speed week

Failing midterms

ryanteaguebeckwith — Fri, 25 May 2007 08:26:21 -0400

As always, a number of bills didn't make it past Speed Week.

Although it's possible for a bill to be resurrected — either as a study or part of the budget — most bills that didn't pass before crossover yesterday are effectively dead.

A quick look at some of those that didn't make it:

Prohibit smoking in restaurants and other public places. Put a constitutional ban on gay marriage before voters. Ban spanking in public schools. Suspend executions for two years. Penalize owners of stolen guns who fail to report them promptly. Ban cell phone use while driving. Open state ethics hearings.

Click here for a fuller explanation of the bills.

T-minus twelve

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 24 May 2007 11:44:28 -0400

The House just started, with just 12 hours until the end of Speed Week.

That means that legislators only have until midnight to pass a bill in either the House or the Senate in order to keep it alive for this session.

On Capital Beat yesterday, Mark Binker said that so far Speed Week has been pretty friendly:

Compared to the last couple of crossovers I've witnessed, this one seems fairly tame. The House is still working today, but the Senate has headed home. And it's possible the honorable could get out of here before midnight tomorrow, which is the drop-dead, bills turn into a pumpkin deadline.

Day 3: Roundup

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 24 May 2007 08:45:30 -0400

A total of 153 bills competed in the third qualifying round of Speed Week.

Among the 56 that passed a third reading in either the House or the Senate Wednesday:

Protective orders: A House bill would make it a felony to violate a domestic violence protective order while armed.

Don't feed them: A Senate bill would it illegal to intentionally feed alligators outside of captivity.

Swift Boating: A Senate bill would require 527 groups such as the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth to disclose state campaign spending.

MySpace: A Senate bill would require parental consent for minors on social networking sites such as MySpace.

In other news, a Senate bill would allow off-road bikers on public lands, a Senate bill woul allow prosecutors to keep the name of an informant from the defense, a Senate bill would allow private investigators to have tinted windows, a House bill would allow detention officers to carry guns into courthouses, a House bill would establish Juneteenth as National Freedom Day and a House bill would allow DNA testing for men paying child support.

Day 3: The story so far

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 24 May 2007 08:19:50 -0400

Before we get to the roundup of Day 3 of Speed Week, here's what we've already covered on Wednesday:

Approved: A House bill would require equal insurance coverage for mental illnesses, a House bill would allow death row defendants to appeal on the basis of racial discrimination, a House bill would study the future of Dix Hill, a House bill would require politicians reveal donors to legal defense funds, a House bill would teach high schoolers about the state's safe surrender law and a House bill would allow Chapel Hill to experiment with publicly funded campaign.

Tentatively Approved: A House bill that would make schools write anti-bullying policies.

Rejected: A House bill that would have banned corporal punishment in schools and a House bill that would have raised the limit of undisclosed campaign contributions back to $100.

Speed Week meets Speed Week

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 23 May 2007 14:54:04 -0400

It may be Speed Week, but legislators took some time off to honor the real thing.

With just 34 hours left until the crossover deadline for bills to stay alive this session, the House and the Senate stopped work for an hour this afternoon.

Their purpose? To honor Jimmie Johnson, the 2006 Nextel Cup champion racecar driver.

Nascar CEO Brian France, President Mike Helton, Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick and of course, the driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet himself, Jimmie Johnson.

Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand noted that there are 28,000 jobs in racing in North Carolina, not to mention a new Nascar Hall of Fame in Charlotte.

He also noted that it was Jimmie Johnson's Monte Carlo that Gov. Mike Easley crashed in 2005.

"That's the ultimate sacrifice for racing, I reckon, let the governor tear your car up," he said.

Rand on Nascar