Bulletin #1 |
January 26 , 2007 |
The 2007 General Assembly convened at 12:00 noon on Wednesday of this week. As anticipated, the Senate elected Senator Marc Basnight to an eighth term as President Pro Tem. The House elected Representative Joe Hackney to his first term as House Speaker. Both are Democrats, reflecting the 31 to19 Democratic majority in the Senate and the 68 to 52 Democratic majority in the House.
In other leadership actions, the Senate tapped Charlie Dannelly as Deputy President Pro Tem. Tony Rand will serve as Majority Leader, Katie Dorsett as Majority Whip, R.C. Soles as Permanent Majority Caucus Chair, and Charlie Albertson as Majority Caucus Secretary. Phil Berger will serve as Republican Leader, Tom Apodaca as Deputy Republican Leader, Jerry Tillman as Republican Whip, and Jean Preston as Republican Caucus Policy Chair. Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue presides as President of the Senate.
The House elected William Wainwright as Speaker Pro Tem. Also in the House, Hugh Holliman will serve as Majority Leader. Paul Stam will serve as Minority Leader and Bill McGee as Minority Whip. Dale Folwell has been chosen as Joint Caucus Leader.
We will let you know when the permanent House and Senate committee appointments and room assignments are available. Information can also be found on the General Assembly Web Page at www.ncleg.net.
Looking to the 2007 Session
As always, the state budget and money issues will be key this session. Although the state has collected $285 million more than projected in tax revenues through the first six months of the current fiscal year, in crafting the budget the General Assembly still faces a potential shortfall estimated between $500 million and $1 billion. While balancing the state budget and related questions of raising or lowering taxes and spending are likely to dominate, there will also be hundreds of bills introduced affecting cities and towns. On the municipal front we will be watching the money issues closely. As always, we will seek additional municipal revenue sources and work to protect existing revenues and municipal authority.
Infrastructure needs: the municipal priority for this session
Securing a dedicated source of revenue for local infrastructure needs -- including water, sewer, transportation, and stormwater -- is our top priority for this legislative session. Based on the advocacy agenda adopted at the 2006 Annual Conference last October, the League will:
- Seek adequate permanent and dedicated sources of revenue for infrastructure needs;
- Seek additional local option revenue sources that may be dedicated to infrastructure needs;
- Seek a state bond package with significant funding for clean water projects and urban transportation needs.
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Don’t let North Carolina crumble
Keep our foundation strong. North Carolina’s roads, bridges, transportation systems, and water and sewer facilities must be state-level priorities.
Clean water is essential. Current capital needs for replacement of deteriorating systems, environmental upgrades, and system improvements far exceed available resources. Estimates are that we will need $16.3 billion over the next 25 years. We need a more systematic, statewide funding approach. We need permanent and dedicated sources of revenue.
Transportation drives our economy. N.C. citizens deserve good roads, bridges, and transportation systems within their cities, regions and state. Funding is lagging far behind documented needs in every part of the state. There is a $65 billion funding gap on the state’s road system, and our survey of local transportation needs identifies $10 billion in municipal road needs among the 27 percent of cities and towns responding. We need permanent and dedicated sources of revenue to meet these local needs.
The state has a role. Securing a strong foundation for North Carolina’s future -- the roads, bridges, transportation systems, and water and sewer facilities -- must be a statewide concern, not just a local challenge. This statewide concern must be answered with a statewide partnership.
What you can do right now. Talk with your legislators about your water, sewer and transportation capital needs – the needs in your city or town and your region. Tell them what you are doing at the local level to meet those needs. We will be sending out additional information on the issue soon and posting information on our website, www.nclm.org.
Local Bill Deadlines - Cross-Over Deadline
The deadline for the submission of local bills to Legislative Bill Drafting is February 27 for Senate bills and March 20 for House bills. (Bill introduction deadlines fall one week later than the drafting deadline in each respective chamber.) You should contact your legislators as soon as possible if you have the need for a local bill. Please let us know if we may be of assistance to you with local legislation.
The cross-over deadline is May 17. This is the date by which bills (other than those required to be referred to Finance or Appropriations) must have passed one chamber in order to be eligible for further consideration by the other chamber during the remainder of the session.
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Election details
We extend our congratulations to the newly elected members of the 2007 General Assembly. Municipal officials and members of the League staff are looking forward to working closely with you to continue North Carolina's tradition of sound local government. Please do not hesitate to call on us whenever we may be of assistance with legislative matters.
