How about a legislative Throwback Thursday? Check out this 1963 effort of the short-lived North Carolina Film Board.
Yesterday, U.S. District Judge William Osteen ruled that, in light of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, North Carolina’s statute forbidding abortions after 20 weeks (N.C.G.S. 14-45.1) is not unconstitutional. In other words, the 20-week ban can be enforced.
Judge Osteen’s ruling is available here.
Responses by Governor Cooper, House Speaker Tim Moore, and other elected officials are here.
Curious about other states’ abortion laws? We have a blog entry on that topic.
Looking for legal help on this or any other subject? Check out this list of free or low-cost resources.
A frequent request we get at the Legislative Library is for a certified copy of a statute, session law, or other document. This means a document whose contents can be relied upon as truly and genuinely created by a North Carolina agency.
Some documents we can certify, and some we can’t. Here are the best contacts for document certification.
GENERAL STATUTES
The General Assembly passes bills into law. These are called session laws. The session laws that are public laws–i.e., they apply to everyone in North Carolina–are then integrated into the General Statutes, which consist of the general and permanent laws enacted by the General Assembly.
Anyone needing a certified copy of a statute (not a session law) should contact the Legislative Drafting Division of the General Assembly at 919-733-6660.
SESSION LAWS OR RATIFIED BILLS
After a bill is ratified–i.e., the General Assembly passes it and the Governor signs it–that bill becomes a session law. These original signed documents are then transmitted to the North Carolina Secretary of State.
Anyone needing a certified copy of a ratified bill or session law (not a statute) should contact the Secretary of State at 919-814-5400.
NORTH CAROLINA CONSTITUTION
The Secretary of State is also the statutory custodian of the North Carolina Constitution.
Anyone needing a certified copy of the Constitution should contact the Secretary of State at 919-814-5400.
COMMITTEE MINUTES
The official record of a legislative committee meeting is that meeting’s written minutes. The minutes from 1997 forward can be found here. Older minutes (back to the early 1970s) are available on microfilm in the Legislative Library.
Anyone who comes to the library to locate minutes on microfilm can ask for a certification of those minutes from a librarian.
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
These are orders issued by the Governor of North Carolina. They do not come from the General Assembly.
Anyone needing a certified copy of an executive order should contact the Governor’s office at 919-814-2000.
Most people know that, on June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the case that had made abortion legal nationwide since 1973. Under the new ruling (which you can read here), individual states can decide whether to make abortion legal or illegal.
What, then, is the legal status of abortion in each state?
The New York Times is tracking that question here, with a series of maps and charts. It will update this page as states’ laws change. Another source for this information is this state-by-state guide.
If you’re curious about the status of abortion worldwide, check out this page from the Center for Reproductive Rights.
At the intersection of Wilmington and Jones Streets sits a handsome white building. It looks like this.
Inside that building is the Government & Heritage Library, which is part of the State Library of North Carolina. The GHL Library has thousands of books you can check out plus dozens of databases you can use from home. And it’s all free!
What do you need to access these materials? A GHL Library card.
Just fill out this form, and you’ll get your card number via email. This is all you need to access the databases. If you want the physical card, you can pick it up at the handsome white building at Wilmington and Jones.
For more information, click here or contact the Library at 919-814-6790 or slnc.reference@ncdcr.gov.
In the last day or two, you may have read headlines like the following:
N.C. Senate Passes Medical Cannabis Legislation
Those who follow this issue know it’s been a long, winding road. Does this headline mean the journey is over? Is medical marijuana now legal in the Tar Heel State?
No. The journey is only half over. S.711, known as the Compassionate Care Act, still has to pass the NC House of Representatives, which will probably make changes to the bill. It would then need to go back to the Senate to agree with the changes. If the Senate makes further changes, then it would go back to the House . . . you get the idea.
Bottom line: medical cannabis in NC is not dead. But it is not yet legal. You can track the bill through every step on the General Assembly website or the UNC School of Government Reporting Service.
Curious about other states’ medical marijuana laws? This page from the National Conference of State Legislatures can help.
How about a federal law? The United States House of Representatives recently passed this bill. It will have to be passed by the U.S. Senate and signed by President Biden to become law.
By now, most people have heard about the horrible shootings in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas. Both shooters were 18 years old and had acquired their guns legally.
This raises the question: what is the minimum age for owning a gun in North Carolina?
Long Guns
There is no NC statute specifically addressing so-called long guns–rifles, carbines, shotguns, etc. Instead, the minimum age for purchase is set by federal law (18 USC Chapter 44) at 18 years.
Pistols/Handguns
Two NC statutes govern the issue of minors and handguns.
Other Resources
Gun Laws (Findlaw)
Federal Firearms Laws (Congressional Research Service)
NY State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (an ongoing U.S. Supreme Court case that could change gun laws nationwide)
In North Carolina this morning, the state average for gas was $3.92 a gallon, according to WBTV. That’s up 4 cents in the last 24 hours and up 71 cents from one month ago.
Some of you may be wondering: what does state law have to say about such price increases?
There is one statute, N.C.G.S. 75-38, specific to this topic. It covers price increases during states of disaster or emergency.
Here are more resources that can help you research the issue.
Is North Carolina under a state of emergency?
Actually, yes. Executive Order No. 116, issued way back on March 10, 2020, is still in effect.
What powers does the governor have during a state of emergency?
Read all about it in the Emergency Management Act.
How does gas pricing work anyway?
This article explains it nicely.
What if I want to complain to somebody?
The North Carolina Attorney General’s Office is the best place to contact. You can call 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or fill out this online complaint form.
At our library, we have gotten several questions lately about the issue of hospitals or nursing homes telling people they are not liable for injuries or deaths that occur related to the coronavirus.
Is that really a law? our callers ask.
The answer: yes, it is.
The law is S.B. 704, the COVID-19 Recovery Act, which was passed in 2020. Among other things, the law provides significant liability protection for health care facilities and providers “that may result from treatment of individuals during the COVID-19 public health emergency under conditions resulting from circumstances associated with the COVID-19 public health emergency.”
This article explains the law in more detail.
While we’re on the subject, did you know the library maintains an up-to-date list of COVID-related laws, policies, and resources? Check it out here.
What is our library asked for the most? Good question.
Statuses of bills, certainly.
Committee minutes, without a doubt.
Candy? Well, Easter is coming up.
And reports. We generally have two types: those by the legislature and those written for the legislature by other agencies. Many of them are in full text on our website.
Don’t see the report you need? Let us know! We might be able to track it down.