New Year Brings New Laws and Tax

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New Year Brings New Laws and Tax

Special Report - January 5, 2012
On January 1, a number of new laws passed by the North Carolina General Assembly in the 2011 session took effect, including stricter regulations on the sale of cold medicines aimed at stopping the production of methamphetamine, a restriction on running for more than one political office, and new requirements for teenage drivers. Additionally, North Carolinians will also pay more at the gas pump, thanks to a record increase in the state gas tax that takes effect this month.

A full list of the new laws that became effective in 2012 can be found on the General Assembly’s web site here, but among the laws of note are the following:

HB 12-Stop Methamphetamine Labs (S.L. 2011-240)—This law requires pharmacies to enter information on the sale of products containing pseudoephedrine into a national database, and requires that pharmacists “not complete the sale” of the product “if the system generates of a stop alert.”
SB 356-No Run for Two Offices/Same General Election (SL 2011-214)—This law amends Article 11, Chapter 163 of the North Carolina General Statutes to prohibit an “individual from running on the same general election ballot for more than one office, except to fill a vacancy for the remainder of an unexpired term.”
SB 646-Modify Graduated Licensing Requirements (SL 2011-385)—This law would implement a number of extra steps for teenagers (16 years of age but under 18) to obtain their limited or full provisional license under North Carolina's three-step graduated license program, including requiring the completion of a driving log, certified by a parent or guardian, that records at least 60 hours of driving time with a learner's permit.
HB 200-Appropriations Act of 2011 (SL 2011-145)—Certain provisions of the budget bill took effect on January 1.

Also this month, the gas tax increased by nearly four cents (3.9 cents) per gallon in North Carolina, bringing the total state tax on gas to a record 38.9 cents per gallon, which is the highest tax the state has ever imposed on gas. According to the American Petroleum Institute, this makes North Carolina’s gas tax the highest in the southeast. In November, the North Carolina House approved a bill that would have capped the gas tax at 35 cents until July 2012, but the Senate never considered the measure.