Rep. Jake Johnson

Maddy summaryHB 35 designates November of each year as Military Appreciation Month in North Carolina. The bill creates a symbolic recognition within state law, honoring military service members and veterans during this month. It does not establish new programs, funding, or requirements - it simply formally names November for this purpose. The bill affects the state government's official calendar and public recognition efforts, with no direct impact on individuals or organizations.

Maddy summaryHB 411 reduces the early voting period for primary elections in North Carolina from 17 days to 6 days. The bill requires counties to conduct early voting for primaries within a six-day window ending on the last Saturday before the election, affecting voters participating in primary elections. This change applies to all primary elections (including runoffs) and takes effect January 1, 2026. The bill does not alter early voting periods for general elections or municipal elections, which maintain separate rules.

Maddy summaryHB 62, the Farmers Protection Act, prohibits banks from denying or canceling financial services to farmers based on their greenhouse gas emissions, fertilizer use, or machinery type. It creates a rebuttable presumption that banks violating this rule are acting on ESG (environmental, social, governance) commitments, requiring banks to prove decisions were financially motivated. Banks must annually attest to compliance under penalty of perjury, and violations may result in civil penalties up to $10,000 per incident. The law directly affects farmers, banks, credit unions, and state financial associations by restricting discriminatory lending practices tied to environmental factors.

Maddy summaryHB 52, the "Protect Those Who Serve and Protect Act of 2025," increases penalties for assaults against public safety personnel and their animals. It creates a new Class I felony offense for throwing, spraying, or projecting substances (like water) at public safety officers or law enforcement/search and rescue animals while they are on duty or due to their role. The bill also prohibits intentionally pointing laser devices at these protected individuals or animals during duty. These changes update existing assault laws to explicitly cover a wider range of emergency workers (including firefighters, medical staff, National Guard members, and school employees) and add specific protections for animals used in public safety.

Maddy summaryHB 11 would allow North Carolina taxpayers to deduct overtime pay, up to $2,500 in bonus pay (defined as cash awards for workplace dedication), and reported tips from their taxable income. It applies to individuals and married couples filing jointly, with each spouse eligible for separate deductions. The bill specifically defines "bonus pay" to exclude tips and requires taxpayers to provide documentation to claim the deduction. This policy change would take effect for tax returns filed in 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 341 increases property tax relief for disabled veterans in North Carolina by expanding the homestead exclusion on their primary residence. The bill sets exclusion amounts based on disability rating: $100,000 for 70%+ disability, $75,000 for 50-69%, $50,000 for 30-49%, and $25,000 for 10-29%. Surviving spouses qualify for the greater of the veteran’s exclusion amount or $45,000, provided the veteran’s death resulted from a service-connected condition. This policy directly affects qualifying disabled veterans and their surviving spouses who own and occupy their primary residence, effective for taxes due in 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 222 appropriates $217 million from the State Emergency Response Fund to North Carolina's Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) for homeowner recovery projects related to Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. The bill requires NCORR to submit detailed monthly reports on fund usage, including expenditures and project progress, and mandates weekly financial reports to the State Auditor for oversight. It also establishes a public online dashboard tracking funds versus actual spending and includes a clawback provision to return unused funds to the Savings Reserve after projects conclude. The law revises NCORR's responsibilities, ending its role in future storm recovery programs.

Maddy summaryHB 239 modifies North Carolina's funding formula for children with disabilities in public schools. It changes how funds are allocated to local school districts by capping per-child funding at 13% of a district's total enrollment plus students using state scholarship programs. The bill requires the State Education Assistance Authority to provide annual scholarship data by March 15 to help calculate district funding. It also appropriates $25 million in recurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to support this revised funding structure, effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 253 restores Henderson County's authority to implement down-zoning (reducing development density or permitted land uses) with a key exception: it requires written consent from all affected property owners unless the down-zoning serves farmland preservation in agricultural districts or floodplain mitigation in FEMA-designated flood areas. The bill directly affects Henderson County property owners and local government officials, limiting down-zoning actions without consent except for these two specific purposes. It applies only to Henderson County, including its municipalities, and takes effect retroactively to December 11, 2024, to revert zoning changes made after that date under previous law. The bill defines "down-zoning" as decreasing density, reducing permitted uses, or creating nonconformities on land.

Maddy summaryHJR 157 is a procedural resolution inviting Governor Josh Stein to address a joint session of the North Carolina General Assembly on March 12, 2025. It directs a committee of five House members and five Senate members to extend the invitation and specifies that the governor's cabinet, Council of State members, and state judges may attend. This resolution does not create new policy or affect any laws; it solely schedules a ceremonial address. The invitation is effective upon ratification, as noted in the resolution's text.