This week at the N.C. General Assembly, things were going great ... for a while.
First, we got good news on H162, Parking Lot Reform/Stormwater Control. We've been supporting our allies with this bipartisan measure that would reduce impermeable surfaces and help control stormwater runoff by preventing most local governments from requiring parking lot minimums. The bill passed the Senate this week and is due back in the House for a concurrence vote, now scheduled for Tuesday. Help get it across the finish line by calling your state representative and asking them to vote to concur on H162 when it comes to the floor.
More good news: the Senate Finance committee removed language from S1001, Coastal Regulatory Reform, that would have allowed the use of state funds for terminal groins. And in the category of no news is good news: No movement this week on the other hardened structures bills we’ve been following, nor S730, the so-called Ratepayer Protection Act.
What may be our last lobbying Wednesday on Jones Street (for now) was a terrific one. A group of coastal Sierra Club members and friends met met with several highly influential members of the legislature, including Sen. Bill Rabon, R-Brunswick. He chairs the Senate Rules Committee, which decides what bills make it to the Senate floor.
Especially on a busy legislative day, it's significant to get a meeting with Rabon – and, without exaggeration, it only happened because local constituents came to see him there. Thank you to the carload of Cape Fear Group members for making the trip and making the day so productive!
We're hearing that the legislature will only meet on Tuesday this coming week, so we’re pausing Wednesdays on Jones Street. We look forward to a return of this popular volunteer lobbying opportunity in the future, so keep an eye out for invitations!
With all the good things that happened this week, many of us wondered when the other shoe would drop. That happened Wednesday afternoon, when the House ended its week by overturning four of Gov. Josh Stein’s vetoes - including H171, Equality in State Agencies/Prohibition on DEI, which now goes back to the Senate for an override vote. We fear that this bill, which prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, staff, and training in state agencies, will become a major barrier to advancing environmental justice initiatives.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, there’s still no clear indication of when we might have a budget deal.
Other bills of interest this week:
- The Senate failed to concur on S445, Regulatory Reform Act of 2026 - not to be confused with S1047, Regulatory Reform Act of 2026, which passed Senate Judiciary and was referred to the Senate Finance committee
- H1094 Ferry Div. Audit/DOT Omnibus, which includes language prohibiting the planting of invasive species in highway rights-of-way and state parks, passed the Senate unanimously and is headed to the House for a concurrence vote.