Several hours into its marathon floor session Wednesday and early Thursday, state representatives debated a bill that would overhaul how teachers are paid.
House Bill 662, which had 38 sponsors of both parties, among other things would create new positions for “advanced teachers” who would take on challenging roles and receive substantially higher pay.
It began to be picked apart by Republicans and Democrats. Rep. Bryan Holloway (R-Stokes), a teacher by profession and chairman of the Appropriations Committee for education, found it highly flawed. Of all the school reforms enacted in recent years, he said, “this is the heaviest lift yet.” Even the bill’s primary sponsor, Rep. Craig Horn (R-Union), admitted “This is not a perfect bill, by a long shot. It needs a lot of work.” He asked the House to pass it anyway and let the Senate improve it.
Finally, mercifully, Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) pulled the bill from the floor and sent it to Holloway’s committee.
Many other bills probably deserved a similar fate. Instead, the House worked well into Thursday morning, approving too much far-reaching legislation with less than adequate time or consideration.
Many hours into its Wednesday-Thursday session, the House added an amendment to a regulatory reform bill gutting the renewable energy standards that were passed in 2007 and have helped North Carolina become a national leader in solar energy. It substantially weakened the 1971 State Environmental Policy Act requiring environmental impact statements for public projects. It passed a bill excusing physicians from participating in executions, handing responsibilities to other medical providers. It acted on dozens of measures — some good, some not so good, some probably inconsequential.
The reason for so much activity was the self-imposed crossover deadline. Most bills had until Thursday to clear one chamber and move to the other, or else they could not win final approval this year. The rule is necessary to maintain some kind of orderly schedule, but the deadline has the effect of a stopped-up storm drain in a downpour. Legislation backs up, especially in a chamber where more than 900 bills were filed. Quantity drowns quality.
The Senate, with 50 members compared to 120 for the House, managed to clear its calendars much faster. Unlike in the House, there is rarely disagreement among the majority Republicans.
Rushing to beat deadlines is bipartisan. Both parties do it. But it doesn’t allow good decision-making.
“It’s after 2 a.m. and the N.C. House is still in session,” Rep. Jon Hardister (R-Guilford) posted on Facebook Thursday morning. “We’re working to move bills before the crossover deadline. I’m running on a sleep deficit, but I’m still going strong.”
At 32, Hardister is younger than most of his colleagues. His elders may not have been going as strong. Besides, no one can know a lot about hundreds of proposed bills.
The Regulatory Reform Act itself runs 25 pages long and was changed during the evening, until it was approved 80-31 on second reading at 1:06 a.m. Thursday. It alters laws governing wetlands, storm water management, riparian buffer protection and hog-waste systems. It substantially changes the relationship between Duke Energy and solar power generators. Public awareness of this legislation, it’s fair to bet, has been limited.
House bills next have to be passed by the Senate, and then get the governor’s signature, to become law. That creates another opportunity to address concerns. Still more changes can be made. House bills can be rejected by the Senate.
The House also will have its turn to address Senate bills, such as SB 36, which reconstructs the Greensboro City Council. That one deserves a certain death.
