In August, Gov. Roy Cooper signed some bills into law and vetoed others, which could impact the Legislature’s agenda this month. Here’s a look at a couple of them, both of which affect business owners.
The first is a measure that deals with employee misclassification—when employers classify employees as independent contractors. This may be done unintentionally or intentionally to avoid paying taxes and other benefits. The bill will create an office within the North Carolina Industrial Commission, which will investigate companies and discourage the practice of misclassification. Former Gov. Pat McCrory had already signed an executive order that launched this effort within the commission, but the law makes this order permanent law.
Another was a wide-scope regulatory bill that Gov. Cooper vetoed because of criticisms of the exemptions included on the stormwater restrictions for new or redevelopment building projects. Under these exemptions, the Environmental Management Commission and the Department of Environmental Quality would not require stormwater permits for new residential projects unless they create more than 10,000 square feet of roads, parking lots, or other impervious surfaces.