We want to say a word of thanks to the legislators who did not run for re-election, ran for other offices, or were defeated in the primary or general election. They have served the state well, and we thank them for their efforts. Experience tells us that we will have opportunities to work with many of them in other capacities, and we will look forward to doing so.
We were also saddened by the passing of Senator Robert Lee Holloman, Representative Howard Hunter, and Representative Bernard Allen. We will miss working with them.
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The full list of members of the 2007 General Assembly follows:
Senate Incumbents marked by asterisk (*).
Charles W. (Charlie) Albertson (D-Duplin)*
Austin M. Allran (R-Catawba)*
Tom Apodaca (R-Henderson)*
Robert (Bob) Atwater (D-Chatham)*
Marc Basnight (D-Dare)*
Doug Berger (D-Franklin)*
Philip E. (Phil) Berger (R-Rockingham)*
Stan Bingham (R-Davidson)*
Harris Blake (R-Moore)*
Julia Boseman (D-New Hanover)*
Andrew C. Brock (R-Davie)*
Harry Brown (D-Onslow)*
Peter Samuel (Pete) Brunstetter (R-Forsyth)*
Daniel G. (Dan) Clodfelter (D-Mecklenburg)*
Janet Cowell (D-Wake)*
Walter H. Dalton (D-Rutherford)*
Charlie S. Dannelly (D-Mecklenburg)*
Katie G. Dorsett (D-Guilford)*
Don East (R-Surry)*
Tony Foriest (D-Alamance)
James (Jim) Forrester (R-Gaston)*
Linda Garrou (D-Forsyth)*
W. Edward (Eddie) Goodall (R-Union)*
Steve Goss (D-Watauga)
Malcolm Graham (D-Mecklenburg)*
Kay R. Hagan (D-Guilford)*
Fletcher L. Hartsell, Jr. (R-Cabarrus)*
David W. Hoyle (D-Gaston)*
Neal Hunt (R-Wake)*
Jim Jacumin (R-Burke)*
Clark Jenkins (D-Edgecombe)*
Ed Jones (D-Halifax)
John H. Kerr, III (D-Wayne)*
Eleanor (Ellie) Kinnaird (D-Orange)*
Jeanne Hopkins Lucas (D-Durham)*
Vernon Malone (D-Wake)*
Martin L. Nesbitt, Jr. (D-Buncombe)*
Robert Pittenger (R-Mecklenburg)*
Jean Preston (R-Carteret)
William R. (Bill) Purcell (D-Scotland)*
Joe Sam Queen (D-Haywood)
Tony Rand (D-Cumberland)*
Larry Shaw (D-Cumberland)*
Fred Smith (R-Johnston)*
John Snow (D-Cherokee)*
R. C. Soles, Jr. (D-Columbus)*
Richard Stevens (R-Wake)*
A.B. Swindell (D-Nash)*
Jerry W. Tillman (R-Randolph)*
David F. Weinstein (D-Robeson)*
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House Incumbents marked by asterisk (*).
Alma S. Adams (D-Guilford)*
Martha B. Alexander (D-Mecklenburg)*
Lucy T. Allen (D-Franklin)*
Cary D. Allred (R-Alamance)*
David Almond (R-Stanly)*
Marilyn Avila (R-Wake)
Jeff Barnhart (R-Cabarrus)*
Larry M. Bell (D-Sampson)*
James B. (Jim) Black (D-Mecklenburg)*
Curtis Blackwood (R-Union)*
Dan Blue (D-Wake)
Joe Boylan (R-Moore)
John M. Blust (R-Guilford)*
Alice Bordsen (D-Alamance)*
R. Van Braxton (D-Lenoir)
William Brisson (D-Bladen)
Larry R. Brown (R-Forsyth)*
Harold J. Brubaker (R-Randolph)*
Angela Bryant (D-Nash)
Becky Carney (D-Mecklenburg)*
Walter G. Church, Sr. (D-Burke)*
Debbie A. Clary (R-Cleveland)*
George Cleveland (R-Onslow)*
Lorene T. Coates (D-Rowan)*
E. Nelson Cole (D-Rockingham)*
Linda Coleman (D-Wake)*
James W. (Jim) Crawford, Jr. (D-Granville)*
