Bill > H574

This bill proposes several key reforms to North Carolina's electoral and campaign finance system: 1. It establishes a 15-member Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw legislative and congressional district maps, with the goal of minimizing gerrymandering and promoting fairness, compactness, and respect for communities of interest. The maps drawn by the Commission would have the force of law. 2. It establishes nonpartisan elections for the North Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, with candidates nominated and elected without party affiliations. 3. It extends the "revolving door" period during which former state legislators, public servants, and state agency employees are prohibited from registering as lobbyists, from 6 months to 2 years. 4. It creates an online voter registration system and implements automatic voter registration at certain state agencies and public institutions. 5. It establishes the "Fair Elections Fund" program, which would provide public financing grants to qualifying candidates for state executive and legislative offices who agree to campaign spending limits. The program aims to reduce the influence of special interest money in state elections. 6. It requires greater transparency and public access for meetings of legislative committees and subcommittees. Overall, the bill appears focused on reducing partisanship and increasing fairness and accountability in North Carolina's electoral process.