Their names aren t on the ballot, but they make critical decisions over how to spend taxpayer dollars.
Oftentimes, citizens don t know who they are, what they do, what board, commission or authority they serve on or who appointed them.
State Rep. Bob Merski, D-2nd Dist., Erie, hopes to change that with a bill that he s calling common sense and which has already garnered bipartisan support.
H.B. 647 would require all political subdivisions to maintain a publicly accessible website that includes the name of each member of a board, commission, authority or other body; the length and expiration date of each member s term; an email address to contact each member; the name and office of the person who appointed them.
Parents in 14 North Carolina public school districts would have the option of sending their children to full-time, in-person instruction under a local bill approved by the N.C. House K-12 Education Committee on Tuesday, March 9.
The measure, House Bill 90, is designed as an end run around Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill 37, which would have given all school districts in the state the option of fully reopening under “Plan A.” Many school districts continue to operate under “Plan B,” a hybrid approach combining part-time remote with part-time in-person.
Republican lawmakers are now planning to introduce a series of local bills which are not subject to a gubernatorial veto to achieve the same goal, even as lawmakers and the governor negotiate on a compromise plan.
After multiple attempts, Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, successfully guided legislation that would permit the City of Corbin to annex property in Laurel County through the Senate.
Senate Bill 274, which Stivers introduced on Feb. 23, passed the Senate Friday by a vote of 20 to 12 with two senators passing.
Under the wording of the bill, Corbin would be able to annex property in Laurel County that is served by Corbin Utilities, including the area along West Cumberland Gap Pkwy. off of Exit 29.
Stivers noted Friday this amounts to approximately 2,000 entities and residents.
As part of the bill, Laurel County is guaranteed to continue to receive the same level of occupational tax revenue that it currently receives from businesses located in the area.
Save Century II loses in bid at state Legislature to protect Wichita buildings Dion Lefler, The Wichita Eagle
Feb. 24 After a lengthy hearing in Topeka, the state Legislature won t be taking action to save Century II and the former Wichita downtown library.
The Save Century II group argued their case for state intervention before the House Local Government Committee.
Save Century II members Celeste Racette, John Todd, Karl Peterjohn and Walt Chappell were asking lawmakers to require a binding public election before any decisions are made to tear down the historic buildings to replace them with a sweeping redevelopment of the Arkansas River front where they stand.
One of the earliest challenges for local governments during the coronavirus pandemic was holding open public meetings while maintaining social distancing.
Rep. Perry Warren, D-31, said this week that legislative rules allowing online meetings are still a concern for local officials in his district even after nearly a year of grappling with the issue.
Warren, a Newtown Borough resident, said in-person public meetings seem to be the preference among local officials here, but that might not mean remote meetings have to leave with the pandemic. The question will remain, given the technology . will we be looking at local governments changing their methods of meetings? . That s something we re going to have to talk about, both at the legislative level and with our borough councils and township boards of supervisors, Warren added.