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RALEIGH — Fewer than 20 percent of the 2,500 bills filed by legislators this year will become law, if historical trends hold.

So how do lawmakers decide where to spend their time?

“It’s a combination of knowing about an issue and coming up with a solution for it,” said Rep. Pricey Harrison, a Greensboro Democrat known for filing bills related to the environment.

Some, she acknowledges, have little chance of passing but are important nonetheless.

“Some of these are making a point and getting the conversation going,” Harrison said. She points to a bill that would place a moratorium on the construction of new coal-fired power plants and is unlikely to get a hearing beyond its initial introduction.

House and Senate leaders regularly say they base decisions on which bills will advance on how well they jibe with the goals of majority caucus. In both the House and Senate, Democrats are in the majority.

“There’s some bills we’re just not interested in hearing,” Rep. Hugh Holliman, a Lexington Democrat, said.

Rep. John Blust, a Greensboro Republican, has filed several bills that Democrats haven’t been interested in.

“A lot of what I filed are things the leadership of the majority don’t want,” Blust said, citing changes to the rules that govern how bills are heard or budgets are calculated.

They’re still worth filing, Blust said, to force at least some discussion.

“You’ve got to file them each time, to keep the idea alive,” he said.

Rep. Maggie Jeffus said that ideas can come from constituents, such as one she filed to change a rule on charter school admissions. Others she said come from requests from state agencies.

Here is a sampling of bills local members of the legislature have filed or joined as primary sponsors.

Rep. Alma Adams, D-Greensboro. H1270, National Popular Vote Interstate Compact: North Carolina would give all of its electoral votes for president to the candidate who won the nationwide popular vote under this bill. It only becomes effective if enough states to decide an election join the agreement.

Rep. John Blust, R-Greensboro. H193, Contribution limits: This bill would restrict the flow of money to political parties from money raised by individual political candidates. It would prevent powerful, well-heeled legislators from piping money to their parties, which is then redistributed to weaker members.

Rep. Nelson Cole, D-Reidsville, H 1340 Court Fee for Littering: Those convicted of littering would have to pay a $75 court cost in addition to a fine under this bill.

Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Greensboro. H 1289 No lottery at check cashing sites: The bill would prohibit lottery sales at any business which derives the bulk of its income from “the cashing of checks, drafts, or money orders.”

Harrison said her measure was intended to protect low-income people from predatory practices.

Rep. Maggie Jeffus, D-Greensboro. H 1032, Modify history and geography criteria: This bill would drop the requirement that students take two years of North Carolina history before high school. It replaces it with a requirement that students take one year of state history and one year of American history.

“It was a request by the State Board of Education,” Jeffus said.

Rep. Earl Jones, D-Greensboro. H 1384, Shopping carts/prevent exposure to germs: Stores that provide shopping carts to consumers would also have to provide germ-killing wipes so that handles could be sanitized before use.

Rep. Laura Wiley, R-High Point. H 1078, Report school violence to LEA Office: Schools that report any act of violence to law enforcement would be required to make a written report about the incident to their school system superintendent.

Sen. Phil Berger, R-Eden. S1052, Limit general fund expenditures: The bill would prevent the government from spending more than the total amount of taxes collected during the previous calendar year. The measure, Berger said, would slow the growth of government budgets and protect against deficits like the one North Carolina is currently dealing with.

Sen. Stan Bingham, R-Denton. S 977, Obesity prevention in public schools: Schools would be required to have curriculum on obesity prevention and snack machines in schools would have to have healthful foods for students.

Sen. Katie Dorsett, D-Greensboro. S 918, Increase small brewery limits: The bill would allow small brewers to distribute up to 60,000 barrels of beer to customers, raising that amount  from the current ceiling of 20,000 barrels. The bill was offered mainly to help Red Oak, a Guilford County beer maker.

Sen. Don Vaughan, D-Greensboro. S 888, Speed limit signs on highway on ramps: The DOT would be required to put speed limit signs on on-ramps to highways.
 

Contact Mark Binker at (919) 832-5549 or mark.binker@news-record.com