• • This Week at the General Assembly
• • Bills Introduced This Week
• • Bills on the Move
• • March 16 in NAHB Legislative Conference
• • Quote of the Week

Week 4 of the 2011 session proved to be another hectic one, culminating in the Governor revealing her proposed budget on Thursday.  In the budget plan, the Governor proposes to close a $2.4 billion budget gap by cutting 10,000 employee positions, consolidating agencies and programs, and extending a temporary sales tax. Perdue said her $19.9 billion spending plan would make North Carolina more efficient while protecting the jobs of all teachers and teacher assistants currently funded by the state. Other public employees, however, wouldn't be as protected. As many as 3,000 of the positions designated for elimination (out of a total 266,000 state-funded positions) are currently filled, Perdue's budget office said. The proposal for the year starting July 1 tracks a previously announced plan to narrow 14 agencies and departments into eight, while cutting or eliminating 139 additional programs.  GOP legislative leaders – in the process of forming their own spending plan – acknowledged that there were positive steps in the Governor’s proposal, which spends less than the current budget year when $1.6 billion in federal stimulus funds are added. However, they said it doesn't cut far enough and breaks a promise by keeping intact through mid-2013 three-quarters of the additional one-cent sales tax added last session that was set to expire June 30.  Needless to say, the rhetoric will continue as the House hammers out their version of the budget over the next few weeks.

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HB 92 Repeal Land Transfer Tax would repeal the authority of local governments to hold a referendum regarding the land transfer tax.  (Would not repeal transfer tax authority granted directly to a limited number of counties by the General Assembly.) The bill has over 30 sponsors, including six Democrats.  Strongly supported by NCHBA!

HB 95 Railroad Corridor Protection reintroduces legislation that passed the House in 2009 (did not pass the Senate).  NCHBA has concerns over a number of provisions in this bill and will discuss with the bill sponsors.

H 116 Delineate Coastal Wetlands Riparian Buffers would provide relief to property owners constrained by DENR’s interpretation of the Neuse Buffer Rules.  NCHBA supports.

H 119 Amend Environmental Laws 2011 incorporates a number of amendments to various environmental laws.  This bill will be amended throughout session.  NCHBA is monitoring.

H 135 Efficient and Affordable Energy Rates Bill requires the N.C. Utilities Commission to establish tiered electricity rates for residential, commercial, public and commercial customers.  It also creates the energy efficiency public benefit loan fund to encourage the addition of energy efficiency measures.   NCHBA is monitoring.

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SB 17 Joint Regulatory Reform Committee passed 2^nd reading in the House. 

SB 22 APA Rules: Increasing Costs Prohibition was referred to House Environment Committee.

SB 64 Prohibit Boylston Creek Reclassification was referred to House Environment Committee.

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NAHB’s upcoming Legislative Conference on Wednesday, March 16, will focus on all the issues that are so central to the survival of our businesses — availability of credit for new and existing projects; housing incentives in the tax code; and the future of the housing government-sponsored enterprises.  Especially in these challenging times, participation by NAHB members can make a huge difference as various interest groups compete to push their agendas in Washington.

A strong builder turnout on March 16 will send a powerful message to members of Congress that housing must remain a top national priority.

NCHBA will be making appointments with Senators and Representatives from North Carolina. Register for the March 16 Legislative Conference by visiting www.nahb.org/legcon. Once you register, NCHBA will send out a master schedule of all legislative appointments by email prior to March 16.

For more information, you may contact Erin Jones at ejones@nchba.org or Lisa Martin at lmartin@nchba.org.

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"Whoops, you're still in the red … Balancing a budget is hard and I understand why you might be tempted to give up. As your governor, I don’t have that option."

Message from Gov. Perdue’s "Balance the Budget Challenge" on her official Web site where participants can scroll through dozens of choices to try to trim dollars from the budget gap.  NCHBA’s Jessi Hayes tried the interactive website and ended up with a $1.54 million surplus, but it took cutting 45,000 jobs! Try it yourself.  Maybe you won’t be as merciless as Jessi!

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