Hotlist 3/29/17: HB467 puts foreign-owned company ahead of NC communities
Greetings:
The only thing that has been seen less than the Hotlist this year is real solutions to fix HB2. All jokes aside, there haven’t been too many environmental issues moving at the General Assembly this session, so NCLCV’s Hotlist has gotten off to a slow start.
One issue that is in committee today would protect foreign profits at the costs of long-suffering North Carolina families: House Bill 467, “Agriculture and Forestry Nuisance Remedies.” Below are just a few of the low points of HB467:
- Undermines North Carolina homeowners to protect themselves and their property from harm caused by factory farms impacting their basic property rights and disproportionately affecting people of color and low income communities.
- Prevents plaintiffs in nuisance suits from recovering damages related to harms to health, lost income, and pain and suffering. This bill would pretend that the harm is only limited to property value.
- Has extraordinary language that would apply to legal actions “filed, arising, or pending,” which could cause landowners to lose vested rights and as such may raise constitutional issues.
These are just three of the terrible provisions tucked into this overall bad legislation. We are urging the House Judiciary III Committee members to reject this current draft as it puts the interests and profits of a foreign-owned company ahead of the health and safety of North Carolina property owners and families.
*updated on 3/31/2017
