Governor McCrory Signs Bill That Lengthens Time Between Parole Hearings For Sex Offenders | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Raleigh, N.C.     Governor Pat McCrory signed legislation today that lengthens the time between parole considerations for inmates convicted of certain sexually violent crimes. Under Senate Bill 675, the time between parole considerations is now two years. Previously, inmates of these crimes could receive parole consideration annually.

    The new law will provide relief to sex crime victims who appear before the Parole Commission to argue for continued incarceration of the inmate who violated them.

    Governor McCrory also signed Senate Bill 477 that enables the sale of the former Bladen Correctional Center to the Bladen County Board of Commissioners for $1. Bladen County will use the former prison to train firefighters, law enforcement officers and EMS personnel.

    The governor also signed today:

• S.B. 52 — Under current law, only a few cities and towns, including Wilmington, Raleigh and Chapel Hill, are authorized to use modern payment methods to activate parking meters. This bill authorizes all cities to allow activation of parking meters by coins, tokens, cash, credit cards, debit cards, or other electronic means.
• S.B. 185 — A bill to clarify credit for time served as recommended by the North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission.
• H.B. 268 — A bill to make various changes as recommended by the Department of Transportation. The bill modifies highway quick clearance procedures to allow the Department of Transportation to remove a vehicle with concurrence of a law enforcement officer. Under current law, only a law enforcement officer can clear a vehicle. This authority will help during snow and ice events. The bill also authorizes a necessary permit for an economic development project in Charlotte. Last, the bill extends the sunset for the Department's program for participation by disadvantaged and minority-owned and women-owned businesses.
• S.B. 332 — A bill to enable registers of deeds to collect additional fees for indexing instruments that contain exhibits with multiple enterable parties.
• S.B. 446 — A bill to provide for the uniform treatment of franchised dealer loaner vehicles, to clarify that agents or agencies of the state or a political subdivision of the state shall have authority to provide and operate unmanned aircraft systems upon approval of the State Chief Information Officer and to modify the regulation of unmanned aircraft systems to conform to FAA guidelines, and to authorize Brunswick County to regulate navigable waters within its boundaries.

• Contact: Crystal Feldman
•     govpress@nc.gov