North Carolina FreedomWorks Raleigh Report

North Carolina FreedomWorks Legislative Liaison Kathy Hartkopf  has outlined the Freedom Agenda for this coming session and where FreedomWorks stands on these important issues.

The 2011-2012 biennium of the North Carolina General Assembly convened on Wednesday, January 26. Legislators came back to Raleigh ready to work with office moves completed and committee assignments having been made. House leadership had restructured and streamlined House committees.

From the very first day of session, talk of issues of interest to FreedomWorks activists has filled the halls!

Health Care:

* S23, “Protect Health Care Freedom” — Passed First Reading and referred to Senate Committee on Judiciary II. Thank you primary sponsors Senators Clary, Rouzer, and Pate and the twenty co-sponsors!

* H2, “Protect Health Care Freedom” – PASSED THIRD READING IN THE HOUSE
Thank you primary sponsors Representatives Stam, Barnhart, Hollo, and Murry and the fifty eight co-sponsors!

NORTH CAROLINA FREEDOMWORKS SUPPORTED H2 and SUPPORTS S23

School Choice:

* S8, “No Cap on Number of Charter Schools” — Passed First Reading and referred to S enate Committee on Education/Higher Education
Thank you primary sponsor Senator Richard Stevens and the twenty-two co-sponsors!
NORTH CAROLINA FREEDOMWORKS SUPPORTS S8

Eminent Domain:

* S37, “Eminent Domain” — Passed First Reading and referred to Senate Committee on Judiciary I
Thank you to primary sponsor Brent Jackson and the twenty co-sponsors for working to end eminent domain abuses.

* H8, “Eminent Domain” — Passed First Reading and referred to the House Committee on Judiciary
Thank you to primary sponsors Representatives Stam, Lewis, and McGrady and the sixty-one co-sponsors for working to end eminent domain abuses.

While North Carolina FreedomWorks supports a constitutional amendment on eminent domain, we have concerns that S37/H8 does not go far enough. For information about what we feel a protective eminent domain bill would contain, please read this art icle written by Daren Bakst. Daren is Director of Legal and Regulatory Studies at the John Locke Foundation.

Annexation:

* S27, “Involuntary Annexation Moratorium” — Passed First Reading and referred to Senate Committee on State and Local Government
Thank you primary sponsors Brock, Newton, and Goolsby and the fourteen co-sponsors.

* H9, “Involuntary Annexation Moratorium” — Passed First Reading and referred to House Committee on Judiciary
Thank you primary sponsors Representatives L. Brown, R. Brown, Dollar, and LaRoque and the thirty co-sponsors.

NORTH CAROLINA FREEDOMWORKS SUPPORTS S27/H9

* H5, “Kinston Annexation Repealed”
Thank you to primary sponsor Representative LaRoque.

* H37, “Lexington Annexation Repealed”
Thank you to primary sponsor Representative R. Brown.

H5 and H37 passed first reading in the House and received a favorable report from the House Committee on Governm ent. Both bills have been re-referred to the House Committee on Finance.
NORTH CAROLINA FREEDOMWORKS SUPPORTS H5 and H37

* H56, “Rocky Mount Annexation Repealed” — Passed First Reading and referred to House Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
Thank you primary sponsor Representative Collins.
NORTH CAROLINA FREEDOMWORKS SUPPORTS H56

Budget

* S13, “Balanced Budget Act of 2011” — Passed Third Reading in Senate and House!
Thank you primary sponsors Senators Stevens, Brunstetter, and Hunt and the seven co-sponsors.
NORTH CAROLINA FREEDOMWORKS SUPPORTED S13

To view the bills and their progress, please click here. The website is user friendly and a great resource.

Thank you for all your hard work on behalf of freedom in North Carolina. We have an historic opportunity to change our state.