Latest news with #SB382
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NC Auditor appoints new members to state Board of Elections in turning point of election power
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek has appointed three members to the state's Board of Elections just a day after the state Supreme Court gave him the green light. According to his press release, Francis X. De Luca, Robert Anthony Rucho and Stacy Clyde Eggers IV will be added to the board, effective immediately. These nominations were submitted by the North Carolina Republican Party, and Boliek said he will soon appoint members submitted by the state's Democratic Party. 'Managing our elections is no small task. It takes time, dedication, and professionalism,' said State Auditor Boliek. 'We need full confidence in our elections, and I'd like to thank these individuals for their willingness to serve.' North Carolina court says stripping governor of election board appointments can go ahead for now Boliek said De Luca, Rucho and Eggers IV each have experience in managing electoral policy. De Luca was previously a member of the State Ethics Committee, in addition to serving in the Marine Corps for 30 years. Rucho is a former state Senator specializing in tax reform and electoral policy. Eggers IV has been renominated to the State Board of Elections, where he currently serves. The move comes after an NC appeals court ruled Wednesday that a law stripping the governor's authority to appoint State Board of Elections members can take effect for now, despite the Superior Court judges blocking the law last week. CBS 17 previously reported that the three judges on the intermediate-level Court of Appeals unanimously granted the request of Republican legislative leaders to suspend enforcement of that ruling. North Carolina GOP Senate pass bill that weakens incoming Democrat elected officials, increase Helene relief The North Carolina Democratic Party said they submitted four names to the State Auditor's office. They doubled down on a statement released Wednesday after the state Supreme Court re-enacted the constitutionality of SB 382, the controversial GOP-made bill that shifted power away from Democratic Governor Josh Stein, especially in handling elections. 'The precedent is crystal clear, SB382 is unconstitutional. The NC Court of Appeals allowing this blatant power grab to go into effect before hearing the case is a grossly partisan decision — plain and simple. The only reason for this urgency is to allow the Republican State Auditor to appoint a new Board of Elections to help Jefferson Griffin overturn an election against the will of the voters.' Dawson McNamara-Bloom, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Democratic Party. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Florida bill would ban these rent hikes for affordable housing. What to know
Have you ever had a landlord tell you your rent was going up in the middle of your lease? If a bill working its way through the Florida Legislature passes, they may not be able to, but only for low-income households. House Bill 365 blocks landlords who receive federal, state or local incentives for affordable housing from raising rents mid-lease. The restriction applies only to rental agreements of 13 months or less that begin on or after July 1, 2026. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Debra Tendrich, D-Lake Worth, has been approved by the House Housing, Agriculture & Tourism and Civil Justice and Claims subcommittees. It now goes to the House Commerce Committee and then the floor. The Senate version, SB 382, from Sen. Mack Bernard, D-by West Palm Beach, is in the Community Affairs committee. Rents and home prices in Florida have shot up in the last decade, although they have stabilized somewhat in the last couple of years, and housing remains a problem. "Affordable housing" is defined in Florida statutes as housing where monthly rents or mortgage payments — including taxes, insurance, and utilities — do not exceed 30% of area median annual adjusted gross income for low-income households within the state. These rates are determined annually by HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development) by county or Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). In Florida, the current statewide area median income (AMI) for a family of four is $88,600. Over 2.4 million low-income Florida households pay more than 30% of their incomes towards housing, according to a 2024 report from the Florida Housing Coalition. Over half of them — or 1.3 million low-income households — spend more than 50% of their income toward housing costs. "This makes it difficult for those households to save for retirement or emergencies and difficult to afford other necessities such as food and childcare," read an analysis of the bill. Under HB 365, which is only two pages, landlords of units that qualify as affordable housing who have received federal, state, or local funding or tax incentives because of that are prohibited from raising the rent during the term of a rental agreement. Landlords may still raise the rent if: A tenant is renewing their rental agreement The increase is required for compliance with federal laws, rules, or regulations If the Legislature passes it and Gov. Ron DeSantis signs it, the law would go into effect July 1, 2025 for rental contracts that begin on or after July 1, 2026. This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Rent-hike ban in Florida for certain leases may become new law
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Goode: School funding legislation amended into House priority bill
Legislation authored by State Sen. Greg Goode that could assist the Vigo County School Corp. with facility improvements has now been amended into House Bill 1002. Similar to SB 382, the amendment would create a local oversight board to ensure transparency and accountability in managing county resources for potential school improvements. The amendment was added to HB 1002 in the Indiana Senate Committee on Education and Career Development on Wednesday, the senator said in a news release. HB 1002, which deals with 'various education matters' and passed out of the House and is now in the Senate. The first stop in the Senate was the Senate's Education Committee. Amendment 33 to House Bill 1002 would allow Vigo County to transfer funding to the Vigo County School Corp. to help meet the district's needs. 'This amendment is similar to Senate Bill 382, which passed the Senate earlier this year,' Goode said. 'The legislation comes after months of work with local leaders in Terre Haute to bring interested parties together to help make much needed improvements in our school district.' The oversight board would be made up of members appointed by local government offices as well as the business community. 'These leaders understand what the Wabash Valley needs to be successful for decades to come, and I thank them for working with me on this legislation,' Goode said. The overall bill now moves to the Senate Committee on Appropriations. The amendment includes language that would mean it only applies to Vigo County, according to Goode.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Majority of $100 million in state Helene loans from SB 382 being delivered
