The House Appropriations Committee takes up House Bill 524, annexation – omnibus changes aka annexation reform bill.

Former chair of the League of Municipalities, Rep Lucy Allen, (D-Franklin) has an amendment that would take out the referendum.  Argues the bill without it is strong enough and is equitable. Says very few people out of 500 cities object to annexation laws.  Cities are the key economic engine. 

Bill sponsor Rep Bruce Goforth thinks the utility service is a good idea, but opposes taking the referendum out.  

Rep Hugh Holliman, (D-Davidson) who is the one who put the referendum provision in the bill in the House Finance Committee speaks against the amendment. 

Rep Nelson Dollar (R-Wake) says the vote is the fundamental key to annexation – this guts the bill, begs members to defeat the amendment. Longtime advocate for annexation rights, Rep Larry Brown (R-Forsyth) speaks to the right to vote as what America is all about. “Are we for the citizens or are we for a bunch of lobbyists who want to hound you all day?,”

Rep Lorene Coates, (D-Rowan) says the people have spoken and they clearly want a vote.
 
Rep Hugh Blackwell, (R-Burke) wants to amend the amendment to take out the removal of the referendum.  Chair Rep Mickey Michaux says that will not be allowed.

Rep Winkie Wilkins (D-Person), says some communities have been doing it right – shouldn’t punish those cities that have been doing it right.

Rep Jeff Barnhart (R-Cabarrus) talks about providing fire protection service. He is in favor of the amendment and says “we can’t go too far.”

Rep Nelson Dollar calls for a record of the vote on the amendment.
The amendment fails 39-43.

 

UPDATE (3:07pm): Vote on Amendment 

Allen Amendment – FAILED (39-43)
Voting YES:

Democrats:
Adams(D-Guilford); Alexander, K; Allen(D-Franklin); Bell(D-Sampson); Bordsen(D-Alamance); Bryant(D-Nash); Crawford(D-Granville); Dickson(D-Cumberland); Earle(D-Mecklenburg); England(D-Rutherford); Farmer-Butterfield(D-Wilson); Fisher(D-Buncombe); Floyd, E.(D-Cumberland); Gill(D-Wake); Glazier(D-Cumberland); Goodwin(D-Richmond); Harrell(D-Wake); Insko(D-Orange); Jackson(D-Wake); Jeffus(D-Guilford); Love(D-Lee); Mackey(D-Mecklenburg); Martin(D-Wake); McLawhorn(D-Pitt); Owens(D-Pasquotank); Pierce(D-Scotland); Rapp(D-Madison); Ross(D-Wake); Spear(D-Washington); Tarleton(D-Watauga); Tolson(D-Edgecombe); Tucker(D-Duplin); Wainwright(D-Craven); Warren, E.(D-Pitt); Warren, R.(D-Alexander); Wilkins(D-Person); Womble(D-Forsyth)

Republicans:
Barnhart(R-Cabarrus); Samuelson(R-Mecklenburg); 

 
Voting NO:

Democrats:
Brisson(D-Bladen); Coates(D-Rowan); Cole(D-Rockingham); Goforth(D-Buncombe); Holliman(D-Davidson); Lucas(D-Cumberland); Mobley(D-Hertford); Stewart(D-Nash); Sutton(D-Robeson); Underhill(D-Craven); Whilden(D-Buncombe); Williams(D-Beaufort); Yongue (D-Scotland)

Republicans:
Avila(R-Wake); Blackwell(R-Burke); Boles(R-Moore); Brown(R-Forsyth); Burr(R-Stanly); Burris-Floyd(R-Gaston); Cleveland(R-Onslow); Current(R-Gaston); Dollar(R-Wake); Frye(R-Mitchell); Gillespie(R-McDowell); Grady(R-Onslow); Guice(R-Transylvania); Hilton(R-Catawba); Holloway(R-Stokes); Hurley(R-Randolph); Iler(R-Brunswick); Ingle(R-Alamance); Johnson(R-Cabarrus); Justice(R-Pender); Justus(R-Henderson); Langdon(R-Johnston); Mills(R-Iredell); Moore(R-Cleveland); Neumann(R-Gaston); Randleman(R-Wilkes); Sager(R-Wayne); Steen(R-Rowan); Stevens(R-Surry); Wiley(R-Guilford); 

 

Not Voting: Gulley (R-Mecklenburg)

Absent from committee meeting: Daughtry (R-Johnston), Dockham (R-Davidson), Harrison (D-Guilford), Killian (R-Mecklenburg), McElraft (R-Carteret), Parmon (D-Forsyth), West (R-Cherokee), Wray (D-Northampton).