Greetings! Fall is officially here and it’s beginning to feel like it with the chill in the air each morning. Cooler weather makes you think of football games, leaves turning colors, pumpkins and maybe even the NC State Fair. Whatever you do this coming weekend, I hope you have a good time and get the opportunity to be outside to enjoy the signs of the season.

Columbus Day

We will observe Columbus Day on Oct. 7. It is observed in the United States in commemoration of the landing by Christopher Columbus in 1492 in America, which became known as “the New World” because Europeans did not know that it had existed. Columbus Day is now officially observed on the second Monday in October, but the traditional Columbus Day is Oct. 12 This is not observed as a state holiday but it is a federal holiday.

Legislation

Here are a couple more bills we passed this past session.

HB-1181 Study Municipal Local Option Sales Tax

This bill that was signed by the governor on July 16 authorizes the revenue laws study committee to study whether municipalities should have the authority to levy a local option sales tax for beach nourishment and to study the taxation and valuation of leasehold interests in exempt real property.

SB-821 Study and Amend Fisheries Laws

The last few years has seen a drastic drop in the amount of North Carolina Menhaden due to commercial fishing. This has resulted in our coastal area’s losing their important filter fish, which keeps many of the smaller waterways clean. The Governor signed this bill on July 16th, which makes it unlawful for a commercial fishing boat to take the menhaden in coastal fishing waters.