Political Opinion: From Sen. Jarvis' desk - March 4, 2022
Dear Friends,
Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends. This show is the 2021 legislative long session, which is still going in March 2022.
To my knowledge, this is the first time in the history of North Carolina that the General Assembly literally rolled out of one year into the next year while still in its long session. So that’s one more for the books. Hopefully soon we can settle the redistricting litigation, and adjourn.
The current session — lengthened by protracted budget negotiations and redistricting fights — has extended the session much longer. The back-and-forth with the courts over maps is what has kept lawmakers from shutting down the session and a challenge to the court-enacted congressional map is before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The state Historic Preservation Office has chosen to conduct a survey of historic buildings and landscapes in Montgomery County that will go until 2023.
Gov. Cooper has urged government agencies in the state of North Carolina to totally remove mask mandates starting March 7th.
The state Supreme Court has also decided to grant the request of the plaintiffs in the voter ID lawsuit, which would allow the case to bypass the Court of Appeals and go straight to the N.C. Supreme Court.
In Raleigh and across the country, buildings are being lit up in the colors of the Ukrainian flag, blue and yellow, in a gesture to signal support for the nation. We hope you will continue to join us in praying for the people of Ukraine.
The Department of Health and Human Services has announced that the state will be launching a mental health crisis hotline in July. North Carolina will be one of the first states to do so, and we hope this will be a big step forward for our state.
The Board of Education, in partnership with the Department of Public Instruction, has released data from a study on the impacts of loss of instructional time due to COVID-19.
On Tuesday, I will be attending a confirmation hearing to appoint Karen Kemerait to the N.C. Utilities Commission.
If you have concerns, or questions, you can reply to this newsletter, email, or call my office at (919) 733-5743.
I also take time each day to personally call citizens in our district to listen to their concerns. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you!
Senator Steve Jarvis,
NC District 29
