A new bill filed by State Rep. Mike Clampitt seeks to restructure District Court and Defender District 43 into two distinct districts to improve judicial administration, according to the North Carolina State House.
The bill, filed as HB 656 on April 1 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Split Distr Ct/Defender Distr 43 into 43A/43B.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill proposes the division of North Carolina’s District Court and Defender District 43 into two separate districts, labeled 43A and 43B. This restructuring will result in District 43A comprising Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties, while District 43B will include Haywood and Jackson counties. The measure appropriates funds from the General Fund to hire a full-time district court judge and judicial assistant for District Court District 43B and provides funding for a chief public defender and three assistant public defenders for Defender District 43B. The changes in district organization and funding will take effect starting January 1, 2027, while other provisions become effective July 1, 2026.
Clampitt proposed another 20 bills during the 2025 regular session.
Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
Clampitt graduated from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in 1976 with an AA.
Clampitt, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2021 to represent the state’s 119th House district, replacing previous state representative Joe Sam Queen.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Clampitt | HB 656 | 04/01/2025 | Split Distr Ct/Defender Distr 43 into 43A/43B. |
| Mike Clampitt, A. Reece Pyrtle, Jr., Kyle Hall, and Ted Davis, Jr. | HB 570 | 03/27/2025 | Responsible Firefighting Foam Management Act. |
| Mike Clampitt, Grant L. Campbell, MD, John A. Torbett, and Steve Tyson | HB 516 | 03/25/2025 | Motorcycle Road Guard Safety Act. |
| Mike Clampitt and Timothy Reeder, MD | HB 463 | 03/19/2025 | First Responders Mental Health Plan Act. |
| Mike Clampitt | HB 395 | 03/13/2025 | Funds/Jackson, Transylvania & Swain Counties. |
| Mike Clampitt and Grant L. Campbell, MD | HB 400 | 03/13/2025 | Bentley’s Law. |
| Mike Clampitt | HB 386 | 03/12/2025 | Increase Vehicle Registration Fee/SHP Pay. |
| Mike Clampitt | HB 294 | 03/05/2025 | Jackson Co Bd of Ed Election Partisan. |
| Mike Clampitt, Brenden H. Jones, Celeste C. Cairns, and Kyle Hall | HB 276 | 03/04/2025 | Align Benefits for Firefighters with Cancer. |
| Mike Clampitt and Mark Pless | HB 232 | 02/26/2025 | Funds/Short-Line Railroad Disaster Assistance. |
| Mike Clampitt | HB 215 | 02/25/2025 | Protect Charlotte Firefighters’ Ret. System. |
| Mike Clampitt | HB 216 | 02/25/2025 | CAM Accessibility & Sustainability Act. |
| Mike Clampitt | HB 183 | 02/24/2025 | Various Local Provisions II. |
| Mike Clampitt | HB 185 | 02/24/2025 | Transylvania Rural Development Authority. |
| Mike Clampitt, Diane Wheatley, Donna McDowell White, and Robert T. Reives, II | HB 141 | 02/17/2025 | The Joe John Remembrance Act. |
| Mike Clampitt | HB 148 | 02/17/2025 | SchCalFlex/Jackson,Swain,Transyl/Open Cal. |
| Mike Clampitt, Brian Echevarria, Eric Ager, and Keith Kidwell | HB 108 | 02/12/2025 | The Sober Operator Act of 2025. |
| Mike Clampitt, Bill Ward, Jarrod Lowery, and Rodney D. Pierce | HB 103 | 02/11/2025 | NC Am. Indian Hunting/Fishing Rights. |
| Mike Clampitt, Brian Echevarria, Mark Brody, and Mitchell S. Setzer | HB 64 | 02/05/2025 | Const. Amend. – Gubernatorial Clemency. |
| Mike Clampitt, Edward C. Goodwin, and John M. Blust | HB 57 | 02/04/2025 | Adopt State Veterans Museum. |
| Mike Clampitt | HB 29 | 01/30/2025 | Use Tribal ID for Alcohol & Tobacco Purchase. |
