HB74

I just received this article from a neighbor. It focuses on the state once again opting not to use federal monies for important state activities. My guess is that in the future the state will do less environmental monitoring and then use that as an excuse to repeal current regulations making them even weaker. The last two days I have been attending LUMO (land use meetings.) An important issue is  House Bill 74 which was passed this year. It's goal was to prevent local governments from passing regulations which will protect towns more than the state or federal laws. (The Republican logic was that government regulation prevents job formation. By that logic Chapel Hill should have one of the highest unemployment rates in the state but of course we have one of the lowest unemployment rates. ) Fortunately it did NOT repeal current local legislation such as the rules Chapel Hill has to protect water sheds, prevent erosion and regulate development near streams. However, any revisions of those rules under HB74 would require 100% (not majority vote) by the local government. This means that as the town rewrites and in some cases