What’s on AG Josh Stein’s agenda? Democrat running for NC governor backs these bills
Surrounded by fellow Democrats at a news conference at his agency, Attorney General Josh Stein spoke about proposals he and state lawmakers have pushed for, including action to tackle the fentanyl epidemic, violence and financial fraud.
On gun violence, Stein, who so far is the only Democratic candidate running for governor, spoke Monday in favor of measures such as red flag laws, which permit a temporary removal of firearms from people deemed dangerous, and universal background checks.
Democrats have filed gun bills that largely not passed or been heard in committees.
Asked what could realistically be done on gun violence considering the political parties’ differing viewpoints on solutions, with Democrats favoring more regulation, and considering that a deadline for legislation to advance is this week, Stein said there was a time “when Medicaid expansion was an impossibility because the entire Republican Party in the General Assembly was opposed to it. And now we’re on the cusp of it becoming law.”
The crossover deadline requires a bill to have passed either the House or Senate to continue forward.
”What I believe my colleagues will do is to continue to speak and continue to advocate for what is right until that time when people of all parties are willing to embrace this,” he said.
Stein also touched on other measures he and Democratic lawmakers were backing, such as:
▪ updating a controlled substances law to include nitazines, a new drug that he said “shockingly is 40 times more potent than fentanyl.”
▪ establishing a unit to help law enforcement officers use DNA hits to reopen cold sexual assault cases.
▪ ensuring all schools have mental health resources.
Asked what he would say in reply to Republicans who may see the news conference as a campaign speech, Stein said that “keeping the people of North Carolina safe is not a partisan issue. This is something that is incumbent upon all public officials.”
Stein named several specific pieces of legislation he supports in a news release describing his agenda. Here are the bills he cited on Monday (any of which could be changed in large or small ways as part of the legislative process).
▪ Senate Bill 206 would make it a felony to have equipment to make pills containing fentanyl and other drugs. Stein said there are “pills presses which drug dealers use to take fentanyl and put it in the shape of a legitimate pharmaceutical. They should be illegal. There’s absolutely no valid reason to have this type of equipment.” This bill is being sponsored by Republicans and has passed the Senate.
▪ House Bill 258 would add nitazines to the Controlled Substances Act. This bill is being sponsored by Republicans and has passed the House.
▪ House Bill 415 and Senate Bill 361 would prohibit patient “brokering,” or the practice of referring a patient to a drug treatment facility for compensation. This bill has passed the House and is bipartisan.
▪ Senate Bill 113 and House Bill 768 would allow a law enforcement or justice officer who has retired to return to work in law enforcement while still drawing their retirement allowance from the North Carolina Local Governmental Employees’ Retirement System. Both bills are sponsored by Republicans; neither have passed their respective chambers.
Rep. Carolyn Logan, a retired law enforcement officer who said she was the state’s first Black female trooper, said retired officers should be allowed “to come back to work without it affecting their retirement pay,” especially at a time when there are “less law enforcement officers, and there’s a great worry for law enforcement officers, all while we’re seeing an increase in crime.”
▪ House Bill 612: This would expand the Criminal Justice Fellows Program, which recruits high school seniors and graduates into criminal justice professions, to all counties. This bill is sponsored by Republicans and has not passed the House.
▪ House Bill 140 and Senate Bill 251: would allow civilians to respond to minor traffic accidents. Both bills are sponsored by Republicans, neither have passed their respective chambers.
▪ Senate Bill 496, House Bill 281 and Senate Bill 215 would make various changes to gun laws, including enacting universal background checks and enacting red flag laws. All these bills were sponsored by Democrats; neither have passed their respective chambers.
▪ House Bill 289 and Senate Bill 210 would make it a high-level misdemeanor for a person under 21 to possess or carry an assault weapon, among various other gun law changes. Both bills are sponsored by Democrats; neither have passed their respective chambers.
▪ House Bill 254, House Bill 289 and Senate Bill 210 would require a person who lives with a minor to store their firearm with a lock, among various other gun law changes. All three bills are sponsored by Democrats, neither have passed their respective chambers.
▪ House Bill 336, Senate Bill 263 and Senate Bill 740 would ensure schools have nurses, social workers, counselors and psychologists. These bill have bipartisan backing; neither have passed their respective chambers.
▪ House Bill 524 would provide salary increases for employees at the State Crime Laboratory. This bill is sponsored by a Republican and has not passed the House.
▪ Senate Bill 733 would update security law language to cover new forms of data breaches, among other provisions. This bill is sponsored by Democrats and has not passed the Senate.
This story was originally published May 2, 2023 at 11:59 AM.
