As the North Carolina General Assembly approaches its crossover deadline, three total bills with a local legislator as a primary sponsor have passed their respective bodies.

The Senate has passed two bills with freshman Sen. Tom McInnis, R-25, as a primary sponsor. No bills with Sen. Andrew Brock, R-34, as a primary sponsor have passed the senate. Reps. Carl Ford, R-76, and Harry Warren, R-77, are tied at one each.

Bills with Rowan’s legislators as primary sponsors make up about 70 of the total bills in the legislature. For bills to remain viable in the general assembly, they must pass one body of the N.C. General Assembly by Thursday, April 30.

McInnis’ two already-passed bills address penalties for passing school buses and allowing bank accounts to be opened specifically for a prize raffle. The school bus bill would allow counties to adopt an ordinance that allows safety cameras on buses and a $500 civil penalty in addition to the current criminal offense for drivers who pass a stopped school bus. The bank account bill would let banks allow customers to deposit a minimum, specified amount of money in a savings account or other savings program to participate in a prize raffle.

Ford’s bill that passed the House would study whether municipal elections should be held in even-numbered years. It would determine whether even-numbered years would be more cost effective and result in a larger voter turnout. His bill also would ask locally elected officials about their opinion. Ford’s bill passed the house on April 16.

Warren’s bill would make changes to a fee imposed on public utilities. Currently, public utilities, such as Duke Energy, pay a quarterly regulatory fee in addition to all other fees and taxes. It pays for expenses of the public utilities commission and its staff in regulating public utilities. Warren’s bill would allow the fee to also contribute to a reserve fund. It would also allow the commission to raise or lower the fee.

Adams, Foxx, Hudson vote in favor of two, related cybersecurity bills

Rowan’s three U.S. Representatives united this week to support two pieces of legislation that focus on cybersecurity.

The first was House Resolution 1560, Protecting Cyber Networks Act. It passed the House on Wednesday by a vote of 307-116. The second bill was the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act. It passed the House on Thursday by a vote of 355-63. The bill would strengthen the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center’s role as the lead civilian interface for the sharing of cybersecurity risks and incidents. The center is a part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

All three representatives with districts extending into Rowan County supported the bills.

In response to her vote on the bill, U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx issued a statement saying: “In 2013, there were 46,605 cyber breaches in the federal government, and it’s estimated that $445 billion is lost annually to cybercrime across the world economy. This legislation improves the government’s ability to protect the nation against cyber threats before they damage our infrastructure or economy while also ensuring the privacy and civil liberties of American citizens are protected.”

Hudson said: “The recent flood of cyberattacks and security breaches reminds us that bad actors exist and represent a threat not only to our economy and our personal information, but to our national security. This bipartisan legislation is a critical step to strengthen our nation’s cyber defenses while protecting our right to privacy and safeguarding our personal data.”

U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, D-12, did not issue a public statement about her vote on the bill.

Adams joins Safe Climate Caucus on Earth Day

On Earth Day, Adams joined the Congressional Safe Climate Caucus, which aims to increase awareness of the risks of climate change and to work to preserve and protect the environment.

In response to joining the caucus, Adams said: “In North Carolina, we are fortunate to enjoy some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the country. But our rivers, forests and coastline are more than just picturesque — they are the economic and cultural cornerstones of our communities. Climate change poses a serious threat to our world, but has gone largely unaddressed. I have joined the Congressional Safe Climate Caucus as a promise to act to reduce emissions, encourage new innovation for clean energy, and protect our families, communities and environment.”

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.