House District 27 Representative Rodney Pierce welcomed a decision Tuesday night to withdraw the Senate Bill 214 conference report from the calendars of both chambers. 

The proposal will be revised without Part V, Section V — a portion of the bill that would have allowed Franklin County to take property in Halifax, Vance, and Warren counties without local consent.

WRAL reported Tuesday night that House Speaker Destin Hall announced he was killing the proposal after members of his own Republican caucus began voicing concerns, despite Hall having backed its introduction last week.

The Raleigh TV station reported that Hall told reporters: “That won't be in the new conference report. Hearing the debate, members were talking about it. The caucus felt, better to give them a little bit more time to try to work it out. And I hope they do.”

Pierce, who led a press conference Tuesday in which leaders of the impacted counties and municipalities spoke out against the provision, said, "That provision raised serious concerns across our region because it would have allowed one county to take property in neighboring counties without local consent, which is a troubling departure from the principles of local control and fairness. Its removal shows that when communities speak up, their voices can make a difference.”

Pierce said he was also encouraged that Section 7 was removed from the revised conference report. “That provision would have shortened the terms of people who were duly elected to the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners and Board of Education in 2026 from four years to two, undermining voter expectations and disrupting continuity in local governance.”

Pierce thanked those who spoke during the press conference held at the Legislative Building in Raleigh. The list of speakers included Halifax County Board of Commissioners Chairman Vernon Bryant, Warren County Board Chair Al Cooper, and Vance County Board Chair Carolyn Faines.

Also speaking were Haliwa-Saponi Tribe Vice Chair Earl Evans, Roanoke Rapids Sanitary District Attorney Melissa Dixon, Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott, and Representatives Bryan Cohn, Amber Baker, and Deb Butler. “Thank you as well to all other elected officials, advocates, and the citizens who took the time to attend and make their voices heard,” Pierce said.

As revised conference reports were expected to come forward today, Pierce stated, “I will continue to advocate for transparency, respect for local communities, and policies that put people first."

However, Hall told WRAL that the matter might not be over. The station reported that Hall said if Vance, Warren, Halifax, and Franklin County leaders cannot find a solution to their disputes, the legislature could resurrect the proposal. “This body will probably do something on it one way or the other if they don't get it worked out. If they can do that themselves, that'd be much better for everyone,” Hall said.

Meanwhile, Franklin County Republican Representative Matthew Winslow, who defended the proposal, said in a statement Monday, “Franklin County faces a growing water supply challenge that threatens both residential growth and economic development. Our county has carefully reserved limited allocations for future homes and job-creating projects.”

Winslow said once those reserves are exhausted, the primary alternative is Kerr Lake. “However, current arrangements with the city of Henderson have proven difficult.”

For nearly 20 years, Winslow said, good-faith negotiations between Franklin County and Henderson have yielded little progress on securing additional water at reasonable rates. “Henderson has sought to restrict allocation volumes—requiring repeated future negotiations—and to charge Franklin County citizens rates nearly four times higher than those paid by other users. Passing exorbitant costs directly to our residents would be the easy choice, but it would not serve the long-term interests of our community.”

He argued that Henderson’s position stems from geography, not ownership. “The water in Kerr Lake, which is one of the largest in the state, belongs to the people of North Carolina. Franklin County needs reliable access to support responsible growth, while Henderson requires support for system upgrades. This mutual dependence has created a prolonged standoff and missed opportunity.”

Winslow stated that SB 214 provides a targeted, common-sense solution. “It authorizes Franklin County to draw raw water directly from Kerr Lake and treat it locally. This would eliminate the need to pay inflated rates compared to our neighbors and give Franklin County greater control over its water future."

He noted that the bill is narrowly tailored, limiting authority to counties adjacent to the lake, unlike 12 other North Carolina counties that currently have broader, unrestricted annexation or condemnation powers.

To address concerns circulating in the community, Winslow clarified that:

This is not a data center project.

It does not authorize Franklin County to condemn or seize Henderson’s existing water treatment plant.

The provision is strictly for constructing a direct raw water line from Kerr Lake to a future Franklin County treatment facility.

“The 10 million gallons per day that Franklin County has requested from the Army Corps is, by comparison, extremely minor compared to the 10 billion gallons a day that cross over the dam,” Winslow said.

“I evaluate issues through a regional lens focused on what best serves all our citizens," Winslow continued. "When Franklin County leaders approached me about this language, I did not take the request lightly and I asked for a meeting to discuss it. They explained this was their last resort after exhausting all other avenues and negotiations."

According to Winslow, the closed-session meeting was attended by all seven Franklin County Commissioners. “After the attorney revisited the strategy, I asked each member if they agreed. They all said yes; then I asked again if anyone was against this and no one spoke up.”

Winslow concluded: “I continue to pray for a successful regional solution. A cooperative water system across our communities would equitably share costs, maintain affordable rates, create jobs, and drive economic growth for everyone involved. SB 214 is not intended to replace partnership—it serves as a necessary backstop if negotiations continue to stall.”