Today @NCCapitol (Feb. 6): Commissions canned
House Judiciary B will hear an amendment limiting government's use of eminent domain. The full Senate will hear a bill eliminating some boards and firing volunteers who sit on others.
Posted — UpdatedThe bill would also fire members of the Turnpike Authority, Industrial Commission, 12 sitting special superior court judges, and the chairman of the State Board of Elections.
Gov. Pat McCrory and legislative Republicans would then be free to appoint new members to those boards, replacing those appointed by Democratic Govs. Mike Easley and Bev Perdue with new members more friendly to the GOP.
Newly elected Democratic Party Chairman Randy Voller immediately linked the move to a recent request for a rate increase filed by Duke Energy, where McCrory use to work.
"Does Governor McCrory, a 29 year veteran of Duke Energy, think we have forgotten his links to massive corporation that filed for a 10% rate hike on the same day Republicans proposed to fire all the current members of the NC Utilities Commission – a blatant conflict of interest?" Voller said in a news release.
The impacts of the move could be much broader. Legislative Republicans have talked about limiting the reach of lottery advertising and have consistently talked about the needs for regulations not to inhibit business growth and recruitment. The Environmental Management Commission, Coastal Resources Commission and Wildlife Resource Commission particularly are checks on development, while the Utilities Commission also regulates cable and phone companies.
The move will "give the administration a chance to do what the people have requested," said Sen. Bill Rabon, R-Brunswick.The Republican pointed out that McCrory and the Republican legislature could reappointment some of the same members who will be losing their jobs. He insisted it was unfair to view the bill as Republicans sweeping away Democratic appointees.
"They may look at it that way, but I don't think that's a fair question," Rabon said.
One provision that would have allowed McCrory to appoint two new Supreme Court justices didn't make it into the version of the bill that will be debated by the full Senate today. However, expect to see the idea raised again later in the session.
- House Judiciary B will meet at 10 a.m. to take up a constitutional amendment that would limit the ability of governments to take land from private citizens. The same committee is also scheduled to hear a measure that would give military funerals more protection from disruptions like those caused by the Westboro Baptist Church.
- Also at 10 a.m., the newly constituted House Regulatory Reform Committee will meet for the first time. No bills are on its calendar.
- The Senate Education Committee meets at 10 a.m. to take up SB 14, a bill that would create different career and college endorsements for high school diplomas. The measure would get at a key promise made by McCrory during the 2012 campaign as well as meet a key objective of Senate Republicans' education reform plan.
- The House Rules Committee will take up an animal captivity bill at noon. Our chief possum correspondent will be on the scene.
McCrory and Republican Agriculture Commission Steve Troxler vocally backed the measure, but Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry raised concerns about the deal. The owners of USA InvestCo own other companies that owe property taxes or are in bankruptcy, Berry said.
The lease is predicated on the grant of state and local incentives to the company. Officials with the Ports Authority said the incentives wouldn't make or break the deal, but Berry said there were too many questions about the lease. Auditor Beth Wood, a Democrat, and Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, a Republican, also expressed concerns about the deal but the council approved the lease on a 9-1 vote.
Brandon said Tuesday he doesn't expect the measure to go anywhere, but filed it to make a point.
"At the end of the day, if you agree health care costs are too high, that people need access, saying 'no' doesn't change any of those factors," Brandon said. "As far as I can tell there's been no plan from the other side to address it."
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