McCrory says he does not want SBI switch

Gov. Pat McCrory said Tuesday that he does not want lawmakers to put the State Bureau of Investigation under his supervision. 

The budget senators will debate Wednesday changes the investigative group from being a quasi-independent agency supervised by the Attorney General to a division of the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety. The department is run by a gubernatorial appointee.

"I never asked for it and I've got enough on my plate," McCrory told WRAL anchor David Crabtree Tuesday morning. McCrory said he rather concentrate on reforming the state's Medicaid, job recruiting and transportation funding systems than worry about taking over oversight of a new agency.

"I haven't seen the argument yet presented to me why that needs to be done," McCrory said. 

Sens. Buck Newton, R-Wilson, and Stan Bingham, R-Davidson, said their minds haven't been changed by McCrory's criticism. Newton and Bingham are co-chairs of the Senate budget subcommittee with oversight over justice and public safety matters. 

"It makes a lot of sense for law enforcement to be housed in one department," Newton said. Crime Control and Public Safety oversees the Highway Patrol, Alcohol Law Enforcement, Capitol Police and other state-run public safety agencies. 

Newton said the state would save money in the long run on training and administrative costs.