Critical infrastructure protection bill passes

NC Senate

Senate Bill 58 signed by Gov. Cooper

Senate Bill 58 was passed in June by the NC General Assembly and has been signed into law by Gov. Roy Cooper.

The bill amends existing laws and creates harsher punishments for the intentional damage of public utilities, energy facilities, communications equipment such as substations, wireless communication towers, telephone poles and wires, etc. In December of 2022, an attack was carried out against two electrical substations in Moore County which left nearly 40,000 homes and businesses without power for several days while repairs were being made.

The deliberate attack caused significant hardship and damage to people and property. In addition to the Moore County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Department of Energy Office of

Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response responded to the incident. Unfortunately, North Carolina was not the only state to experience such attacks. In 2022, there were nearly a dozen other attacks on electrical substations around the country which left thousands of people without power for several days at a time and caused millions of dollars in damages. Hundreds more incidents impacting other critical infrastructure were also reported. Prior to passage of this law, damaging public utilities was generally punishable as a misdemeanor, or a Class H or a Class I felony depending on the circumstances. The new law will increase penalties for such offenses. It will be a Class C felony to knowingly damage, attempt to destroy or disable an energy facility. The offender will also be responsible for a $250,000 fine for violation of the statute and allows anyone injured as a result of the attack to sue the perpetrator for damages. If such damages to the infrastructure result in a death, the offense is punishable as a Class B2 felony.

The law also increases the penalties for trespassing on these facilities and increases the penalty for willful damage to telephone or telecommunications systems.

“The attack on our county’s substations last year brought to light a new vulnerability in our community.” said Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields. “This new law with increased penalties will hopefully deter incidents like this in the future, and if they occur will provide significant punishment for the perpetrators,” he added. The changes will go into effect on Dec. 1, 2023.

For additional information contact: Eddie Caldwell Executive Vice President and General Counsel North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association at (919) 810-6333, or email him at ecaldwell@ ncsheriffs.net.

$500,000 check for Recreation

As part of the community development agreement between Cherryville and Piedmont Lithium, Cherryville Mayor H.L. Beam, III, and City Manager Brian Dalton met last week with Piedmont Lithium’s Vice President for Government Relations, Melissa Gordon and received from her a check for $500,000. City Manager Dalton said the funds are for recreation for the city and its parks. Mayor Beam thanked Ms. Gordon and Piedmont Lithium for the funds, adding, “On behalf of the City of Cherryville, we want to say, ‘Thank you to Piedmont Lithium,’ and also tell you we will certainly put these funds to good use.” Pictured, L-R Cherryville City Manager Brian Dalton, Piedmont Lithium Vice President, Government Relations, Melissa Gordon, and Cherryville Mayor H. L. Beam, III.

(photo/words: by Michael E. Powell/The Eagle)

US House Dems seek stiffer penalties for employers violating feds child labor law

The bill, The Protecting Children Act, comes as multiple states have passed laws that roll back child labor laws, coupled with U.S. Department of Labor investigations that have found a steady increase in child labor violations since 2015

by ARIANA FIGUEROA NC Newslines Carolina Public Press

U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee Democrats on Thursday, June 29, announced the introduction of a bill to increase civil and criminal penalties for employers who knowingly violate child labor laws.

The measure would also prevent states from easing federal child labor standards.

The bill, The Protecting Children Act, comes as multiple states have passed laws that roll back child labor laws, coupled with U.S. Department of Labor investigations that have found a steady increase in child labor violations since 2015. The Department of Labor found children as young as 10 operating fryers at a McDonald’s in Louisville, Kentucky.

Among several initiatives, the bill aims to prevent state legislation from loosening federal child labor laws by amending the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, to establish that “[n]o order, rule, or regulation promulgated … shall reduce the protection afforded children by an existing order, rule, or regulation promulgated under this Act.”

The bill would not override any of the recent changes to state laws, but would surpass any state law that would allow children to work in mines or meat processing plants.

The bill is unlikely to be brought to the floor for a vote, and House Education and Workforce Chair Virginia Foxx argued that the bill does not address the issue of child labor.

“Democrats are attempting to use the current immigration crisis to justify longtime wageand-hour wish-list items from organized labor and special interest groups while doing nothing to address the underlying problems outlined in the national press,” the North Carolina Republican said in a statement to States Newsroom.

House Education and Workforce Chair Virginia Foxx (R-NC) pushes back against the legislation proposed by House Democrats. (photo by House.gov.)

