• • This Week at the General Assembly
• • Bills Introduced This Week
• • Bills on the Move
• • Important Reminder
• • Quote of the Week

Due to Government Affairs staff being detained on non-home building related issues this week (namely jury duty), this week’s Legislative Update will just hit the high notes.  We will return with our usual pithy commentary next week!

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SB 95 Fair Housing Act Amendment would amend the state Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of receipt of housing assistance.

SB 107 Tax of Improved Property in Roadway Corridors would reduce the property tax owed for improved property inside certain roadway corridors.

SB 110 Permit Terminal Groins would authorize the permitting and construction of terminal groins at inlets under certain conditions.

HB 158 Limit Legislators to Four Consecutive Terms  Another constitutional amendment bill – we are seeing a lot of these in this Session.

HB 165 Planned Community & Condo Act Amendments makes sweeping changes to the existing Planned Community Act relative to home owner association management, enforcement of covenants, foreclosure on residents, record keeping and other requirements.  NCHBA does not support this legislation as introduced and is working with the bill sponsors on favorable amendments.

HB 168 Zoning/Agricultural Annexation Exemption would allow an exemption for any agricultural interest annexed by a municipality and exempting coverage of any agricultural interest in the ETJ.

HB 183 HOA/Limit Foreclosures would prohibit a HOA from foreclosing on property where the debt securing the association assessment lien consists solely of unpaid HOA dues or other costs associated with unpaid HOA dues. (This bill will counter some provisions in HB 165.)

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HB 62 Prohibit Boylston Creek Reclassification moves to the full House next week.

HB 135 Efficient and Affordable Energy Rates Bill referred to the Committee on Public Utilities, if favorable, Finance.

SB 27 Involuntary Annexation Moratorium was removed from the Senate calendar and re-referred to Senate Finance.

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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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"Any time government tells you, 'You have to do something with your property,' it can stir emotions over freedom, but this is a public safety issue, and driving is a privilege, it's not a right." 

House Speaker Thom Tillis said while he and others tested their dialing and driving skills this week with varying degrees of success. They gathered at a test track set up at the Highway Patrol training grounds to help drum up publicity for an effort to ban people from using hand-held cell phones while driving. Tillis supports the ban on dialing & driving (hands free devices would not be prohibited), however, he knocked down fewer cones when he was using his phone than when he wasn't using it.  Now that’s talent!

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