This year there has been 1,717 bills filed in the NC Legislature. Eighty-four of these bills are ones that I filed, and I am working on a few more.
The following are just a few highlights from this month's legislative updates in the N.C. Senate.
To get legislative news closer to the time it's happening, be sure to follow me on Facebook or frequently visit my website.
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Chuck Edwards, Senator
NC District 48
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The greatest concern this year I’ve heard from the people of my district is of uncertainty of the integrity of our elections. As a member of the Senate Elections and Redistricting Committee, I’m shown here with Senators Newton and Hise where we introduced S326, the Election Integrity Act.
This bill will prohibit county boards of election and the state board of election from accepting private donations in order to administer elections or to employ individuals on a temporary basis. I believe this creates a conflict of interest and that any money that’s funding our boards of election should come through government revenues.
This bill also requires that absentee ballots be received at the Board of Elections by 5:00 PM on election day. To allow ballots to be returned days later, and to not know the results of an election on election day creates doubt and mistrust in the process that tears at the very fabric of our democracy.
The bill will remove the last excuse for anyone who feels they can’t obtain a voter ID. Free of charge, we will send a van to anyone’s front door to produce a valid voter ID. If there’s anybody left in North Carolina that doesn’t have an ID at this point we’re going to make sure that there’s a mobile unit that shows up at their house and provides one.
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It's Past Time for NC to Get Back to Work |
Masks are coming off, caps on many businesses have been removed, and there are signs of we are returning to normal. Unfortunately, we now face a new, critical post-pandemic problem where businesses that have managed to survive COVID-19 face a shortage of employees. Companies have been unable to fulfill orders, have had to reduce their hours of operation, and are sending jobs abroad due to this labor shortage. We see inflationary pressures where prices for almost everything are skyrocketing.
Many states have stopped receiving the federal unemployment supplement, and I have asked our Governor were I to introduce legislation to do the same, would he sign it. His response told me it was unlikely, so I went to work on another solution.
I used a legislative maneuver by rewriting a House Bill that has come over to the Senate to get NC back to work. HB128 is now titled “An Act to Reemploy NC” and it will help encourage those who are currently unemployed who can work, to begin seeking work and it rewards those who choose to reenter the workforce more quickly. Using the very funds that are now fueling the federal supplements, this bill will be provide $1,500 bonus for accepting a job within 30 days of the bill becoming law or a $800 for accepting a job within 60 days. The idea has gained widespread support from employer groups, and a bipartisan support from my Senate colleagues.
This action will require Congressional approval to redeploy funds from the FPUC program or some other allowable federal funds administered by the US Department of Labor.
It’s critical that with life returning to normal, we give individuals confidence, dignity, and responsibility to reenter the workforce. This bill meets these objectives and helps jumpstart the North Carolina economy, and allows businesses to have the support needed during this difficult time.
Read my letter urging each member of NC's federal delegation to act now!
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Senate Proposes Returning Money to Taxpayers |
Yes, that means a tax decrease and $2,100,000,000 will remain in the hands of its rightful owners. The Senate finance committee introduced our tax package for the upcoming fiscal year. This proposal lowers the personal income tax rate from 5.25% to 4.99% and increases the standard deduction from $21,500 to $25,500. We are increasing the child tax deduction by $500. These changes will provide a 21% tax cut for a family of four earning the median household income.
Under this plan 250,000 more people will pay no state tax at all.
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Where's the State Budget? |
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For the last 10 years, the legislature passed responsible budgets with spending increases tied to the rate of inflation plus population growth, known as “tabor.” That smart, responsible budgeting allowed the legislature to cut taxes while simultaneously investing record amounts in education.
This year, TABOR (the rate of inflation plus population growth) is 2.5%, so the Senate proposes to increase spending by 2.5%. But the House wishes to increase spending by 5%, or double that of TABOR. That’s not responsible or conservative, and it would mean a massive spending increase over the next 10 years.
Why? Because each year’s spending growth is tied to the previous year, so an increase this year compounds over time. Here’s the math; say we increase spending by 5% this year as the House wants to, instead of 2.5% as the Senate wants to. And for the following 9 years, spending grows at a stable 3% every single year.
Over that 10-year period, the House plan would result in $7 billion in additional spending compared to the Senate plan. Think about that – if everything in the next 10 years remained the same, except for this year’s spend total, the House plan would cause $7 billion in additional government spending. If we increase spending by that much and there’s a downturn in the economy, we might have to raise taxes or cut teacher salaries. So, the Senate is continuing to work with the House to negotiate a lower spending total, and we’re hopeful that an agreement will be reached soon.
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One personal highlight for me this month was to recognize Susan Frady with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. Susan retired from the city of Hendersonville as the development assistance director. As a business owner, planning board member, and from a multitude of business advocacies I had the pleasure to work with Susan on a multitude of projects.
Now as State Senator, it was my honor on behalf of the State of North Carolina to present her the Order of the Long Leaf Pine for her 32 years of daunting public service. Congratulations Susan!
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Restoring Public Trust in Elections |
The concern I hear from you most is regarding the sanctity of our electoral process. If we can't say for sure who won each elected office, our society is certain to crumble. We know that corruption — or at least rumored corruption — isn't new. There's no doubt that we've seen nefarious actions in the most recent election and many from the past where criminals sought to manipulate the results of our democracy. One of the most notorious examples recently in North Carolina occurred in the 2018 9th Congressional race. In 2020 we saw our very own NC State Board of Elections work to circumvent state election laws passed by the NC General Assembly.
If you've not read my Op-ed on what we've been doing to protect our elections, I hope you'll time to read it now. You can find it HERE.
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First in Constituent Services |
Our team is relentless in serving the people of the 48th district. We love hearing from our constituents and take pride in being able to assist you any way we can. Our promise to the people to the people of district 48th is to do the very best job we can for our constituents.
No state related matter is too small, no problem is too big for our team. Remember: we work for you! Please feel free to call us anytime at (919) 733-5745.
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Follow me on Facebook & Twitter and visit my website for the most current legislative updates
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