Dear Friends,
There are two bills moving this week that require attention, but first we would like to mark the passing of Governor Jim Holshouser. Governor Holshouser was a true statesman and was willing to work with people, regardless of party, to find solutions to the problems facing North Carolina. We hope that his spirit will continue throughout the remainder of this session and into the future.
The first bill we would like to discuss is House Bill 201 (Reinstate 2009 Energy Conservation Codes), scheduled to be heard on the Senate floor this afternoon. This bill would literally roll back the clock in terms of North Carolina’s Energy Conservation Codes, forcing businesses to pay more to operate their buildings in the long term and reducing the energy sustainability of the state. H201 is opposed by environmentalists and business leaders alike; a number of construction and contracting companies voiced strong opposition to this bill yesterday in committee, and we hope that their voices will be heard when the votes are counted today. This bill is likely to show up on NCLCV’s annual scorecard, and we urge you to oppose H201.
Next up is Senate Bill 638 (NC Farm Act of 2013). We have written about this bill before, so we will avoid rehashing every objection we have with it. However, a stunningly odd explanation was given in yesterday’s Agriculture committee for a particularly troubling provision which we feel we must address. Part X of the bill limits the types of wetlands requiring permits to engage in activities on or with to those that are “waters of the United States.” The reasoning given for this is to give farmers the ability to have a small pond or other body of water, entirely on their property, which is not subject to regulation. However, as the bill is currently written, it is shockingly overinclusive. Any river, lake, canal, stream, pond, or other wetland that does not cross state lines would be exempt from regulation, not merely those which reside on a single person’s property. If the goal is to allow farmers some freedom in their actions, then it would be appropriate to target only those waters, not all waters of the state which do not cross state lines. We urge members to consider how this provision, along with others we have mentioned before, might be fixed, and to act on those considerations.
Other legislation we are keeping an eye on are listed below. Please feel free to contact us with any questions atmichael@nclcv.org and logan@nclcv.org, or you can contact Dan at dan@nclcv.org.
Best,
Michael and Logan | michael@nclcv.org, logan@nclcv.org
OPPOSE
HB74 PERIODIC REVIEW AND EXPIRATION OF RULES
HB94 AMEND ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS | SB112
HB120 BLDING CODES: LOCAL CONSISTENCY/EXEMPT CABLE
HB201 REINSTATE 2009 ENERGY CONSERVATION CODES
HB1011 GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION AND EFFICIENCY ACT
SB10 GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION AND EFFICIENCY ACT
SB112 AMEND ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS | HB94
SB151 COASTAL POLICY REFORM ACT OF 2013
SB163 PROTECT LANDOWNERS’ WATER RIGHTS
SB328 SOLID WASTE REFORM ACT OF 2013
SB515 JORDAN LAKE WATER QUALITY ACT
SB612 REGULATORY REFORM ACT OF 2013
SB635 TRANSMISSION LINE OWNERSHIP
SB677 CORPORATE INCOME TAX REDUCTION & REFORM
SB710 FAIR SHARE CONTRIBUTION FOR ELECT. VEHICLES
SUPPORT
HB315 PLASTICS LABELING REQUIREMENTS
HB401 EFFICIENT AND AFFORDABLE ENERGY RATES
HB440 NORTH CAROLINA BENEFIT CORPORATION ACT
HB573 STORMWATER MANAGEMENT FEE USES
SB706 EXTEND RENEWABLE ENERGY TAX CREDIT CARRYOVER
The HotList is a weekly email the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters (NCLCV) sends out during session where we talk about relevant legislation and share information on key environmental issues as they come before the General Assembly. While primarily intended for elected representatives, the HotList is also made public to any and all who are concerned about the environment.
