WHAT HAPPENED: In December, we're often in the mindframe of finished business and holiday focus. In a "short session" year, we're still full steam at the General Assembly as its 2017-18 membership narrows down final business.
WHAT IT MEANS: Before the new class moves in this January, lawmakers continue to wrap up work on bills enabling now-greenlighted constitutional amendments along with numerous other matters, from e-scooters to the implications of the apparent elections irregularities found in the 9th Congressional District.
ON TAP: Lawmakers plan to continue business into next week, though inclement weather may impact the flow of things. Otherwise, session work was set to resume on Monday as lawmakers move legislation and negotiate with the governor on court-involved items like the future of the
state elections board.
THE SKINNY: We've reported numerous times that legislators, with their announced focus on constitutional amendment bills, weren't restricted on legislative topics they could take up in this reconvening. This Bulletin highlights a few other proposals or discussions of interest municipalities.
In remarks before the multi-modal committee of the N.C. Board of Transportation on Wednesday, the League emphasized the importance of leveraging the state’s transportation network for broadband connectivity. With its extensive right-of-way holdings, the League said, the State of North Carolina played a critical role in building high-speed broadband capacity across the state. It is often less expensive to place broadband fiber conduit along road and rail right-of-way, and in its presentation the League applauded the state’s new policy of incorporating broadband conduit into each new project it undertakes. Specifically regarding modes of transportation besides cars and trucks, because internet connectivity drives many of the evolving shared transportation solutions, the League also urged multi-modal committee members to develop policies governing collection of the data generated by these vehicles. Those recommendations included policies for data ownership, data-sharing with other levels of government such as cities, and the security of personally-identifying information. Contact: Erin Wynia
The House voted yesterday to advance a proposal that represented the state’s first foray into regulation of electric scooters, or “e-scooters." Since spring, numerous private companies have placed fleets of e-scooters into cities across the state. Riders rent the scooters by using their smartphones, then leave the scooters undocked at their destination, ready for the next rider. The League negotiated the proposed changes with representatives of private e-scooter companies and supported the updates to current law included in Section 12.5 of SB 469 Technical Corrections. Those updates included a technical definition of e-scooters and a change to remove e-scooters from motor vehicle registration and titling requirements. While this bill now moves to the Senate, the League anticipates taking part in much more comprehensive e-scooter discussions next session. Contact: Erin Wynia
Cities and towns faced further restrictions on their ability to recoup from industry the cost of reviewing small cell applications with a proposal introduced this week in SB 469 Technical Corrections. The measure, contained in Section 4 of the bill, extended current restraints on small cell application fees to also apply to those fees charged for zoning application review and technical consultant costs. It is common practice for municipalities to charge industries for the costs of checking compliance with local development and public safety rules that apply to that industry. With this proposal, taxpayers will now pay the costs for reviewing these applications. In a largely party-line vote yesterday, the House moved the bill to the Senate for consideration. Contact: Erin Wynia
