So What Happens to HB340 Now?

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Technically, HB340|Separation Allowance is still alive as the General Assembly’s adjournment resolution requires the legislative body to return in a lame duck session on Tuesday, Nov. 27, a couple weeks after election day.

This is in contrast to past adjournment resolutions for a short session, in which the General Assembly adjourns sine die, which means adjournment without a day being set for reconvening. In other words, sine die adjournment is a final adjournment resolution.

However, fire fighters are advised not to put much optimism that a November legislative session will bring enactment of HB340.

Instead, PFFPNC will be preparing for the 2019-2020 legislative sessions and the reintroduction of separation allowance bills – one in the House and the other in the Senate – that will likely have new bill numbers.

Rep. Nelson Dollar (R-Wake) said he wanted to meet with PFFPNC in the fall to lay out a bicameral legislative strategy for separation allowance in 2019.

Separation Allowance Bill Fails to Move as Session Adjourns

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The General Assembly adjourned the 2018 short session Friday, June 29, without the Senate moving HB340|Separation Allowance in a committee.

“We are very disappointed first and foremost that fire fighters were not given an open hearing in a Senate committee on the bill,” said PFFPNC Political Director Josh Smith. “The House initially had the same concerns the Senate had over the $300 million overall cost to municipalities but Speaker Tom Moore gave us an opportunity to make our case in that body’s committees to show savings to municipalities, and we changed hearts and minds. We were not given that privilege in the Senate, and it’s very disappointing.”

PFFPNC lobbyists pressed senators all the way until the end, including a conversation with Senate Pensions/Retirement Committee Chair Andy Wells (R-Alexander/Catawba) on Thursday afternoon, and he reiterated that he was not opposed to separation allowance but wants to find a state funding mechanism that would assist municipalities in funding the benefit.

Sen. Wells said he welcomes PFFPNC to meet with him in Hickory in the interim leading up to the 2019 legislative session. He would include the NC League of Municipalities, the organizer and chief messenger in opposing separation allowance for fire fighters.

Other offers to work with PFFPNC on separation allowance in the interim including Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-Rockingham/Guilford), Rules Chairman Bill Rabon (R-Brunswick/New Hanover/Pender/Bladen) and Se. Trudy Wade (R-Guilford).

Smith said he appreciates the offers to work with the Senate on their funding concerns, and he commits PFFPNC to that process. However, Smith reserved his greatest appreciate for the House, specifically Rep. Nelson Dollar (R-Wake) and Rep. Jason Saine (R-Lincoln), who worked tirelessly to find legislation to amend with separation allowance until the gavel fell on Friday.

PFFPNC will follow up on this story and a 2017-2018 wrap up in future Legislative Briefing newsletters.

HB340: As time ticks down, PFFPNC aims for field goal range

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Senate leaders announced this week that the likelihood of statewide bills moving in committee or to the floor are unlikely. With HB340 | Separation Allowance hanging in the balance, PFFPNC was granted a 30-minute meeting with Senate Chief of Staff Jim Blaine on Thursday, June 21.

PFFPNC fire fighters from around the state spent time in Raleigh talking to their representatives this week on behalf of HB340.

PFFPNC Political Director Josh Smith and DVP Scott Mullins did an effective job explaining HB340, and Blaine said he would discuss the merits of the bill with Sen. Phil Berger (R-Rockingham). Blaine, who seemed impressed by the presentation, said he could not commit to the bill getting to the Senate floor but said an open committee hearing this week would allow skeptical senators to learn how the bill saves municipalities and the state money over the long-term. Blaine then added at the close of the meeting, “If the bill catches fire in the hearing, you never know what could happen in the Senate.”

PFFPNC agreed to any hearing granted by the Senate leadership and is awaiting an answer fro Sen. Berger’s office. In the meantime, the NC League of Municipalities is ratcheting up its criticisms of separation allowance in alerts to its members and legislators by warning about the $300 million fiscal note, which some legislators are mistakenly believing is an annual cost to cities and towns.

“The League is promoting misinformation to legislators and their municipal members,” Smith says. “Not only is the $300 million not an annual cost to cities, that number is actually the cost of every fire fighter retiring in North Carolina at one time. Approximately 100 fire fighters retire annually in North Carolina and there is no way that cost cities $300 million.”

Smith said that the NCLM should actually see the bill as a benefit to municipal budgets as the bill encourages eligible fire fighters to leave the profession with dignity while freeing up senior salaries for new and less costly hires (salaries, workers compensation, health, etc.).

Mullins also underscored the state savings in the meeting with Blaine by showing that a fire fighter who retires at 30 years of service is less of a financial burden to the state retirement system than a 40-year fire fighter who leaves the job with a higher costing multiplier.

General Assembly doubles line-of-duty-death benefit

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Top budget writers – Sen. Harry Brown (R-Onslow/Jones) and Rep. Nelson Dollar (R-Wake) – held a joint press conference on Thursday to announce a package of line-items that have been agreed upon in the General Assembly’s budget.

