Following weeks of little to no action on the state budget, Gov. Pat McCrory announced in a release 本周,众议院和参议院领导人就该预算的总支出数字达成了一致, allowing negotiations on additional details to move forward. The total state budget for FY2015-16 will be approximately $21.735 billion, which TWC News reports 比参议院最初的提案多花了2.65亿美元,比众议院少花了4.15亿美元. 协议应允许各分庭的预算小组委员会主席彼此会面,讨论各自小组委员会领域的细节, but the state may still need an additional continuing resolution, as the current one is set to expire one week from today.
Meanwhile, there was less agreement on the Senate's version of HB 117 NC Competes Act. That bill, as approved by the Senate, contains a plan to shift local sales tax distributions to a 50% per capita-50% point of sale plan, while also including state incentive funding and other tax changes. The House, 他们中的许多人都表示反对各种销售税的重新分配计划, voted 111-2 not to concur with the Senate's version of HB 117. That bill will now go to a conference committee, with the negotiators from the House and Senate trying to strike a compromise. Just yesterday the House appointed its conferees, led by Rep. David Lewis as chairman. The Senate had not yet appointed conferees as of this morning. Contact: Chris Nida
After hearing input from city officials, members of the House Judiciary II Committee 周三通过了一些修正案,大幅改进了一项改革历史建筑审批程序某些方面的提议. The committee then voted to advance the revised version of HB 799 Zoning/Changes to Hist. Preserv. Procedures for its third committee stop, the House Finance Committee. The League supported the most significant amendment to the bill, 取消了一项条款,该条款允许任何一方在历史性地区案件中上诉调整委员会的决定,迫使当地政府进行有约束力的仲裁, preventing an appeal to Superior Court. This legal remedy was unprecedented in land use disputes, 再加上这个部分法案(现在也被删除了)所产生的律师费用的自动奖励, would have incentivized litigation at the expense of municipal taxpayers. The League extends a special thanks to Rep. Stephen Ross for proposing the removal of this provision, as well as to Rep. Rick Glazier for successfully proposing two other clarifying amendments to the bill.
本周批准的HB 799版本增加了新的语言,为任何历史街区的财产所有者创建了一个程序,要求从该地区搬迁. 是否批准请愿的决定最终将取决于市议会. Although they ultimately voted to include this provision, 一些委员会成员担心,这将导致缺乏统一特征的“龅牙”或“瑞士奶酪”历史街区, thereby defeating the purpose of a such districts.
The bill also creates a new piece of evidence, called a "renovation report," for historic property owners to present during disputes. 该报告将列出适用的当地历史指南和材料,业主可以在装修期间使用, 这将成为任何诉讼记录的一部分,因为历史委员会在考虑适当证明时必须考虑到这一点. The next House committee hearing for this bill has not been scheduled. Contact: Erin Wynia
Two studies approved by the House Local Government Committee this week as part of HB 430 County Omnibus Legislation would look at issues that could impact local property tax revenues. 该法案的一个部分将重新建立国家支付代替税收研究委员会, with the League able to recommend two members of the commission. 该委员会将研究国家向地方政府支付免征财产税的国有土地代缴税款的相关问题. 该委员会于2013年首次成立,但从未得到充分任命,也没有发布报告.
该法案的另一部分将指示税收法研究委员会(Revenue Laws Study Committee)研究,当非营利组织购买以前应纳税的财产时,对地方政府的财政影响. 一个经常被引用的例子是一家大型非营利医院购买了一间医生办公室, which makes the office exempt from property tax. HB 430 was originally placed on the House calendar this week, but it was removed before consideration and assigned to the House Rules Committee. Contact: Chris Nida
本周,参议院同意众议院对立法的修改,这些修改可能会促使地方政府更接近于在某些目的上使用无人机.
SB 446 Dealer Loans/Unmanned Aircraft/Brunswick Co. 在批准用于执法和应急管理等目的的无人驾驶飞机飞行方面,赋予该州首席信息官一定的权力和指导. The bill, which now goes to Gov. Pat McCrory to be signed into law, will not allow those flights immediately. That's because federal rules still prohibit them in most circumstances. It is anticipated that
联邦政府将很快制定规则,允许更广泛的无人机飞行, 全国各地的州政府都在考虑这一问题. Meanwhile, privacy advocates continue raising questions about their use and
some near-collisions with passenger and other air flights explain the caution on the federal level. You can learn about the FAA approving Duke Energy testing of drones
here.
前罗利市市长保罗·科布尔被聘为新的立法服务官员. He replaces George Hall, who retired after more than three decades in the position. The position is responsible for the logistical, day-to-day operations of the Legislative Building, 包括监督从法案起草到立法自助餐厅的运作. Coble was Raleigh mayor from 1999 to 2001. The League congratulates him and wishes him well in his new role. Read more about his appointment
here.