A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to provide balance among the counties in the residency of district court judges in district court district 13.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 7A‑133 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
"(b2)	The qualified voters of District Court District 13 shall elect all six judges established for the District in subsection (a) of this section, but only persons who reside in Bladen County may be candidates for one of those judgeships, only persons who reside in Columbus County may be candidates for one of those judgeships, and only persons who reside in Brunswick County may be candidates for one of those judgeships. The district court judgeship established for residents of Bladen County by this subsection shall be the judgeship currently held by Judge Phillips, who resides in Bladen County. The district court judgeship established for residents of Columbus County by this subsection shall be the judgeship currently held by Judge Jolly, who resides in Columbus County. The district court judgeship established for residents of Brunswick County by this subsection shall be the judgeship currently held by Judge Barefoot, who resides in Brunswick County. Those judges' successors shall be elected for four‑year terms in the 2008 general election. Candidates for the remaining judgeships in District 13 may be residents of any county within the district."
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective August 1, 2006, or the date upon which this act is approved under section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, whichever is later.