State Senate Bill 382, forcing Durham to let Southern Durham Development hook its 751 South subdivision onto the city water system, died in the legislature early Tuesday morning.
The Senate voted the bill down 15-25, then agreed to reconsider and voted it down again 18-19.
"It's kind of dead for today," said Durham state Sen. Floyd McKissick, but the bill or something similar could be introduced in a future General Assembly session, he said.
"The political landscape can always change."
The InterNeighborhood Council is gearing up for another billboard battle, this time at the General Assembly.
Tuesday night, the group unanimously approved a resolution opposing any new restrictions on local governments' authority to regulate billboards.
No such bill has been introduced, but State Sen. Floyd McKissick and others have said that rumors abound that billboard interests are drafting restrictive legislation for the current session.
Some neighborhood delegates at Tuesday's meeting suggested waiting until a bill is actually introduced, but INC President Tom Miller, who introduced the resolution, said waiting could be risky.
"INC meets once a month and the General Assembly meets once a day," he said. "If we wait we may miss the vote [in the legislature], we may not be able to do what we can do and I'm not sure how much that may be."
The Durham People's Alliance is holding a public forum for Durham County legislators Wednesday night.
State Sen. Floyd McKissick and Reps. Larry Hall, Paul Leubke and Winkie Wilkins have confirmed they expect to be on hand to talk and take questions on the just-past General Assembly session and whatever legislative issues the audience has on its mind.
The forum runs 7-9 at the Stanford L. Warren branch library, 1201 Fayetteville St.
Durham will have a three-way race for state Senate this fall.
Libertarian David C. Rollins has joined Republican Kenneth R. Chandler in challenging Democratic incumbent Floyd B. McKissick Jr. for the District 20 seat, which represents most of Durham County.
It's alive!
Our esteemed colleague Lynn Bonner noted over at Under the Dome that Sen. Floyd McKissick resuscitated the 1 percent meals tax referendum bill today after it was all but dead a mere hour before.
It likely will be up for a vote tomorrow on the Senate floor, McKissick said, where approval of the embattled local bill is by no means assured.
County commissioners chairwoman Ellen Reckhow wants help from the
homefront to get Durham County's proposed prepared food tax through the
state legislature.
Earlier this week, she sent a memo titled "Urgent Action Needed by
Monday June 30" to "Concerned Durham County Citizens and Civic/Cultural
Arts Groups," informing them the food-tax bill is in jeopardy and
urging local interests to lobby the county's legislators in the bill's
favor.
