BY REP. TODD CARVER

Last week saw the long session of the N.C. General Assembly draw to a close — sort of. Leadership announced that the House and Senate were at an impasse on the budget for 2025-2027; so for now lawmakers will return to Raleigh for at least one week a month to continue working on a compromise and clearing a few bills that are still in the hopper.

I have said it before and I will say it again: I believe we will pass a budget this year, and I believe the final version will look more like the House budget than anything else we have seen. More to come on that as the information becomes available.

Last week we did carry a few bills across the finish line that are of interest to Iredell County. First, the bill I am most proud of was originally titled HB 223, Town of Mooresville Property Conveyance. The name doesn’t do the bill justice. It will allow the Town of Mooresville to take some property and enter into a partnership to build affordable housing for veterans and first responders. There will be more to come on this, but the bill passed as section 2.4 of HB 309. That was a bill contained numerous local bills rolled into one for ease of passage through both chambers. It has passed both the Senate and the House and because it’s a local bill it doesn’t require the governor’s signature and immediately became law. 

House Bill 23 also contains provisions that will allow for the re-establishment of the Lake Norman Marine Commission (LNMC). The current LNMC will effectively dissolve on July 1 following the decision by the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners to remove themselves from the LNMC. The new LNMC will have more members and allow for the body to continue to exist as long as three of the four counties around Lake Norman opt to remain in the group. This bill is important because the LNMC works to maintain channel markers and remove navigational hazards that most people never see or hear about.

Sen. Vickie Sawyer worked many hours bringing parties to the table and getting input to make the new marine commission good for everyone who enjoys Lake Norman.

The House and Senate also came to an agreement on another round of assistance for the people of Western North Carolina. HB 1012 outlines the plan for spending nearly $1 billion to repair the damage from Hurricane Helene. This includes investments from the state funds and federal draw down funds which can sometimes require a match of state dollars.

Some of the highlights of the bill include:

• $270 million for NC DOT to make additional repairs to roads and infrastructure
• $75 million to help reimburse private property owners for the replacement of roads and bridges
• $65 million to help repair damaged schools
• $70 million to help with local government capital projects
• $25 million for regional airports to improve future disaster responses
• $18 Million for fire departments in WNC to prepare for fire season
• $18 million for frontline volunteer organizations
• $10 million to help public and private colleges

One final thought on some other things the General Assembly was able to get completed. The Scripts Act was passed in this session and awaits the governor’s signature. This law opens the door to the impact Pharmacy Benefit’s Managers on the prices we all pay for prescriptions. I believe the law will bring transparency and lower prices for everyone who uses a pharmacy in North Carolina. We also passed a law to lower tuition for all veterans who live in North Carolina and attend a state-supported school. This legislation also made it easier for active-duty military to receive in-state tuition rates and makes registering military families for public school attendance easier.

These are just a few of the most noteworthy bills to become law in the recent days. I will continue to provide updates as the summer moves along. If I can help, please do not hesitate to contact me at todd.carver@ncleg.gov.

Rep. Todd Carver represents the 95th District in the N.C. House.