State senators have given initial approval to cancelling 11 annexations from cities, including those in Kinston, Goldsboro and Rocky Mount.
The Senate voted mostly along part lines in favor of the legislation that could get final approval on Monday.
If approved, it would de-annex the areas in the cities, even though they followed existing annexation laws.
The Senate also approved another bill that adjusts the method by which people can successfully block a municipality's effort to incorporate area outside of its boundaries. A judge in March struck down the petition process as unenforceable because only landowners had the right to decide.
