Controversial elections bill draws protesters + vehicle safety changes
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- A House election law committee moved a controversial elections bill drawing protests.
- Lawmakers are considering a bill to incorporate new research into child car safety laws.
- A bipartisan North Carolina Artificial Intelligence Caucus forms to guide AI policy.
Welcome to Under the Dome. My name is Ronni Butts, and I’m bringing you the latest in North Carolina state politics with an assist from legislative and lobbying reporter Esther Frances.
A bill that would make various changes to elections law moved through the House election law committee on Tuesday. Most Democratic members of the committee voted in the bill’s opposition, except for Rep. Shelly Willngham of Rocky Mount, according to reports from Kyle Ingram, Ronni Butts and Ava Menkes.
Protesters gathered at the legislature to voice their opposition to the bill, many of whom said the bill creates more voting restrictions. North Carolina Democratic Chair Anderson Clayton said that the bill shows that Republican lawmakers are afraid of voters’ decisions at the ballot box.
“If (Republicans) want to win, have a fair election,” protester Nina Daye told The N&O. “Stop the gerrymandering, stop all this crap, and really, really have an election that really matters.” Carson Harkrader, another protester from Durham, said she brought her 8-year-old son to the protest to demonstrate the importance of voting rights. “I’m really worried that the bedrock of our democracy, which relies on everyone having a chance to vote in free and fair elections, is being undermined by this bill and other bills across the country,” Harkrader said.
The legislature will likely see more protests for this bill, especially once it reaches the floor. Common Cause, a voting rights advocacy group, plans to hold a press conference to express its opposition to the bill in front of the legislature on Wednesday morning.
Rep. Sarah Stevens, a Republican from Surry and Wilkes counties, resigned from her post today to campaign for a state Supreme Court seat. Clayton celebrated her departure with protesters on Tuesday, and brought a giant card for her that said “good riddance.” Clayton delivered the card to Stevens at her office. Stevens took the card, sarcastically said, “thank you, I love it,” and closed her office door.
— Ronni Butts
Child vehicle safety laws may see changes
Lawmakers are considering a bill that would revise laws governing children’s safety in cars.
Motor vehicle accidents are one of the top causes of death and injury for children in North Carolina, according to the NC Child Fatality Task Force, a legislative study commission.
Rep. Donnie Loftis, a Gastonia Republican, serves as a member of the task force and is a co-sponsor of the bill. Currently, he said, state law bases car seat requirements on a child’s weight.
The bill would put more emphasis on a child’s height, which comes from recommendations from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Loftis said the university and others have said “it is more important based on the height of the child of where the seat belt will properly apply across the chest or the shoulders in a vehicle.”
The bill would also require that, starting as a newborn, a child must be secured in an appropriate rear facing car seat that fits the child’s height and weight.
“This bill is designed to really protect children that we now see as being taller where those seat belts ride and protect them would be much greater than just based on what used to be the 40-pound rule,” Loftis said.
Peg O’Connell, the chair of the Safe Kids North Carolina Steering Committee, told legislators that the bill “will keep our kids safe in the backseat and in properly installed child safety seats as they grow and hopefully come into adulthood.”
The bill was referred to the House Rules Committee, which is typically the last stop before a bill comes before the Representatives for a vote.
— Esther Frances
Legislature gets a new caucus
The legislature has a new bicameral and bipartisan caucus: the North Carolina Artificial Intelligence Caucus.
Rep. Zack Hawkins of Durham, who will co-chair the caucus, said in a press release that the caucus will help North Carolina be competitive in AI development while ensuring benefits for the community.
“As AI continues to shape industries ranging from healthcare and education to manufacturing, agriculture, and government, it is essential that North Carolina not only embrace innovation, but also ensure that students, workers, families, and communities have the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate an increasingly AI-driven world,” the press release said.
Hawkins will be joined by co-chairs Sen. Todd Johnson, Sen. DeAndrea Salvador and Rep. Jake Johnson.
As artificial intelligence continues to gain prominence, local governments and states have been forced to address issues of AI and AI development head on. Hawkins has recently gotten involved in AI advising and policy. Last September, he was appointed to Gov. Josh Stein’s AI Leadership Council. He also was a speaker at an AI summit hosted by OpenAI and North Carolina Central University last fall.
— Ronni Butts
One step closer for animal welfare advocates
A bill that would establish statewide laws about how pet owners care for their pets who primarily live outdoors cleared the legislature’s key judiciary committee on Tuesday, bringing it one step closer to a House vote.
The bill is headed for the Rules committee, which determines what bills head to the floor.
Ronni spoke to PETA advocates this month who said that although local governments have ordinances for tethering dogs outdoors, North Carolina is long overdue for statewide legislation. Rep. Stephen Ross, a Republican from Alamance County, said in Tuesday’s committee meeting that he’s taken the lead on this bill because of a tethering ordinance passed in his hometown of Burlington.
“Animal control is telling us around North Carolina (that) it’s not consistent. When they get into these situations, they find these animals chained to a tree like that (and) they can’t in some cases can’t really do anything without it,” Ross said in the committee meeting.
The bill passed with no controversy. Two people did express concerns about legislation surrounding hunting dogs during a public comment period. The committee voted to approve an amendment that would exempt owners of hunting dogs from the requirements in the bill.
— Ronni Butts
Headlines you won’t want to miss
- NC Republicans advance sweeping elections bill with new auditor powers. What to know
- NC’s retired state workers face higher health costs in 2027. Here’s what to know
- NC agency says it has no ‘public’ records of sexually suggestive texts by Causey
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