North Carolina’s General Assembly has just completed its 2005-2006 Legislative Session. While some things they have enacted are worthwhile, much of this legislative session will forever change the state. The following is a summary of the Session and how it might affect you.

Let’s start with Senate Bill 774 (The Seat Belt Use Enhancements Act). While seat belts do save lives, and they are smart to wear, I for one do not feel as though we should require their use. If people are stupid enough to not buckle up, they should pay the price. SB 774, forces all passengers in a car, regardless of age or location within the car, to wear a seat belt. The proper act to pass would have been one that protected the driver-at-fault from criminal charges should they hit a vehicle with occupants not wearing their seat belts and to abolish current state seat belt laws.
Senate Bill 1289, has gotten a lot of attention in the news lately. This act will prohibit those drivers under the age of 18 from using their cell phones. Driving is a privilege, and similarly to driving drunk, a driver on the cell phone is a danger to the public safety. Inexperienced drivers have a hard time balancing the intense concentration needed to drive with chatting on the phone. The other positive aspect of this law is that it will only cover permits handed out after December 1, 2006. There is a question of enforcement cover permits handed out after December 1, 2006. There is a question of as the law does allow those under 18 to call their parents.

Effective January 1, 2007, House Bill 2174 will go into effect. This bill will raise the minimum wage in this state to $6.15/hour. An increased minimum wage is bad for everyone. When you raise the minimum wage, employers recruit fewer workers because each costs more money. It can be argued that it is not just the minimum wage that has to increase. If you raise the wages of the lowest paid workers, everyone’s wages have to go up to maintain that difference between your highest and lowest paid employee. Besides, the majority of the people making the minimum wage are teenagers and young workers.

Many of the laws, this time around dealt with Ethics Reform in the state government. If you go back to Broadside’s issue from May 2006, I wrote an article foreshadowing what would eventually happen concerning General Assembly members Jim Black and Michael Decker. This Ethics Reform is important, and beginning to force more disclosure of funds, and how much can be spent during campaigns. Improvements are being made, but are not yet significant enough. Lobbyists should never be allowed to write checks directly to candidates. State Legislatures should NEVER be allowed to funnel money from their campaign to other campaigns. These would
Lobbyists should never be allowed to write checks directly to candidates. State Legislatures should NEVER be allowed to funnel money from their campaign to other campaigns. These to candidates. State Legislatures should never be allowed to funnel money from their campaign to other campaigns. These would would be sweeping changes that would put our state far ahead in the ethics battle. It is time for North Carolina to take the lead.

While the budget this year was not extravagant, it still spends too much. If someone can show me a study that proves that throwing more money at education will improve schools I will change my tune. To maintain the old level of spending on education with the extra funds from the lottery is just plain silly. Especially, when considering that the transportation budget was cut yet again. The improvement of the transportation infrastructure will improve tourism, our attractiveness to businesses, and the amount of people who move to our state.

The 2005-2006 Legislative Session was eventful. Many new laws were passed, some of them beneficial, and some of them not so much. We need to keep on our representatives at all times, to keep them on track to lower taxes, have less government, and a brighter future for us and our children.

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