolina Senate proposed three new amendments to the North Carolina Constitution, all included in House Bill 3. One of these would create additional protections for property rights by increasing the burden on government entities seeking to take property using eminent domain. The proposed Article I § 38 of the North Carolina Constitution would read […]
House Regulatory Reform Act of 2016
With a unanimous vote this afternoon, the House gave its final approval to the Regulatory Reform Act of 2016. The measure now goes to the Senate for its consideration. The wide-ranging legislation, which continues the legislature’s ongoing commitment to reforming the North Carolina’s burdensome and outdated system of regulations, amends a number of state laws related to business, […]
Legislative Leaders Seek Clarity
Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) and House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) announced Monday they have filed a lawsuit in the federal Eastern District of North Carolina, asking the court to declare that North Carolina’s commonsense law to maintain sex-specific restrooms complies with federal law. Last week, the Obama administration threatened to withhold federal funding for […]
Some Additional Bathroom Reading
Revenues for the current year are projected to finish $330 million above initial budget projections, according to the latest figures released by the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management and the legislature’s nonpartisan Fiscal Research Division. The latest revenue forecast also boosts projections for FY 2016-17 by $231 million above the certified budget. […]
Bipartisan Majority Protects Privacy
[youtube_sc url=”https://youtu.be/pyoWo1kZfvI” width=”590″ modestbranding=”1″ autohide=”1″ fs=”1″ border=”1″ hd=”1″] On a strong bipartisan vote of 83-25, the North Carolina House of Representatives passed legislation this afternoon invalidating a recently-passed Charlotte City Council ordinance that would have forced private businesses to allow grown men to use restrooms, locker rooms, saunas, and other facilities normally designated for […]
Regulating Farm Animals
Legislation signed into law by Governor Pat McCrory over the summer ensures that North Carolina’s farm animals are covered by a uniform standard of care throughout the state — by prohibiting cities and counties from enacting their own local ordinances in this regard. The responsibility for determining these standards now lies with the North Carolina […]
Helping to Keep the Faith
Under a new law signed by Governor McCrory, your church could qualify for additional tax breaks. House Bill 229 extends property tax exemptions for churches and other religious facilities before they are open — if they are considered to be “under construction.” Normally, property tax exemptions only apply to religious property (land or structures) when […]