From Sen. Jarvis' Desk: December 10, 2021
Dear Friends,
It has been a busy news cycle the last two weeks. The Governor has vetoed an election integrity bill that would have forced Election Workers to not count any mail-in ballots that arrived after polls closed. Governor Cooper argued that the bill would leave many votes “uncounted.”
In addition, Governor Cooper signed S329. S329 is one of the bills I introduced. This bill would allow work to be done without a building permit on jobs under 20K if the project meets certain requirements. It also allows projects under 300k to not require an architect for certain construction projects.
This week has also been “dizzying” as the courts delayed all elections from March 8th until May 17th. No reason was given for the Supreme Court Order. Plantiffs have asked the court to stop candidate filing and argue that the recently approved maps are politically gerrymandered. The maps were drawn in full public view and streamed online.
Duke Energy customers may see an increase in their utility bill beginning this month as the company announces its repayment of storm damage fees from 2018 to 2019 that occurred under Hurricanes Florence, Michael, Dorian and Winter Storm Diego.
The CDC has announced a nearly 40% increase in overdose deaths between April 2020 to April 2021. Since 2017, 10,000 North Carolinians have died from drug overdose. These numbers are staggering and should not be happening in our state. If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, please reach out to the NC Department of Health and Human Services.
Gov. Roy Cooper signed into law a bill that will make it a felony for public officials to financially benefit from their titles. The law will also block public officials who also serve on nonprofit boards from voting to award contracts to the organizations they serve.
A bill effectively banning the “Carolina Squat” modification went into effect on December 1st. House Bill 692 was passed by lawmakers on August 25th and signed by Governor Cooper thereafter. The law states that no passenger vehicle, such as a pickup truck, can be driven if it has been altered so that the height of the front fender is 4 or more inches higher than the height of the rear fender.
Egger Wood Products in Lexington recently announced their newest 50 million dollar expansion which would add 40 jobs at its Lexington Manufacturing plant. Congratulations to the entire Egger Wood Team!
Lastly this week I had the privilege of attending several Christmas Parades across Davidson County. It is always great to spend time with old friends and meet new people. I even had the chance to try my hand at riding a unicycle, although I am certain I need more practice. I hope to see you and your families at a parade in district soon!
As always, thank you to our numerous constituents who continue to write, call, or email our office.
Senator Steve Jarvis,
NC District 29
