The state legislature marked “crossover” last week, the unofficial deadline for lawmakers to get bills passed through either the House or Senate if they are to have a chance at becoming law this session.
Measures approved last week included those addressing criminal justice reforms, the minimum age to marry, and how teachers in K-12 schools should address race in the classroom.
“In the House alone, we passed about 180 bills just this week and we had a pretty heavy week last week too, so that’s a lot of legislation to consider in a very short period of time,” said State House Representative Graig Meyer. “When that happens, there’s always some stuff that gets through that probably shouldn’t.”
Meyer said there are always a few controversial bills during the crossover period.
“Republicans ran an anti-abortion bill,” Meyer said. “They ran a couple of bills that were intrusive into what teachers can teach and how they teach it. They ran an appeal of North Carolina’s pistol permit law, thereby making it easier for people to buy handguns.”
House Bill 398 would repeal a longstanding law that requires people to get permits from their county sheriff before buying a pistol. Senate Bill 405 would require doctors to try to save the lives of infants born alive after an abortion.
“They also ran a bill that would punish rioters – that’s clearly a response to the protests of last summer – in an attempt to kind of quell that speech,” Meyer said.
On the other hand, Meyer said the General Assembly did find some common ground with new criminal justice legislation – including bipartisan work on policing reform.
Senate Bill 300, which passed unanimously, would create a public database of law enforcement officers’ certification suspensions and revocations, make training in mental health and wellness part of the minimum standards for entry-level employment as a criminal justice officer, and increase penalties for rioting that causes injury. It also makes brandishing a dangerous weapon or using pepper spray or tear gas during a riot a felony.
Similarly, House Bill 536 would create a duty for law enforcement officers to step in when they see another using excessive force. House Bill 436 would require psychological screening of new law enforcement officers before they start work and require training in mental health and wellness strategies.
Meyer said North Carolinians should be proud of the collaborative criminal justice reform that is making its way through the state legislature.
“That really continues to be one of the only issues where there’s really strong, bipartisan work being done in the General Assembly,” Meyer said.
Lead photo courtesy of Casey Toth/The News & Observer via AP.
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