BILLS IN NC GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Updated 3-08-07.

CURRENT BILLS IN NC GENERAL ASSEMBLY:  We strongly urge you to contact sponsors/co-sponsors and voice your support of these bills.  Bold indicates a bill of specific interest to Buncombe County residents.  For individual legislator email addresses, please refer to the House Member List or the Senate Member List . 

In addition, please contact appropriate Committee members to urge them to move these bills through Committee to the General Assembly.  Please reference Rules, Calendar & Operations of the House, Local Government I , Senate Ways & Means , or Senate Committee on State & Local Government where appropriate.  

 In addition, please refer to the list of "issue-friendly" legislators" and email each of them, asking for their support for these annexation reform bills.

 Every single letter you write will make a difference.  We are counting on your help in this effort, so please, please take the time to write as many letters as you can. 

(update current as of March 8, 2007)

HOUSE:
1. HB 32: A bill which calls for a moratorium across the state on involuntary annexations, and a study commission to be established.
Sponsors: Brown; Blackwood,  Boylan, Cleveland,  Dollar,  Faison, Folwell;  Hurley,  Langdon,  McGee,  Pate. 
Status: Referred to Rules committee on Jan 30, 2007.

2. HB 56 : A bill for communities that already have essential services in place.
Sponsors: Representatives Brown, Boylan, Faison, Cleveland, Folwell, McGee, Walend.
Status; Referred to Rules Committee on Feb 1, 2007.

3. HB 60: Local bill. An Act to provide in Moore County for referenda on annexations if requested by 10 % of the residents of the area to be annexed.
Sponsor: Boylan
Status: Referred to Rules on Feb 5, 2007.

4. HB 86 : Local bill: Buncombe Annexation Referendum to provide in Buncombe county for referenda on annexations if requested by 20 % of residents of the area to be annexed, and to generally prohibit subdivisions from being divided during an involuntary annexation.
Sponsors: Thomas, Goforth, Walend.
Status: Referred to Rules Committee on Feb 2, 2007.

5. HB 87 : A bill to provide for referenda on annexations if requested by 20 % of residents of the area to be annexed and to generally prohibit subdivisions from being divided during an involuntary annexation.
Sponsors: Thomas and Goforth
Status: Referred to Rules Committee on February 2, 2007.

6. HB 104 : A bill calling for a referenda on annexations if requested by 10 % of the residents of the area to be annexed.
Sponsors: Dollar, Boylan,  Brown, Blackwood,  Blust,  Faison,  Hilton, Moore,  Pate,  Walend.
Status; Referred to Rules Committee on Feb 8, 2007.

7. HB 243 : A bill to require that all property owners must be notified of proposed involuntary annexations by certified mail, that municipalities that operate a cable public access channel must air a notice of proposed involuntary annexations, and to require that proposed involuntary annexations meet both the density and development standards(law currently reads “or” for standards, and this law would make the requirements cumulative by adding “and” vice “or”.
Sponsors: Brown, Dollar,. Avila, Blackwood,  Boylan,  Cleveland,  Folwell,  Hilton,  Langdon,  McElraft,  Moore,  Pate,  Walend. 
Status: Referred to Rules Committee Feb 19, 2007

8. HB 261 : A bill directly related to involuntary annexation as it deals with Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ). This bill would all residents of areas in the ETJ of a municipality to vote in elections for municipal officers.
Sponsors: Brown and Boylan are primary sponsors. Cosponsors are Avila, Blackwood, Cleveland, Faison, Folwell, McElraft, McGee, Moore, Starnes, and Walend.
Status: Referred to Rules Committee on Feb 20, 2007.

9. HB 315: A bill which would preclude outside Polk County from either annexing into Polk County or extending their ETJ into Polk County.
Sponsor: Rep Walend
Status: Referred to Local Government I Committee on 2/22/07.

10. HB 378 : A bill which would allow the citizens residing in a municipality’s ETJ or in the area the municipality intends to annex, to vote for each officer of that municipality's governing board. In addition, no city may exercise extraterritorially any power conferred by the statute unless the city's governing board has first provided an opportunity for the qualified voters residing within the defined area to vote for each officer of the governing board.
Sponsors: Reps Faison, Brown and Boylan.
Status: Referred to Rules Committee Feb 27, 2007.

11. HB 379: A bill which states that the area to be annexed must be contiguous to an area within the municipality that is of equal size or greater and that has been developed for urban purposes.
Sponsors: Reps Faison, Brown, and Boylan
Status: Referred to Rules Committee Feb 27, 2007

12. HB 457 : This bill would restrict satellite annexations outside the extraterritorial planning jurisdiction (ETJ)of a municipality. In order to annex an area, all of that area would have to be in the ETJ
Sponsors: Brown, Avila, Boylan, Cleveland, McGee, Pate.
Status: Filed March 1, 2007

SENATE:

1. SB 38: A bill to amend the constitution of North Carolina to prohibit eminent domain from being used for economic development purposes. While not specifically an annexation bill, it is directly related.
Sponsors: Senators Smith;  Allran, Apodaca, Berger of Rockingham, Bingham, Blake, Brock, Brown, East, Forrester, Goodall, Hunt, Jacumin, Jones, Pittenger, Preston, Stevens, and Tillman.
Status: Referred to: Ways and Means.

2. SB 214: A bill to restore the pre-1959 annexation law by requiring a referendum on annexation if 15% of the residents being annexed present a petition calling for this referendum. The registered voters in the area to be annexed will vote, and a simple majority on the referendum will prevail.
Sponsor: Senator Andrew Brock
Status: Referred to Senate Ways and Means Committee on Feb 20, 2007

3. SB 255: Companion bill to HB 315 on Polk County.
Sponsor: Senator Apodaca
Status: Referred to Committee on State and Local Government Feb 22, 2007

4. SB 647 (Buncombe Annexation Referendum - same as HB 86) : (Local Bill) A Bill to provide in Buncombe County for referenda on annexations if requested by 20% of the residents of the area to be annexed, and to generally prohibit subdivisions from being divided during an involuntary annexation.
Sponsor: Senator Apodaca.
Status: Filed March 7, 2007

5. SB 650 (Polk Annexation Referendum) :  (Local Bill) A bill to provide in Polk County for referenda on annexations if requested by 20% of the area to be annexed and generally prohibit subdivisions from being divided during an involuntary annexation.
Sponsor: Senator Apodaca
Status: Filed March 7, 2007