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Carrboro legislation advances

Posted on April 30, 2009 by Staff

By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

The legislative agenda for the town of Carrboro wasn’t complicated when it was handed off to the local delegation, but once in Raleigh that changed.

A request to amend the town’s charter to allow the town to pass ordinances to outlaw discrimination in housing was bogged down in a House committee after the N.C. Family Policy Council and Christian activists objected to the inclusion of discrimination because of gender identity and sexual orientation along with race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or handicap.

And a bill aimed at making the town more energy efficient ran afoul of lobbyists for homeowner association groups who objected to rules that would prevent associations from cracking down on people who want to set up solar panels, garden or dry their clothes on a clothesline.

State Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, who is shepherding both bills through the Senate, said although the outcome wasn’t exactly what the town wanted, she was pleased that the bills were able to go through.

The energy efficiency legislation — Senate Bill 475 — had to be modified so that the rules would only apply to new developments, and a proposed remedy in which homeowners could file civil suits if prevented from adding green elements to their property was stripped from the bill. The changes to the bill brought it quick passage by the Senate last week. A House local-government committee is expected to review the bill soon, and if passed by that committee the bill will then move to the House committee on Energy and Energy Efficiency.

Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton said the anti-discrimination bill — House Bill 721 — was intended to help the town’s rules better comply with federal law on discrimination in housing. He and board of aldermen member Lydia Lavelle testified in committee on the bill and were questioned by legislators who supported efforts to remove the provisions on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The bill was re-referred to the House Judiciary I committee last week after a substitute was offered that removed the provisions. A hearing on the new version of the bill has not been scheduled.

Chilton said it’s likely now that both bills will pass. The crossover deadline for local bills is May 15. Any bill that has not passed either the House or Senate by then is effectively dead for the session.

“All in all, we’re glad to have both go through,” Chilton said. “It would have been better if both bills would have remained comprehensive.”

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