Press Release:
Legislation on Citations/Sheriffs Accept Faxes
Last week, Senate Bill 192 (Citations/Sheriffs Accept Faxes) legislation that I'm sponsoring unanimously passed in the House Judiciary IV Committee. This bill would require the Administrative Office of the Courts to consult with the clerks of courts regarding use of the term "costs" rather than "court costs" on the citation form used for violation of motor vehicle laws. However, the law would not require the replacement of citation forms until the printing of new forms is otherwise necessary. If enacted, this change will solve confusion for the Clerks of Superior Courts. Several clerks expressed to me that folks will come-in to pay for a citation, but don't understand why they have to pay for court costs when they did not appear in court. In addition, this bill allows domestic violence protective orders and civil no-contact orders to be transmitted electronically. There are still several offices throughout the state that do not accept these faxed orders. An amendment was added to the bill in committee that will also allow a custody order entered by the clerk or magistrate to be delivered to the law enforcement officer by electronic or facsimile transmission. To see a copy of the legislation click here.
It was my honor to recently have pastor Dr. Jimmy Moore from the First Baptist Church of Washington, N.C., to offer the prayer at the beginning of the Senate Session.
Regulatory Reform Passes in Senate
Recently, the Senate passed House Bill 760, our fifth regulatory reform act in five years. The bill removes a number of ambiguous, obsolete and sometimes downright ridiculous regulations that increase expenses for North Carolina families and hurt job-creation, while doing little to serve the public interest.
In addition, our bill:
• Takes steps to eliminate outdated and expensive reporting requirements so that state healthcare and environmental officials have more time to focus on their primary responsibilities of protecting the public.
• Makes it easier to repurpose old industrial sites - deemed safe - into new economic centers while complying with federal law.
• Directs the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to waive civil penalties for anyone who proactively asks for an audit or discloses self-identified threats to the environment. This will encourage individuals and businesses to seek state help in protecting resources, and will lead to quicker action.
• Provides opportunities to explore new ways of recycling computers and televisions in order to find more efficient and effective strategies.
• Requires local governments to ensure fair competition and enable more companies to compete for a number of lucrative contracts.
• Stops a major overreach by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from being enforced in North Carolina. The EPA produced 300 pages worth of new regulations on emissions for wood-burning stoves and heaters. These regulations would devastate the small businesses that manufacture these products and significantly increase the cost of living for families in our mountain communities - many of them underprivileged and rural.
Cutting red tape and eliminating unnecessary rules and restrictions will help North Carolina recruit and retain companies and jobs that otherwise would have gone to surrounding states where regulations are less burdensome and where the cost of doing business is lower. The Senate's wide-ranging regulatory reforms will enable individuals and families to thrive while creating a climate in which businesses can grow and create jobs.
Budget Conferees for the Senate and House
Last week, state Senate and state House leaders finalized the list of who will serve as the budget conferees. I'm honored to have been appointed as a budget conferee by Senator Berger. We will attempt to reconcile the substantial differences between the Senate and House spending plans.
The following are the budget conferees from the Senate: Sen. Harry Brown (Chair), Sen. Kathy Harrington (Chair), Sen. Brent Jackson (Chair), Sen. John M. Alexander, Jr., Sen. Tom Apodaca, Sen. Chad Barefoot, Sen. Tamara Barringer, Sen. Stan Bingham, Sen. Andrew C. Brock, Sen. Bill Cook, Sen. David L. Curtis, Sen. Warren Daniel, Sen. Rick Gunn, Sen. Fletcher L. Hartsell, Jr., Sen. Ralph Hise, Sen. Jim Davis, Sen. Joyce Krawiec, Sen. Michael V. Lee, Sen. Tom McInnis, Sen. Wesley Meredith, Sen. E. S. (Buck) Newton, Sen. Louis Pate, Sen. Ronald J. Rabin, Sen. Bill Rabon, Sen. Shirley B. Randleman, Sen. Norman W. Sanderson, Sen. Dan Soucek, Sen. Jeff Tarte, Sen. Jerry W. Tillman, Sen. Tommy Tucker, Sen. Trudy Wade and Sen. Andy Wells.
The following are the budget conferees from the House: Rep. Nelson Dollar (Senior Chair), Rep. Linda P. Johnson (Chair), Rep. Donny Lambeth (Chair), Rep. Chuck McGrady (Chair), Rep. William Brawley (Chair), Rep. Jason Saine (Chair), Rep. Mike Hager (Chair), Rep. David R. Lewis (Chair), Rep. Dean Arp, Rep. Marilyn Avila, Rep. Hugh Blackwell, Rep. James L. Boles, Jr. , Rep. Rob Bryan, Rep. George G. Cleveland, Rep. N. Leo Daughtry, Rep. Jimmy Dixon, Rep. Josh Dobson, Rep. John Faircloth, Rep. Jon Hardister, Rep. Bryan R. Holloway, Rep. D. Craig Horn, Rep. Pat B. Hurley, Rep. Frank Iler, Rep. Chris Malone, Rep. Pat McElraft, Rep. Rayne Brown, Rep. Dennis Riddell, Rep. Phil Shepard, Rep. Paul Tine, Rep. John A. Torbett, Rep. Roger West, Rep. Jay Adams, Rep. Brian Brown, Rep. Dan Bishop, Rep. John R. Bradford, III, Rep. Mark Brody, Rep. Rick Catlin, Rep. Ted Davis, Jr., Rep. Jeffrey Elmore, Rep. John A. Fraley, Rep. Kelly E. Hastings, Rep. John R. Bell, IV, Rep. Charles Jeter, Rep. Bert Jones, Rep. Jonathan C. Jordan, Rep. James H. Langdon, Jr., Rep. Allen McNeill, Rep. Brig Gen (R) Gary Pendleton, Rep. Michele D. Presnell, Rep. Rena W. Turner, Rep. George S. Robinson, Rep. Stephen M. Ross, Rep. Susan Martin, Rep. Jacqueline Michelle Schaffer, Rep. Paul Stam, Rep. Bob Steinburg, Rep. Sarah Stevens, Rep. John Szoka, Rep. Harry Warren, Rep. Sam Watford, Rep. Chris Whitmire, Rep. Larry Yarborough, Rep. Lee Zachary, Rep. William D. Brisson, Rep. Ken Goodman, Rep. Edward Hanes, Jr., Rep. Michael H. Wray, Rep. Kelly M. Alexander, Jr., Rep. Charles Graham, Rep. Becky Carney, Rep. Tricia Ann Cotham, Rep. Duane Hall, Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield, Rep. Elmer Floyd, Rep. George Graham, Rep. Rick Glaziez, Rep. Darren G. Jackson, Rep. Larry M. Bell, Rep. Marvin W. Lucas, Rep. Garland E. Pierce, Rep. Rodney W. Moore and Rep. Ken Waddell.
Contact: Jordan Hennessy
jordan.hennessy@ncleg.net, •
(252) 619-3606
300 N. Salisbury Street
Room 525 • Raleigh, NC 27603
Phone:
(919) 715-8293 • Fax:
(919) 754-3296 •
bill.cook@ncleg.net
