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2007 General Assembly Update

 As of 02/20/07

Click here for the list of Passed Bills and click here for the list of Failed Bills.

Click on the links below for more information about these specific bills.

Smoke Free Act

Delegate Morgan Griffith’s Smoking restrictions for restaurant legislation has passed the House and is now waiting final action by the Senate. Delegate Griffith has made it clear that if the Senate amends his bill, he will pull the bill for this session. The bill, as presented, would require restaurants that allow smoking to post a sign at each entrance letting patrons know that "Smoking Permitted". The bill would be effective July 1, 2007. 

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Minimum Wage

The Minimum Wage bill was referred to House Appropriations on Tuesday, February 20th. Since the Appropriations Committee will not meet again this session, the bill has failed.

This bill was caught up in political posturing for the 2007 campaign season. The bill failed in Commerce and Labor’s sub committee February 13th. << Back to top

Sales Tax Holiday

The addition of Computers and Computer Software failed to report from Senate Finance.

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Hurricane Preparedness

This bill was amended in House Finance committee to include Computer and Computer Software. The House passed the bill with amendments. The full Senate heard the bill and rejected the amendments and referred the bill pack to the House. The House has asked for a committee of conferees to determine the bill’s fate. The RMA and the Retail Alliance will follow the bill through the conferee process.

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Transportation

The House and Senate have not reached agreement on Transportation funding. The issue to use or not to use General Fund Revenues is one major point of contention. A resolution to this issue may come at the end of session. << Back to top

Electric Re-Regulation

Both the House and Senate Commerce Committees have passed legislation dealing with the re-regulation of the Electric Industry. Both bills are before the House and Senate for vote.

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BPOL Tax

Exemption for Motor Fuel Taxes

The bill has now passed both the House and Senate and is now before the Governor. Both bills will exempt the motor fuel tax from the gross receipts tax.

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Sales and Use Tax Holiday for Energy Efficient Products

This bill has now passed the Senate and House and is before the Governor. The bill provides a sales tax exemption for purchases of certain Energy Star qualified products with a sales price of $2,500 or less made during a four-day period each year in mid-October.  The bill also authorizes dealers to absorb the sales and use tax on all other items sold during the same time period and thereby relieve the purchasers of the obligation to pay such tax. Dealers who absorb such taxes are liable for payment of the same to the Tax Commissioner.  The sales tax holiday would expire in July of 2012.

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If you have any questions about this legislation, please contact George Peyton, VP, Government Relations at (804) 334-2932.