W. Pete Cunningham (D-Mecklenburg)*
William A. Current, Sr. (R-Gaston)*
Bill Daughtridge (R-Nash)*
N. Leo Daughtry (R-Johnston)*
Margaret Highsmith Dickson (D-Cumberland)*
Jerry C. Dockham (R-Davidson)*
Nelson Dollar (R-Wake)*
Beverly M. Earle (D-Mecklenburg)*
Bob England (D-Rutherford)*
Bill Faison (D-Orange)*
Jean Farmer-Butterfield (D-Wilson)*
Susan C. Fisher (D-Buncombe)*
Dale R. Folwell (R-Forsyth)*
Phillip Frye (R-Mitchell)*
Pryor A. Gibson, III (D-Montgomery)*
Robert M. (Mitch) Gillespie (R-McDowell)*
Rick Glazier (D-Cumberland)*
Bruce Goforth (D-Buncombe)*
Melanie Wade Goodwin (D-Richmond)*
W. Robert Grady (R-Onslow)*
Jim Gulley (R-Mecklenburg)*
Joe Hackney (D-Orange)*
R. Phillip (Phil) Haire (D-Jackson)*
Larry D. Hall (D-Durham)*
Jim Harrell, III (D-Surry)*
Mary Price (Pricey) Harrison (D-Guilford)*
Dewey L. Hill (D-Columbus)*
Mark K. Hilton (R-Catawba)*
L. Hugh Holliman (D-Davidson)*
Bryan R. Holloway (R-Stokes)*
George M. Holmes (R-Yadkin)*
Julia C. Howard (R-Davie)*
Pat Hurley (R-Randolph)
Verla C. Insko (D-Orange)*
Margaret M. (Maggie) Jeffus (D-Guilford)*
Linda P. Johnson (R-Cabarrus)*
Earl Jones (D-Guilford)*
Carolyn H. Justice (R-Pender)*
Carolyn K. Justus (R-Henderson)*
Ric Killian (R-Mecklenburg)
Joe L. Kiser (R-Lincoln)*
James H. Langdon, Jr. (R-Johnston)*
David Lewis (R-Harnett)*
Jimmy L. Love, Sr. (D-Lee)
Marvin W. Lucas (D-Cumberland)*
Paul Luebke (D-Durham)*
Grier Martin (D-Wake)*
Mary E. McAllister (D-Cumberland)*
Daniel F. McComas (R-New Hanover)*
Pat McElraft (R-Carteret)
William C. (Bill) McGee (R-Forsyth)*
Marion N. McLawhorn (D-Pitt)*
H. M. (Mickey) Michaux, Jr. (D-Durham)*
Annie Mobley (D-Hertford)
Tim Moore (R-Cleveland)*
Wil Neumann (R-Gaston)
William C. (Bill) Owens, Jr. (D-Pasquotank)*
Earline W. Parmon (D-Forsyth)*
Louis M. Pate, Jr. (R-Wayne)*
Garland E. Pierce (D-Scotland)*
Ray Rapp (D-Madison)*
Karen B. Ray (R-Iredell)*
Deborah K. Ross (D-Wake)*
Ruth Samuelson (R-Mecklenburg)
Drew P. Saunders (D-Mecklenburg)*
Mitchell S. Setzer (R-Catawba)*
Timothy L. Spear (D-Washington)*
Paul Stam (R-Wake)*
Edgar V. Starnes (R-Caldwell)*
Fred F. Steen, II (R-Rowan)*
Bonner L. Stiller (R-Brunswick)*
Ronnie N. Sutton (D-Robeson)*
Cullie Tarleton (D-Watauga)
Charles C. Thomas (R-Buncombe)
Thom Tillis (R-Mecklenburg)
Joe P. Tolson (D-Edgecombe)*
Russell E. Tucker (D-Duplin)*
Alice Graham Underhill (D-Craven)*
William L. Wainwright (D-Craven)*
Trudi Walend (R-Transylvania)*
R. Tracy Walker (R-Wilkes)*
Edith D. Warren (D-Pitt)*
Ray Warren (D-Catawba)
Jennifer Weiss (D-Wake)*
Roger West (R-Cherokee)*
Laura I. Wiley (R-Guilford)*
W.A. (Winkie) Wilkins (D-Person)*
Arthur J. Williams (D-Beaufort)*
Larry W. Womble (D-Forsyth)*
Michael Wray (D-Northampton)*
Thomas E. Wright (D-New Hanover)*
Douglas Y. (Doug) Yongue (D-Scotland)*
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Legislators with local government experience
By our count, 29 members of the House have served as municipal elected or appointed officials, and 14 members on the Senate side, for a total of 43.
