Sen. Julie Mayfield

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 150) formally asks the North Carolina Senate to confirm Governor Joey R. Hopkins' appointment of Joey R. Hopkins as Secretary of the Department of Transportation. It follows state law requiring Senate approval for heads of major state departments, as the Governor had previously nominated Hopkins for the role. The resolution does not change transportation policies or create new programs; it only initiates the Senate's formal confirmation process for a specific appointment. The bill is procedural, focusing solely on the confirmation step, not the duties or policies of the Department of Transportation.

Maddy summarySB 200 allocates $150 million in one-time state funds to the North Carolina Housing Trust Fund specifically for housing relief in counties affected by Hurricane Helene. This funding will support housing assistance for residents displaced or damaged by the hurricane in areas designated under a federal major disaster declaration. The bill directs the funds to be administered through existing housing program rules (Chapter 122E of state law) for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It directly benefits hurricane-impacted homeowners, renters, and communities in designated counties. The bill becomes effective July 1, 2025.

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 summaryThis bill increases North Carolina's income limit for the property tax homestead exclusion for elderly or disabled homeowners from $25,000 to $48,000, effective for taxes due in 2025. It applies to qualifying homeowners whose income would otherwise disqualify them from the exclusion. The new limit will automatically adjust annually based on Social Security cost-of-living adjustments, rounded to the nearest $100. This change directly affects low-to-moderate-income elderly or disabled homeowners seeking property tax relief.

Maddy summarySB 132 creates the Swannanoa Valley Tourism Development Authority (TDA) to manage tourism funding for Buncombe County’s Swannanoa Valley (encompassing Broad River, Black Mountain, and Swannanoa townships). It directs that a portion of the room occupancy tax collected in these areas be remitted to the TDA instead of the county’s general tourism fund. The TDA will allocate these funds into two programs: one for tourism infrastructure projects (like hotel upgrades or attractions) and another for community-focused initiatives (such as natural resource enhancement), both requiring projects to boost lodging patronage and benefit residents. The bill prohibits using funds for operational costs, mandates industry-led committee reviews for project approval, and explicitly excludes for-profit entities from receiving grants.

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 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 103 allows North Carolina local school boards more flexibility in setting public school opening and closing dates. It permits schools to open as early as August 19 (instead of August 26) if they demonstrate "good cause" - defined as having closed for 8+ days annually due to emergencies like weather over 4 of the last 10 years. The bill also lets boards adjust closing dates to meet required instructional days. This applies to all schools except those already operating under modified calendars since 2003-2004, and takes effect for the 2025-2026 school year.

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 96 increases the flat penalty for tax payments returned due to insufficient funds or non-existent accounts from $25 to $35. It directly affects taxpayers who submit checks or electronic payments for taxes that bounce. The bill replaces the previous $25 penalty with a fixed $35 fee, while maintaining the same maximum cap of $1,000 and the exception for accidental errors. This change applies to all tax payments made on or after July 1, 2025. The bill does not alter the existing interest or criminal penalty structures for unpaid taxes.