Here is a look at activity from local legislators during the week of March 4-7

House Bill 76: School Safety Omnibus — The N.C. House of Representatives voted Thursday unanimously in favor of this bill, which was co-sponsored by N.C. Rep. Pat McElcraft (R-Carteret) and N.C. Rep. Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin. The bill, which will now go for consideration to the N.C. Senate, deals with various issues concerning school safety, including training for school resource officers. It also would require that all public schools have threat assessment teams, and that each school conduct an annual facility vulnerability assessment. Read the entire bill here: https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2019/Bills/House/PDF/H76v4.pdf

House Bill 283: Conner’s Law — N.C. Rep. John Bell (R-Wayne) was a primary sponsor for this bill introduced in the N.C. House Thursday. The bill increases the penalty for assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm from a Class E to a Class D felony, and doubles the death benefit paid to the family of a murdered law enforcement officer. The bill is named in honor of State Trooper Kevin Conner, who was killed during a traffic stop last year. At a press conference introducing the bill on Thursday, Bell was joined by members of Conner’s family and members of the Highway Patrol. “It takes a very special person to be a State Highway Patrolman,” Bell said. “They put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe and this bill sends them a very important message that we have their back.” Read the text of the bill here: https://webservices.ncleg.net/ViewBillDocument/2019/1024/0/DRH10136-MR-62

Senate Bill 180, 183: Planning Funds, Additional Funds/ ECU Brody School of Medicine — N.C. Sen. Don Davis (D-Greene) and N.C. Sen. Jim Perry (R-Lenoir) are primary sponsors of these two bills that would recognize the importance of the Brody School of Medicine to the state of North Carolina and appropriate $14.3 million in funds to develop plans for the construction of a new medical education building for the school, and $15 million in additional funds to support the operation of the medical school. Both bills have been referred to committee. Read the text of the bills here: https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2019/Bills/Senate/PDF/S183v1.pdf

https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2019/Bills/Senate/PDF/S180v1.pdf

Senate Bill 192: School Security Act of 2019 — Sen. Perry signed on to co-sponsor this legislation that would create the position of “teacher resource officer” in N.C. schools. Teacher resource officers would be teachers who also obtain basic law enforcement training and become sworn law enforcement officers. They would receive an increase in pay for serving in that capacity, and would be able to make arrests while on school property, and also be authorized to carry a firearm in the execution of their duties. The bill would also allow private schools to authorize concealed handgun permit holders who are employees or volunteers at the school and complete additional firearms training to carry a concealed weapon on school property.  Read the full text of the bill here: https://webservices.ncleg.net/ViewBillDocument/2019/1023/0/DRS15081-MTa-19

Check back next week for more General Assembly updates.