With filings today, the 4,962 total bills and 2,164 Senate bills filed in 2007-2008 are the highest since the 1913 Session of the North Carolina General Assembly saw 5,627 and 2,660 respectively. The House total of 2,798 bills filed in 2007-2008 was exceeded in the past century only by 2,967 in 1913 and 2,895 in 2005.
The 2007-2008 totals include a total of 10 House bills and four Senate bills for the two extra sessions.
The high totals in the 1911 session promoted then Governor W.W. Kitchin to send a special message to the General Assembly, stating that “Special legislation is the greatest scourge of government.” The 1913 session, while considering the record 5,627 bills, passed a constitutional amendment to greatly restrict local and special legislation. That amendment was rejected by the voters, but a revised version was passed again in 1915 and approved by the voters in 1916, which banned 26 categories of bills. Bill filings gradually trailed off through 1943, when they began to climb again. The lowest total bills in the past century occurred in 1943 when 1,223 bills were filed.
Totals for each biennial session appear below (regular sessions have been held each year since 1973). The totals include special sessions.
BILL FILINGS FOR THE PAST 100 YEARS:
|
Session |
House |
Senate |
Total |
|
2007** |
2,798 |
2,164 |
4,962 |
|
2005 |
2,895 |
2,066 |
4,961 |
|
2003** |
1,826 |
1,455 |
3,281 |
|
2001* |
1,831 |
1,489 |
3,320 |
|
1999** |
1,873 |
1,564 |
3,437 |
|
1997* |
1,770 |
1,608 |
3,378 |
|
1995** |
1,542 |
1,547 |
3,089 |
|
1993* |
2,366 |
1,905 |
4,271 |
|
1991* |
1,705 |
1,285 |
2,990 |
|
1989** |
2,415 |
1,638 |
4,053 |
|
1987 |
2,659 |
1,869 |
4,528 |
|
1985* |
2,151 |
1,312 |
3,463 |
|
1983* |
1,813 |
905 |
2,718 |
|
1981** |
1,690 |
877 |
2,567 |
|
1979 |
1,775 |
1,107 |
2,882 |
|
1977 |
1,696 |
1,030 |
2,726 |
|
1975 |
1,341 |
970 |
2,311 |
|
1973 |
2,193 |
1,508 |
3,701 |
|
1971*** |
1,610 |
1,011 |
2,621 |
|
1969 |
1,437 |
910 |
2,347 |
|
1967 |
1,433 |
750 |
2,183 |
|
1965** |
1,206 |
626 |
1,832 |
|
1963* |
1,405 |
709 |
2,114 |
|
1961 |
1,263 |
512 |
1,775 |
|
1959 |
1,363 |
517 |
1,880 |
|
1957 |
1,452 |
534 |
1,986 |
|
1955* |
1,422 |
607 |
2,029 |
|
1953 |
1,336 |
489 |
1,825 |
|
1951 |
1,237 |
623 |
1,860 |
|
1949 |
1,343 |
491 |
1,834 |
|
1947 |
1,129 |
481 |
1,610 |
|
1945 |
1,000 |
445 |
1,445 |
|
1943 |
858 |
365 |
1,223 |
|
1941 |
966 |
353 |
1,319 |
|
1939* |
1,187 |
509 |
1,696 |
|
1937**** |
1,326 |
512 |
1,838 |
|
1935 |
1,511 |
649 |
2,160 |
|
1933 |
1,711 |
758 |
2,469 |
|
1931 |
1,495 |
660 |
2,155 |
|
1929 |
1,697 |
1,487 |
3,184 |
|
1927 |
1,742 |
1,620 |
3,362 |
|
1925 |
1,808 |
1,566 |
3,374 |
|
1923* |
2,224 |
2,043 |
4,267 |
|
1921 |
1,565 |
1,382 |
2,947 |
|
1919* |
2,143 |
2,044 |
4,187 |
|
1917 |
1,943 |
1,738 |
3,681 |
|
1915 |
2,150 |
1,954 |
4,104 |
|
1913* |
2,967 |
2,660 |
5,627 |
|
1911 |
2,195 |
1,959 |
4,154 |
|
1909 |
2,075 |
1,875 |
3,950 |
*one extra session in biennium
** two extra sessions in biennium
*** 1971 regular session reconvened in October after July recess
**** two extra sessions in biennium, one just after election in 1936 under old constitutional provision that terms of members started upon election
Drafting Musings 