Sen. Sophia Chitlik

Maddy summarySB 168 reduces the speed limit to 25 miles per hour on residential streets in Durham City experiencing congestion, as determined by Durham's Transportation Department. It directly affects drivers operating vehicles on those specific residential streets within Durham. The bill establishes this new speed limit as the legal standard, overriding previous limits under state law for those designated streets. The law applies only to Durham and takes effect December 1, 2025, for offenses occurring on or after that date.

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals two existing North Carolina law sections (G.S. 153A-145.12 and G.S. 160A-205.7) that limited how local governments could use auxiliary containers. It removes restrictions on temporary storage or handling containers for municipal operations, such as for waste management or infrastructure projects. The change would directly affect local governments by eliminating these specific legal limitations, though it does not create new requirements or funding.

Maddy summarySB 148 is a procedural local act that solely pertains to North Carolina's 22nd Senatorial District. It contains no substantive policy changes or provisions, as it only states the bill relates exclusively to that district and becomes effective upon enactment. This is a routine administrative designation with no direct impact on residents or policy.

Maddy summarySB 154, the North Carolina CROWN Act, prohibits employment discrimination based on hair texture or protective hairstyles. It explicitly defines "protective hairstyles" (including braids, locks, twists, and bantu knots) as protected under existing anti-discrimination law, stating that race discrimination includes hair texture and type. The bill amends Chapter 95 to add Section 95-28.1B, making it illegal for employers to deny jobs, fire, or otherwise discriminate against employees because of these hair characteristics. This applies to all employers, employees, and job applicants in North Carolina starting from the law's effective date.

Maddy summarySB 134 allows North Carolina local governments to require new residential developments to include affordable housing units through inclusionary zoning policies. It directly affects local zoning authorities, developers building new housing, and low-to-moderate income residents who would benefit from increased affordable housing options. The bill also appropriates $10 million in recurring funds to the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency for its Workforce Housing Loan Program starting in 2025. These provisions aim to supplement affordable housing availability by giving local governments tools to mandate inclusionary requirements and providing dedicated funding for housing loans. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 120 removes legal barriers to labor organizing in North Carolina by prohibiting employers from requiring union membership or dues as a condition of employment or continued work. It invalidates agreements that tie agricultural product purchases or settlement terms to union status and strengthens protections for workers denied jobs due to union affiliation. The bill directly affects all workers and employers in the state, including agricultural producers covered under federal labor laws. Key provisions repeal restrictions on labor agreements and clarify that union membership or dues cannot be mandated for employment under North Carolina law. The law applies to new agreements entered into after its effective date.

Maddy summarySB 107 reestablishes nonpartisan elections for North Carolina's appellate, superior, and district court judges, directly affecting candidates running for these judicial positions. The bill mandates that candidates run without party labels on ballots, requires a primary to narrow candidates to two when more file, and sets specific filing deadlines (December 1-17) for notices of candidacy. It also requires candidates to be registered voters in their county and prohibits filing for multiple judicial offices simultaneously. The law aims to restore public confidence in an independent judiciary, as stated in the bill's preamble honoring Judge Joe John's advocacy for nonpartisan judicial elections.

Maddy summarySB 94 would eliminate the death penalty in North Carolina by repealing all legal provisions allowing it as a sentencing option. It directly affects all current death row inmates, who would be resentenced to life imprisonment without parole, and future defendants convicted of capital offenses, who would receive life without parole instead of the death penalty. Key mechanisms include removing the death penalty from murder statutes (like G.S. 14-7.12), repealing related procedures (such as evidence retention for death penalty cases), and updating sentencing rules to mandate life without parole for violent habitual felons. The bill makes no exceptions for specific crimes or circumstances, replacing the death penalty with life imprisonment without parole as the sole alternative. This is a substantive policy change that would end capital punishment in North Carolina if enacted.

Maddy summarySB 81 designates North Carolina's standard time as the time set by the U.S. Department of Transportation (currently Eastern Time) and establishes a process for the state to observe Daylight Saving Time year-round *if* Congress authorizes such a change. The bill requires the Commissioner of Agriculture to notify the Governor within 60 days of congressional authorization, triggering implementation via executive order. This bill directly affects all of North Carolina and its local governments, but only if Congress passes legislation allowing year-round DST. The measure itself does not change current time practices; it prepares the state to adopt year-round DST if federal law permits.