week 14 report: requests up 33% for session; down 4% for week

Single week requests down 4% for week 14

During the period April 20-26, 2007, North Carolina legislative staff received 45 substantive bill requests, down 4% from the 47 received the same week in the 2005 Session. For the week April 13-19, 2007, staff received 116 requests. This is the first week of the session that this year’s requests were less than in the same week of the 2005 Session.

33% cumulative increase same from last week; Bill Drafting Division up over 37%

North Carolina legislative staff have received 3,928 substantive bill drafting requests by the end of the 14th week of the 2007 Regular Session today, up over 33% compared with the same point in the 2005 Regular Session (up 37% for the Bill Drafting Division alone). Staffwide cumulative increases reported previously were weeks 12 and 13: 33%, weeks 10 and 11: 36%; week 8 and 9: 35%; week 7: 37%; week 6: 46%; week 5: 45%, week 4: 40%, week 3: 35%.

CHART OF CHANGES IN REQUEST VOLUME 2005:  2007

2005

2007

CHANGE

RESEARCH DIVISION

378

405

+7.14%

DRAFTING DIVISION

2570

3523

+37.08%

GRAND TOTAL

2901

3887

+33.24%

ONE DEADLINE REMAINS

One request deadline still remains: May 1 for House Appropriations and Finance bills. The total number of substantive bill requests for the 2005 long session was 3,241. The current 2007 total of 3,887 substantive requests already exceeds that by over 21%.

week 13 report: Bill Drafting Division requests up 38% for session

Single week requests up 41% for week 13

During the period April 13-19, 2007, North Carolina legislative staff received 116 substantive bill requests, up 41% from the 82 received the same week in the 2005 Session. For the week April 5-12, 2007, staff received 198 requests.

33% cumulative increase same from last week; Bill Drafting Division up over 38%

North Carolina legislative staff have received 3,887 substantive bill drafting requests by the end of the 13th week of the 2007 Regular Session today, up over 33% compared with the same point in the 2005 Regular Session (up 38% for the Bill Drafting Division alone). Staffwide cumulative increases reported previously were week 12: 33%, weeks 10 and 11: 36%; week 8 and 9: 35%; week 7: 37%; week 6: 46%; week 5: 45%, week 4: 40%, week 3: 35%.

CHART OF CHANGES IN REQUEST VOLUME 2005:  2007

2005

2007

CHANGE

RESEARCH DIVISION

377

399

+5.84%

DRAFTING DIVISION

2524

3488

+38.19%

GRAND TOTAL

2901

3887

+33.99%

ONE DEADLINE REMAINS

One request deadline still remains: May 1 for House Appropriations and Finance bills. The total number of substantive bill requests for the 2005 long session was 3,241. The current 2007 total of 3,887 substantive requests already exceeds that by almost 20%.  

week 12 report: requests up 33% for session; 3% for week

Single week requests up 3% for week 12

During the period April 5-12, 2007, North Carolina legislative staff received 198 substantive bill requests, up 3% from the 192 received the same week in the 2005 Session. For the week March 29-April 5, 2007, staff received 101 requests.

33% cumulative increase is drop from last week

North Carolina legislative staff have received 3,771 substantive bill drafting requests by the end of the 12th week of the 2007 Regular Session today, up over 33% compared with the same point in the 2005 Regular Session.  Cumulative increases reported previously were weeks 10 and 11: 36%; week 8 and 9: 35%; week 7: 37%; week 6: 46%; week 5: 45%, week 4: 40%, week 3: 35%.

CHART OF CHANGES IN REQUEST VOLUME 2005:  2007

2005

2007

CHANGE

RESEARCH DIVISION

355

376

+5.92%

DRAFTING DIVISION

2464

3395

+37.78%

GRAND TOTAL

2819

3771

+33.77%

ONE DEADLINE REMAINS

One request deadline still remains: May 1 for House Appropriations and Finance bills. The total number of substantive bill requests for the 2005 long session was 3,241. The current 2007 total of 3,771 substantive requests already exceeds that by over 16%.  

