A pair of bills aimed at cleaning up the trash are working their way through the
General Assembly
.
"North Carolina has grown to become an uniquely, trashy state," says Sen. Austin Allran (R-Hickory).
The bills requires certain kinds of trucks to cover their loads. All State Department of Transportation mowing contracts will include litter pick-up. Plus, lawmakers want to reduce the littering charge from a misdemeanor to an infraction, so that people can be cited, pay a fine and not have to go to court.
"Law enforcement does not want to, or is hesitant to, spend a lot of its time in court, proving the intent, and therefore they let a lot of the littering go without any negative repercussions," Allran says.
The group, Keep America Beautiful, is one of the big backers of the bill. It has passed the Senate, but not the House.
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
