Thursday Wrap: Short and sweet

Lawmakers got out of Dodge quickly on Thursday, with the House holding a skeleton session and the Senate zooming through a handful of bills, including repealing a fee on university students who take too long to earn their bachelor's degree.

Posted 10:34 p.m. Mar 28, 2019 — Updated 10:34 p.m. Mar 28, 2019

RALEIGH, N.C. — Lawmakers got out of Dodge quickly on Thursday, with the House holding a skeleton session and the Senate zooming through a handful of bills, including repealing a fee on university students who take too long to earn their bachelor's degree.

One House committee did pass a measure that would define electric scooters as vehicles in state statute. Sponsor Rep. John Torbett, R-Gaston, said the proposal wouldn't affect a city's ability to regulate when and where scooters could be used.

Democratic lawmakers filed a set of companion bills related to LGBT issues. One would expand non-discrimination protections to sexual orientation and gender identity, the second would repeal the last vestiges of House Bill 2 and the third would ban the discredited practice of "gay conversion therapy" on anyone under 18 and disabled adults.

Four Wake County lawmakers filed two bills to stagger the terms of members of the county Board of Commissioners and the school board, starting next year. The changes would unravel what remains of laws adopted several years ago, parts of which have been thrown out in the courts.

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