'Plethora' of vetoes possible

After the bill signing for Laura's Law this morning, Gov. Bev Perdue talked to reporters about the stack of bills remaining on her desk.  She has just a few more days to decide what to do with them: sign them, let them become law without her signature, or veto them and send them back to the legislature. 

Her comments this morning make it sound like a cascade of red ink could be on the horizon.  

"There’s a whole plethora of bills that I think are problematic for North Carolina," Perdue said. 

"I’ve been very direct with the people of this state. Folks elected me to be governor to do what is, in my perspective, the best interests of the state and people, long-term. And every decision I’ve made has been made with that kind of litmus test – does it help us be stronger as we come out of this recession?"

"And the bills I’m looking at, some of them certainly move North Carolina forward, but in my mind, some of them move North Carolina backward," she concluded. "You’ve got to provide protections and assurances for the people of North Carolina this state works for all of us, not just for some of us." 

Asked for her thoughts about Manning's hearing on the state budget, Perdue said, "I can’t speak to what Judge Manning’s going to do. I am very concerned about More at Four. As I’ve traveled the state, I’ve heard lots of teachers, lots of parents, superintendents talk about the importance of an academic preschool for kids who come from communities or environments where there might not be an opportunity for good preschool."

"They tell me that if you don’t have that kind of capacity, you can never catch up," she said. 

Perdue also said she's keeping an eye on the redistricting process, though the maps are not subject to her approval or veto. 

"I’m hearing a lot of rhetoric from both sides," she said. "I hope that folks in this state are serious about moving to a[n independent redistricting] commission. I’ve called for it earlier this year. I think it’s the right way to go. Redistricting‘s been a dilemma in North Carolina for the past 35 years. We really need to do something that protects the voter."