When I arrived at the General Assembly this morning, I familiarized myself with the Legislative Building and Legislative Office Building. I then attended several committee meetings, including the “Rules and Operations” meeting. This session was fascinating, as a very controversial bill was being discussed- the Parental Bill of Rights. Several concerned citizens delivered impassioned speeches urging senators to vote against the bill. They said that its passage would lead to the displacement of many members of the LGBTQ community, as it would require school counselors to “out” students and require parental involvement. The vote from the senators was mixed, and the bill will be read in the legislative session Wednesday. Shortly after, the Finance Committee met. I met the former mayor of Raleigh, Tom Fetzer, as well as a few other senators. The Finance session was quite short, as the committee unanimously agreed on the bill. In the afternoon at 4 pm, the legislative session began and the second and third reading of several bills was conducted. I had the opportunity to sit on the Senate Floor session and see the action up close.