During his time at he lectern, Sen. Brown said budget writers were adding correctional officers to the list of eligible recipients of the LODD benefit and added that the payout would double to $100,000 from $50,000. Increasing the benefit was a part of PFFPNC’s legislative requests to the General Assembly and to add more cancers to the program.

“Increasing the benefit payout has always been a cornerstone of our agenda, but we thought it would not be possible until we got all fire fighter cancers funded in the program,” said PFFPNC Political Director Josh Smith. “PFFPNC is appreciative to the General Assembly for doubling the LODD payout to $100,000 and we applaud budget writers for making fallen fire fighters, first responders, correctional officers and their families a priority.”

A final budget is expected to be released over the Memorial Day weekend. PFFPNC is on the lookout for any additional fire fighter cancers that may be covered by LODD. 

The House and Senate will begin votes on the nearly $24 billion spending plan on Tuesday and Wednesday in committees and has floor votes scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

The budget will then go to Governor Roy Cooper and he is expected to veto it. The General Assembly will likely take a veto override vote in mid June.

PFFPNC has been told the General Assembly will take up policy bills the first week in June. PFFPNC’s top priority is the enactment of HB340 | Separation Allowance for Fire Fighters. 

VIDEO: PFFPNC April Video Update

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PFFPNC’s April Video Update features Justin Price from Greensboro and Scott Mullins from Asheville just minutes before they walk into two separate fundraisers in Raleigh for Rep. Jon Hardister (R-Guiford) and Sen. Andy Wells (R-Catawba/Alexander).

PFFPNC | April Video Update from New Frame Videos on Vimeo.

VIDEO: PFFPNC Video Update, March 2018

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PFFPNC’s March video update includes a run-down on recent work in advocating for HB340|Separation Allowance and announces some important dates coming up in the next few weeks.

PFFPNC to Host IAFF’s 2018 FSPPFF Conference

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PFFPNC is proud to announce the IAFF’s Federation of State and Provincial Professional Fire Fighters Conference will be held Sept. 25-29, 2018, at the Fairfield Marriott (downtown) in Charlotte.

The formal announcement was made at the IAFF’s ALTs Conference in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., last month. North Carolina was awarded the conference after submitting a competitive process with other statewide and provincial affiliates from across the United States and Canada.

Nearly 100 delegates attended FSPPFF meetings, which feature education seminars for state affiliate presidents and secretary-treasurers.

The conference also includes exchanges of information with state and provincial officers about national, state, and provincial legislation.

“This is an honor for PFFPNC and we are proud of this opportunity to showcase North Carolina,” said PFFPNC President Tom Brewer. “PFFPNC continues to build a great program and other states, including the IAFF, are taking notice.”

PFFPNC Executive Board meets in Asheville for winter retreat

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The PFFPNC Executive Board met January 15-17 in Asheville for its winter retreat to discuss 2018 planning, including the upcoming General Assembly short session that begins May 16. Other issues include political outreach in the Senate on HB340, 2018 General Assembly elections, organizing Locals, the formation of an LLC, fundraising, communications and more.

The PFFPNC e-board consists of President Tom Brewer, Secretary-Treasurer and Political Director Josh Smith and DVPs Scott Mullins, David Pollard, Keith Wilder, Ryan Merrill and Justin Price.

PFFPNC DVP Scott Mullins fighting for rights on state and local level

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If you follow PFFPNC DVP Scott Mullins on Twitter, you’ll notice he’s stirring it up over the disproportionate number of fire fighters getting cancer, something he’s been working on since 2015 when PFFPNC introduced presumptive workers compensation legislation at the General Assembly.

Now Mullins has a focus on Asheville policymakers, and he’s gotten the attention of Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer, who met him on Friday, Jan. 12, to discuss how the city can better support fire fighters in the effort to prevent cancer.

DVP Scott Mullins with Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer

“Fire fighters know the risks of the job,” said Mullins, a captain in the Asheville Fire Department. “We run into burning buildings and if the flames don’t kill us, the residue left on our turnout gear that we wear on every call can. But, we should never neglect precautionary steps that can save our lives.”

Mullins is advocating for an extra set of turnout gear that a fire fighter can rotate as the other set is cleaned as a minimal and necessary step.

PFFPNC Political Director Josh Smith said Mullins is the personification of how the organization’s political work should work.

“Scott not only drives to Raleigh on his days off to meet with legislators to tell very personal stories about Asheville colleagues fighting these fire fighter cancers but he also takes that message to local leaders,” Smith said. “He is a bulldog for this profession and an example of how we need to be in every local across the state.”

Mullins and Mayor Manheimer are planning a follow-up meeting on cancer prevention in Asheville. She has requested more information and Mullins is collecting it now.

 

*This article first appeared in the Jan. 12 edition of the PFFPNC Legislative Briefing.