Cooper signs bills into law on prisoner education, cybersecurity and teaching programs
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Tuesday signed 12 bills into law, including funding for university projects, ensuring state prisoners have access to community college classes, expanding a teaching fellows program and extending certain vehicle registrations.
Bills that are now law:
▪ House Bill 463: Education in Prisons will make sure inmates in state prisons have access to community college courses.
Allan Wachendorfer of the Vera Institute of Justice lauded the signing of the bill.
“Expanding access to post-secondary education in prison provides incarcerated people with greater opportunity when they return to their families and communities; cuts state expenditures on prisons; and most importantly, is a catalyst to transforming their lives,” Wachendorfer said in an emailed statement to the News & Observer. He thanked Cooper and bill sponsors for removing “barriers to education for the state’s returning citizens.
▪ House Bill 1050: PED/Low Performing School Districts will identify low-performing local school administrative units on an annual basis.
▪ House Bill 1229: Unemployment Insurance Program Integrity will fund $2 million to help with unemployment insurance fraud and compliance detection and prevent and detect cybersecurity attacks during the coronavirus pandemic. It also funds fraud detection.
▪ Senate Bill 750: Capital Projects – Elizabeth City State University will fund $6 million in improvements at Elizabeth City State University and $1.1 million to lease a ferry between Hatteras and Ocracoke.
▪ House Bill 1096: UNC Omnibus Changes/UNC Lab School Funds includes rules for nine laboratory schools and oversight of the Future Teachers of North Carolina program for high school students.
On HB 1096, Cooper sent out the following statement:
“Expanding the Teaching Fellows program will get North Carolina’s brightest students committed to teaching in our state’s classrooms. We should include HBCUs in the expansion to improve diversity at the front of the classroom, which research shows can improve student performance,” Cooper said.
Other bills Cooper signed Tuesday:
▪ House Bill 455: Amend Various Motor Vehicle Laws, which extends deadlines for loaner-dealer vehicle registrations.
▪ Senate Bill 595: Changes to Real Property Statutes, which is a technical corrections bill about real property law.
▪ House Bill 736: Elective Share-Joint Accounts, about jointly held spousal property.
▪ House Bill 873: System Development Fee/ADU Sewer Permit allows sewer permits for accessory dwelling units on property along with a single building.
▪ House Bill 1168: Murphy Branch Corridor Reduction.
▪ House Bill 920: Condominium Association Changes.
▪ House Bill 1080: Revenue Laws Recommendations.
The governor has other bills waiting on his desk as well, including related to reopening, university funding and Freedom Park.
Bills he has signed recently include funding for $350 teacher bonuses and step increase raises.
The General Assembly adjourned its short session early June 26, with a resolution to return Sept. 2. However they could be called back into session earlier.
For more North Carolina government and politics news, listen to the Domecast politics podcast from The News & Observer and the NC Insider. You can find it on Megaphone, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts.
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