RALEIGH, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Most of the $100 million in interest-free loans for Hurricane Helene relief is in the process of being delivered to local governments, State Treasurer Brad Briner announced Monday. The General Assembly created the $100 million cashflow loan program as part of the controversial Senate Bill 382, which passed in December. Its goal is to help local governments whose communities were devastated by Helene while they wait for federal money to arrive. Administration of the program was assigned to Department of State Treasurer. The first round includes $74.5 million to be sent to 98 local governments in western North Carolina. The two highest recipients are Buncombe County ($8.4 million) and Chimney Rock Village ($7.7 million). Avery County is allotted for $1.9 million. NC Governor Stein requests $20 billion in Helene recovery funds 'We had a big goal on a short deadline, and we are excited to announce that help is on the way,' Briner said in a statement. '(Head of Helene cashflow program) Jeff Poley and his team worked relentlessly to create the program from the bottom up, recognizing, as we all did, that the residents of Western North Carolina needed rapid resources to restore upended lives and rebuild neighborhoods.' Poley, DST's director of Disaster Services and Rural Economic Development, said some municipalities already have their allocations in hand. DST says a portion of the $100 million is being held because some local governments experienced hurricane loss and damage that makes completing the necessary documentation difficult. Recent winter storm closures compounded the problem. 'More loans will be issued in coming weeks as we continue to work through the unavoidable challenges,' Poley said. The loans must be repaid within five years of initiation or by June 30, 2030, whichever is earlier. The N.C. League of Municipalities, the N.C. Association of County Commissioners and the N.C. Department of Emergency Management assisted DST in the program. 'Cities and towns across Western North Carolina continue to face tremendous challenges rebuilding from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene, and many are dealing with financial hurdles as a result,' said Rose Vaughn Williams, North Carolina League of Municipalities executive director. 'Even as federal and other state resources are made available over time, municipalities have expenses that must be paid now to help residents recover.' Under the cashflow loan program, local governments must provide damage assessments to the N.C. Department of Emergency Management, as detailed in an earlier memo. Those assessments are used to calculate loan amounts. The governing boards of impacted local governments need to vote to approve acceptance of the interest-free loans. Requests for loans from school districts are channeled through their county governments. SB 382 allocates $227 million from the state's 'rainy day' fund to Helene relief. The bill also has been the subject of three lawsuits involving the stripping of certain powers from the state's top leaders. A full list of local governments receiving the loans in this first round of payouts can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Stein files 3rd lawsuit against controversial SB 382, alleging bill restricts appellate judge appointment power
NORTH CAROLINA (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A controversial North Carolina law is the focus of another lawsuit filed by Governor Josh Stein. Stein's lawyers alleged SB 382 steal his powers by making changes to who he can appoint to state appellate courts. SB 382 was a massive bill that promised Helene relief money but also changed some powers held by top state officials. Controversial SB382 also affecting North Carolina town's ability to rezone properties 'That's the type of legislation this was, it's a big spending bill but it also changes, very substantially, the power of the Governor to appoint officials in the executive,' said Eric Heberlig, a professor at UNC Charlotte. It became law in December after the Republican-controlled General Assembly successfully overrode the veto of the then Governor, Roy Cooper. NC senate bill is latest legislation that would restrict power of Democrat-held positions Among other things, 382 required appellate appointees come from a list of three compiled by the same political party of the judge leaving the post. That meant if a seat was held by a Republican, it would stay in Republican control and vice versa. In a statement to Queen City News, Governor Stein accused lawmakers of trying to overturn the will of voters by changing his ability to pick who he wants to serve on the bench. 'These provisions of SB382 are partisan power grabs that thwart North Carolina voters' decisions at the ballot box. The people gave the Governor the authority to fill appellate judicial vacancies more than 150 years ago—yet, a power-hungry General Assembly seeks to overturn the people's will by stripping this responsibility from the Governor. Furthermore, the people overwhelmingly made their choice for Governor clear in the last election. I filed this lawsuit to ensure that their vote is respected, to restore balance to our state's branches of government, and to put our Constitution ahead of power grabs.' PREVIOUS | Heberlig said it seems an adversarial relationship between NC's Democratic Governor and Republican-controlled legislature has become the status quo, 'The Republican majority in the legislature and the Democratic Governors have not seen eye to eye on many policy issues in the past several years, particularly the ones that get the most media attention are the most divisive.' Senate Pro Tem Phil Berger, who was named in Stein's lawsuit, did not respond to a request for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