Blank bill requests drop

Blank bill requests are down 82% from 2005, dropping from 490 requests in 2005 to 86 in 2007. Senators are limited to two blank bill filings for the biennium, while the new House permanent rules do not allow blank bills. In 2005 there were no blank bill limits for the long session.

North Carolina’s biggest export: former legislators?

North Carolina’s 1989 session sent three legislators elsewhere

An interesting aside, three North Carolina legislators who served in the 1989 General Assembly now serve in the State legislatures of three different states:

1. Representative David Balmer (R-Mecklenburg), who served in the NC House from 1989-94 now serves in the Colorado House, where he is assistant minority leader.
2. Representative Peggy Wilson (R-Rockingham), who also served in the NC House from 1989-94, is serving her fourth term in the Alaska House, where she chairs the House Health, Education and Social Services Committee.
3. Senator Richard Chalk (R-Guilford), who served in the NC House from 1985-88 and in the NC Senate from 1989-90, is serving his second term in the South Carolina House. Chalk is currently running to fill a vacant South Carolina Senate seat, the Republican primary is May 1, 2007, and if he wins the primary and the special election, he will have served in both chambers in both states.  (Update, Chalk lost the primary on May 1)

 Richard Chalk

 

Peggy Wilson

 David Balmer

How I came upon this 

Karl Kurtz of the National Conference of State Legislatures posted last week in his blog about state legislators serving in more than one state. The post featured a story in The Oklahoman, “Lawmaker’s service spans Oklahoma, New Hampshire,” about Oklahoma state Rep. Richard Morissette, who earlier in his career served in the New Hampshire House of Representatives.  Kurtz went on to mention Balmer and Wilson as the two other person that NCSL staff knew of that also had served in two states. I mentioned this to a few members this morning, many of whom knew of one or the other serving in another state, but a few knew that Richard Chalk had moved to Hilton Head and was serving in the South Carolina House. No one had put all three names together.

Another NC connection

Researching this today, I also found that Representative Tricia Cotham (D-Mecklenburg) has a first cousin serving in the Maine House of Representatives. Emily Cain is the second youngest member of the Maine House. The Cain family is from Charlotte.

 Emails for our former members

Balmer, Chalk, and Wilson can all be reached by email:

Balmer: david.balmer.house@state.co.us

Chalk: ChalkR@schouse.org

Wilson: Rep_Peggy_Wilson@legis.state.ak.us

===========

UPDATE MAY 4.  Richard Chalk lost the May 1 South Carolina Senate primary

week 11 report: drafting requests up 36% for session, 10% for week

Single week requests up 10% for week 11

During the period March 30-April 5, 2007, North Carolina legislative staff received 101 substantive bill requests, up 10% from the 91 received the same week in the 2005 Session. For the week March 23-29, 2007, staff received 157 requests.

36% cumulative increase same as last week

North Carolina legislative staff have received 3,573 substantive bill drafting requests by the end of the eleventh week of the 2007 Regular Session today, up over 36% compared with the same point in the 2005 Regular Session.  Cumulative increases reported previously were week 10: 36%; week 8 and 9: 35%; week 7: 37%; week 6: 46%; week 5: 45%, week 4: 40%, week 3: 35%.

CHART OF CHANGES IN REQUEST VOLUME 2005:  2007

2005

2007

CHANGE

RESEARCH DIVISION

332

360

+8.43%

DRAFTING DIVISION

2295

3213

+40.00%

GRAND TOTAL

2627

3573

+36.01%

TWO DEADLINES REMAIN

Two filing deadlines still remain: April 18 for House Public bills and May 9 for House Appropriations and Finance bills. The total number of substantive bill requests for the 2005 long session was 3,241. The current 2007 total of 3,573 substantive requests already exceeds that.  

Blank bill requests drop

Blank bill requests are down 83% from 2005, dropping from 489 requests in 2005 to 83 in 2007. Senators are limited to two blank bill filings for the biennium, while the new House permanent rules do not allow blank bills. In 2005 there were no blank bill limits for the long session.