The future of self-driving cars is upon us, and the North Carolina General Assembly is, well, paving the way. With a bipartisan and near-unanimous vote during the short session, our state legislature passed House Bill 469 into law, regulating the operation of fully autonomous vehicles — if and when they become available in our state. […]
Safety
Governor Cooper Declares State of Emergency
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has declared a State of Emergency for all 100 counties as the state prepares for almost certain impacts from Hurricane Irma early next week. “There is a lot we still don’t know about this storm, but we do know that North Carolina can expect to feel some sort of effects […]
The Restore Campus Free Speech Act
Four months after being overwhelmingly passed in the House, the Restore Campus Free Speech Act has become law. House Bill 527 is bipartisan ‘campus free speech’ legislation that strengthens standards for free expression in our state university system and mandates that all public universities “ensure the fullest degree of intellectual freedom and free expression.” HB527 […]
In Defense of Free Speech
Bipartisan legislation passed the House on Wednesday strengthening standards for free expression in the state university system and mandating that all public universities “ensure the fullest degree of intellectual freedom and free expression.” Currently, there are no statutes addressing free speech for the University of North Carolina (UNC) institutions. House Bill 527, modeled after the Goldwater Institute‘s policy report Campus […]
Swimming Pool Electrical Safety
Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the House to help save the lives of people who use public swimming pools in North Carolina. House Bill 598 mandates that a special circuit breaker device be installed on any line that provides power to a pool’s pump motor. This device is known as a ground fault circuit interrupter. […]
House Passes Kelsey Smith Act
Ahead of National Crime Victim Rights Week, the House passed the “Kelsey Smith Act” this afternoon by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 113-5. House Bill 315 allows law enforcement officials to access a cell phone’s tracking technology to quickly locate a missing person in an emergency situation and the legislation shields cell phone service providers from prosecution for potential privacy violations while […]
Protecting Children from Predators
A new law was enacted in July that helps protect North Carolina’s children from becoming targets of sexual predators. House Bill 1021 bans registered sex offenders from being present in places where children gather, such as libraries, arcades, amusement parks, recreation areas and swimming pools, and in some cases, the state’s fairgrounds. HB1021 is a […]
Sheyenne’s Law
[youtube_sc url=”https://youtu.be/lY5KT9bDmps” width=”580″ modestbranding=”1″ autohide=”1″ fs=”1″ border=”1″ hd=”1″] The General Assembly has strengthened penalties for boat operators under the influence of alcohol who accidentally injure or kill another person on the water. Governor Pat McCrory signed “Sheyenne’s Law” (House Bill 958) late last month, making the penalties for impaired boaters who cause injuries or fatalities similar to […]
Saving Lives from Drug Overdoses
[youtube_sc url=”https://youtu.be/JfpdP-z5aIM” width=”580″ modestbranding=”1″ autohide=”1″ fs=”1″ border=”1″ hd=”1″] Governor Pat McCrory joined law enforcement officers, first responders, legislators and health care officials earlier this week at the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office to sign legislation making naloxone, a life-saving opioid reversal drug that has already saved 3,300 North Carolinians, more accessible. “Addressing mental health, substance use, […]
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 […]