By L.A. Williams
Christian Action League
November 26, 2013
Praise the Lord, a number of new laws that the Christian Action League supported this past year take effect Dec. 1 and should make North Carolina a safer place for both children and the elderly. Here’s a run-down of a few of the most significant of the new laws. For a complete list of laws taking effect Dec. 1 and Jan. 1, 2014, see www.ncleg.net.
S-117 – Lily’s Law – Legislation named for an Alamance County infant who was shot in utero, born alive and later died, Lily’s Law codifies the common law that makes it murder when a child is injured in the womb, born and later dies from the injury.
S-122 – Sex Trafficking/Sex Offender Registration – This bill requires that the names of convicted human traffickers be added to the state’s sex offender registry.
H-149 – Caylee’s Law/Report Missing Children – Named after Caylee Anthony, the Florida two-year-old who was missing for a month before authorities were notified, the measure creates the criminal offense of failure to report the disappearance of a child to law enforcement and makes the parent or caregiver responsible guilty of a Class H felony punishment for child abuse if the child winds up seriously injured. It also increases the penalties for intentionally concealing a child’s death or making a false report to law enforcement regarding a child’s disappearance.
H-75 – Kilah’s Law/Increase Child Abuse Penalties — This law increases the penalty for various criminal offenses of felony child abuse and requires that the official record of a defendant convicted of child abuse or other assaults against a minor indicates that the offense involved child abuse.
H-29 – Methamphetamine Offense/Penalties — This law makes it illegal for someone who has a prior meth conviction to possess pseudoephedrine. It also adds an additional 24 months to the sentence of anyone manufacturing meth in the presence of a child or disabled or elderly adult.
H-532 – No drinking in EMS and Law Enforcement vehicles – In addition to prohibiting alcohol use in these vehicles, the new law makes it a crime to drive one of these vehicles while alcohol remains in a person’s body.
Even as these laws passed during the summer are taking effect, the CAL is eyeing potential legislation for next session and working to help inform policy makers of the importance of applying a Biblical worldview to the issues of the day.