Here is a look at some of the activity in the General Assembly this week:

With the filing deadline for the Senate having passed last week, local senators will now be focused on the progress of previously filed bills through the committee process and hope to see them come to a vote in the Senate.

Senate Votes:

SB168: Expand Allowed Medical Uses/Cannabis Extract — The Senate voted in favor of this bill to amend the exemption for possession or use of cannabis extract and expand the permitted use of cannabis extract for treating chronic conditions. Sen. Don Davis (D- Greene) and Sen. Harry Brown (R-Onslow) voted in favor. Sen. Jim Perry (R- Lenoir) voted against the bill. The bill passed on a 42-4 vote. Read the text of the bill here: https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2019/Bills/Senate/PDF/S168v4.pdf

SB250: Records of Excusals for Jury Duty — This bill would require local clerks of court to keep records of jurors excused from duty due to matters of citizenship, residency or criminal history and send those records to the State Board of Elections in order to remove the names of those ineligible to vote from voter rolls. The bill passed the Senate on a party line vote Wednesday. Brown and Perry voted in favor, while Davis voted against it. The final vote tally was 27-19. Read the text of the bill here: https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2019/Bills/Senate/PDF/S250v3.pdf

House

HB724: Truth in Caller ID Act — Rep. Chris Humphrey (R- Lenoir) is a primary sponsor for this piece of legislation filed Thursday that would make it illegal for telemarketers to spoof caller IDs to make it look like a call is coming from a local number. Humphrey said in a press release, “Confusing North Carolinians with misleading phone numbers is not the way to do business in our state. Requiring solicitors to represent who they really are with accurate caller ID will instill basic transparency to benefit both industries and consumers in today’s marketplace.” Another primary sponsor, Rep. Phil Shephard (R- Onslow), said, “It becomes worrisome for people to receive six or seven calls each day that are using local phone numbers, but when you answer the call it’s a solicitation that you don’t need. This misleading practice of masking phone numbers is interfering with my constituents’ work and their busy daily lives.” Read the text of the bill here: https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2019/Bills/House/PDF/H724v0.pdf

HB741: Study Flood Mitigation — Rep. John Bell (R-Wayne) is a primary sponsor for this bill that proposes the establishment of a Joint Legislative Study Commission to study the efficacy, cost-effectiveness and barriers to implementation of projects to mitigate the effects of storm-related river flooding in N.C. The commission would be made up of 10 members appointed by the House and Senate and would report its findings and any proposed legislation to the General Assembly in 2020. Read the text of the bill here: https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2019/Bills/House/PDF/H741v0.pdf

Passenger Protection Act — Bell held a press conference in Raleigh Thursday to unveil proposed legislation in response to the kidnapping and murder of a South Carolina college student by someone impersonating an Uber driver. The legislation would require ride-sharing drivers to have a lighted sign on their vehicles to make it easier to identify legitimate drivers. Bell said at the press conference, “There is clearly an issue that needs to be addressed and we believe this bill is the least intrusive and reasonable way to help passengers properly identify their vehicles. While we know it is not a fix-all, it is a step in the right direction and the start of a much-needed conversation about improving ride-sharing safety in North Carolina.”

Check back with Neuse News next week for more updates on the General Assembly.