Children who are particularly vulnerable to child labor violations are unaccompanied migrant youth. Republican and Democratic lawmakers have held several hearings on the issue, raising concerns about multiple reports on unaccompanied migrant children exploited as workers in U.S. meatpacking plants and elsewhere.

Democrats on the committee have pushed for a hearing on the issue, but Foxx argued that members would have the opportunity to ask questions about child labor violation when U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra testified.

During the hearing with Becerra, Democrats and Republicans on the House Education and Workforce committee grilled him about the agency losing contact with thousands of migrant children who were exploited.

Also on Thursday, the top Democrat on the committee, Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, said in a statement that the bill “takes long-overdue steps to strengthen child labor laws and implement serious consequences for endangering children on the job.”

“Children should be learning and growing in schools, not risking their safety and lives in dangerous workplaces,” he said. “Regrettably, recent reporting has demonstrated that children continue to lose their lives and suffer devastating injuries because they work in

The bill aims to strengthen enforcement by increasing the maximum civil penalties, establishing new minimum penalties and doubling penalties for cases that involve the death of a child or repeat or willful child labor violations.

For example, the current maximum penalty for violating federal child labor standards is $11,000, but under the new regulations would be a minimum of $1,500 and a maximum of $150,000.

The bill also expands criminal penalties for willful child labor violations. Under current law, the penalty is a fine of no more than $10,000 and up to six months of imprisonment.

The bill would place an employer in up to a year in imprisonment if that employer “negligently places a child in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury,” according to a fact sheet of the bill.

The fact sheet says that an employer who willfully or knowingly violates child labor laws and “knowingly places a child in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury can, upon conviction, be punished by a fine,” and face “imprisonment up to 15 years, or both.”

It would also bar the U.S. Department of Labor for establishing rulemaking “that would roll back child labor standards and leave children less protected.”

The bill would also establish a National Advisory Committee on Child Labor, to advise the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services about child labor issues, and directs the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to be the lead agency on conducting research “related to child labor, the occupational safety and health of young workers, and the exposure or risk of exposure of vulnerable children to child labor.”

Four minors were employed by Packers Sanitation Services at the JBS meat processing plant in Greeley, CO, according to a Department of Labor investigation. The site was one of 13 plants in eight states where the food sanitation company illegally employed children.

Miss Gaston County’s Teen Madelyn Evans (center) is introduced during the finals of the Miss North Carolina’s Teen pageant on Saturday, June 24 at the High Point Theatre. Evans was among the 16 contestants to advance to the final round of the competition. (photos provided)

Hanley House, a 16-year-old lyrical dancer from Clayton, is crowned Miss North Carolina’s Teen 2023 on June 24 at the High Point Theatre. She will go on to represent North Carolina in the Miss America’s Teen national competition.

Miss Statesville Taylor Loyd is crowned Miss North Carolina 2023 at the conclusion of the Miss North Carolina pageant on June 24 at the High Point Theatre. Loyd, a 21-year-old opera singer, will compete in the Miss America

Pageant

From Page 1 crowned Miss North Carolina 2023, and Hanley House of Clayton won the Miss North Carolina’s Teen crown. They will go on to represent North Carolina in the annual Miss

America and Miss America’s Teen competitions. All contestants competed in five phases – private interview, talent, fitness, evening gown, and on-stage question, and the contestants scoring the highest in the preliminary rounds advanced to the finals.

“I had dreamed of competing for Miss North Carolina,

2023 and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life,” said Emiroglu, a graduate student at UNC-Charlotte who spent her time as Miss Gaston County bringing attention to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Emiroglu captured the audience’s attention during the talent competition with her performance of “The Devil Went

FIELD

August 8, 2023 7-9PM Open to players, coaches, families and fans!

Miss Gastonia Haley Price performs a lyrical dance to “Here for Me” during the Miss North Carolina pageant at the High Point Theatre. Price is a student at East Carolina University majoring in business marketing and fashion merchandising.

Down to Georgia” on violin.

Additionally, Price, Logan, Williams, and Evans danced for the talent portion, and Socarras sang a song featured in “The Addams Family” musical.

The state pageant was the culminating event for Gaston’s six representatives, who were crowned last November and spent time since then making public appearances, promoting their community service programs, and preparing for the state competition. Instead of having to fulfill a year-long commitment, they were “released” from their duties on June 25 to allow them to compete in other pageants if they choose to do so.

As for the new Miss North Carolina, Loyd spent the past few weeks participating in media interviews, planning her year of service, and turning attention toward Miss America preparations. She’s also made several public appearances, including riding in the North Carolina Fourth of July Festival parade in Southport. For more information about Miss North Carolina, visit www.missnc.org. See more photos on page 6.