Sen. Kandie Smith

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 99 would create 11-month contracts for specific teachers in North Carolina, including initially licensed teachers, mentor teachers, teachers in low-performing schools, and certain veteran teachers. The bill changes their salary payment structure from a standard 10-month contract to 11 months, allowing them to receive pay for an additional month during the summer. This aims to provide dedicated time for teachers to engage in professional development, collaborate with peers, and receive evaluation feedback without disrupting the regular school year. The policy directly affects eligible teachers by altering their contract term and compensation schedule under state law.

Maddy summarySB 76 appropriates $300,000 from North Carolina's General Fund to the Franklinton Center at Bricks, Inc., for its operating expenses and capital improvements during the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The funds are designated as a nonrecurring grant to support the organization's operations and physical improvements. This bill becomes effective July 1, 2025, and directly affects the Franklinton Center at Bricks, Inc., by providing financial support for its ongoing activities.

Maddy summarySB 68 allows Pitt County Schools and Edgecombe County Schools to set their own school start and end dates for the 2025-2026, 2026-2027, and 2027-2028 school years, bypassing standard calendar requirements. To do this, the school boards must hold two public hearings - one before deciding to change dates and another to gather community input on the specific dates. The bill requires both school boards to submit a report by October 15, 2025, detailing implementation effects on student achievement and recommendations for future use. This flexibility applies only to these two counties and includes a mandate for the state to evaluate the policy's impact.

Maddy summarySB 54 is a purely procedural bill that references North Carolina's 5th Senatorial District. It contains no substantive policy changes or provisions affecting residents or government operations. The bill simply states it relates only to the 5th Senatorial District and specifies its effective date upon enactment. As a local act naming a district without implementing new policies, it does not directly affect any individuals or require legislative action beyond its reference. This is a standard jurisdictional designation with no policy impact.