Senators: Phil Berger (Mayodan), Dan Clodfelter (Charlotte), Janet Cowell (Raleigh), Charlie Dannelly (Charlotte), Katie Dorsett (Greensboro), Malcolm Graham (Charlotte), David Hoyle (Dallas), Neal Hunt (Raleigh), Ed Jones (Enfield), Ellie Kinnaird (Carrboro), Bill Purcell (Laurinburg), Richard Stevens (Durham), A.B. Swindell (Oxford), David Weinstein (Lumberton).
Representatives: Alma Adams (Greensboro), Lucy Allen (Louisburg), Jim Black (Matthews), Alice Bordsen (Mebane), Van Braxton (Kinston), Larry Brown (Kernersville), Angela Bryant (Rocky Mount), Jim Crawford (Oxford), Phillip Frye (Spruce Pine), Robert Grady (Jacksonville), Jim Gulley (Matthews), Phil Haire (Sylva), Julia Howard (Mocksville), Earl Jones (Greensboro), Jimmy Love (Sanford), Marvin Lucas (Spring Lake), Pat McElraft (Emerald Isle), Bill McGee (Clemmons), Marion McLawhorn (Grifton), Louis Pate (Mount Olive), Ray Rapp (Mars Hill), Drew Saunders (Huntersville), Mitchell Setzer (Catawba), Paul Stam (Apex), Fred Steen (Landis), Ronnie Sutton (Pembroke), Laura Wiley (High Point), Larry Womble (Winston-Salem), Thomas Wright (Wilmington).
There also are a good number of former county commissioners. If we missed anyone, please let us know.
2007-08 Advocacy Agenda—Meet Your Legislators
The League membership adopted the 2007-08 advocacy agenda at the October Conference in Greensboro, as recommended by the legislative action committees and the Board of Directors. It is available on the League’s website: http://www.nclm.org/Legal/advocacyagenda.htm
We encourage you to schedule legislative briefing sessions with your delegations as soon as possible. We also suggest strongly that you get to know newly elected members and begin talking with them about legislative issues. Members of the League staff, of course, will look forward to answering questions, providing information, and attending legislative meetings upon your invitation.
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Using the General Assembly website
If you need to know the status of a bill, read the text of a bill, or find out who is on a committee…if you need to know how to reach your legislator…if you need to know what the House or Senate will be considering during a particular daily session…the General Assembly website makes this information and much more readily available at www.ncleg.net.
A parting word
The League staff looks forward to working with the 2007 General Assembly. But we can only be successful if the League membership is actively involved throughout -- in early meetings with legislators on key municipal issues, helping legislators understand the pros and cons of various decisions, and in communicating legislative actions and their effects to the citizens that both you and your legislators represent. If we serve our constituents in partnership with the Legislature, the citizens will be the beneficiaries. We need and encourage your active involvement and advice every step of the way.
Remember—things can happen fast in any session. Managers and clerks, please share information from these Legislative Bulletins with your elected officials promptly, and help them communicate in an effective and timely manner with your legislators.
Please note the information below regarding distribution of our Legislative Bulletin. We will send an e-mail legislative update each Friday during the session, and the Legislative Bulletin will also be available on our web page (www.nclm.org).
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How do you want to receive your Legislative Bulletin?
Beginning last session, we streamlined the Legislative Bulletin and moved to electronic (e-mail) distribution. We no longer send individual hard copies by regular mail unless specifically requested to do so (see below). We made this change to save on printing and postage costs and to speed up the distribution of important legislative information.
To have your name included on the Legislative Bulletin electronic distribution list, send an e-mail to leaguebulletin@nclm.org. Be sure to give us your name, title, municipality and e-mail address. If you have already sent us your name and email, do not do so again.
We will continue, for the present, to mail one hard copy to each member municipality. That copy will be mailed to a municipal staff member who can then take responsibility for copying and distributing it to other officials.
If you want to continue to receive an individual hard copy of the Legislative Bulletin by regular mail, please fill out the request form below and return it to the League. If you have filled out the form below before, do not send it in again. Thank you for your interest in the Legislative Bulletin.
Request for Mailed Copy of Legislative Bulletin
I do not have e-mail or do not want to receive the NCLM Legislative Bulletin by e-mail. Please mail my copy to:
Name _______________________________________________________________________
Title ________________________________________________________________________
Municipality __________________________________________________________________
Address______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Fax to 919-733-9519 or mail to NCLM, P.O. Box 3069, Raleigh, NC 27603.
S. Ellis Hankins, Executive Director |
Andrew L. Romanet, Jr., General Counsel |
