Opinion Roundup: Gov. Cooper on budget adjustments, election rule changes, arming teachers, transportation debt and more

Wednesday, June 6, 2018 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: GOP budget fails to take action on GenX, judicial remap in 2 largest counties gets approved, gun advocates call out legislative leaders over arming teachers, N.C. falls short measuring promised job creation and job quality.

As deadline nears, governor wants to talk budget (AP reports) -- By law Gov. Roy Cooper has until early next week to decide what to do about the North Carolina budget adjustments on his desk, but he's apparently ready to talk about them in public.

State lawbooks need pruning, not fertilizing (Wilson Times) -- After blitzing through the state budget, lawmakers have nearly a month of free time before an expected short session adjournment around Independence Day. We shudder at the thought.

DERB CARTER: GOP’s budget fails on GenX actions (Wilmington Star-News column) -- After nearly a year, the General Assembly revealed its “plan” to address GenX pollution. Once again, it failed our families and communities in addressing GenX pollution. Legislators put their long-awaited GenX bill into the state budget and barred any changes or improvements. They then forced the budget through without any meaningful, substantive debate on such an important issue. It was “take it or leave it” on an up or down vote.

Judicial remap in 2 largest N.C.counties approved (AP reports) -- A judicial remapping plan in which District Court judges in North Carolina's two most-populated counties will no longer be elected by all county residents has quickly passed the General Assembly and is heading to Gov. Roy Cooper.

Election rule changes gets final legislative OK (AP reports) -- Legislation containing several election administration changes has cleared the North Carolina General Assembly and is now at Gov. Roy Cooper's desk.

EMERGY DALESIO: NC lawmakers move to protect pork giant hit by big verdict (AP reports) -- Legislators in the country's No. 2 hog-growing state on Tuesday stepped up efforts to shield industrial hog operations from neighbors who have complained for decades about the smell, noise and flies generated by housing thousands of animals together.

LAURA LESLIE: Gun advocates call out legislative leaders over arming teachers (WRAL-TV reports) – Some Republican lawmakers and gun-rights advocates criticized GOP legislative leaders for refusing to consider a bill allowing teachers to carry weapons in schools.

RUSTY JACOBS: NC lawmakers on school safety (WUNC reports) State Rep. Larry Pittman said he thinks the General Assembly's Republican leadership is stifling his school-safety measure out of election-year fears. "This is a failure to act that I fear may one day cost lives that could have been saved," the Cabarrus County Republican said at a press conference. Pittman wants to resurrect his bill, which was filed last week and promptly buried in the house rules committee.

Sexual-assault kit tracking bill OK'd by Senate committee (AP reports) -- A bill establishing a statewide tracking system for sexual assault evidence kits so victims can follow them through the process got approval Tuesday from one North Carolina legislative committee. But some legislators and the attorney general are asking: Where's the money?

MATTHEW BURNS: Lawmakers look to hit gas on road construction projects (WRAL-TV reports) -- A proposal to accelerate highway construction projects statewide by taking on up to $300 million a year in debt is speeding through the legislature.

Up to $3B in transportation debt possible in legislation (AP reports) -- Republican legislative leaders support a proposal from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's administration to maintain the increased pace of road construction by authorizing debt, paid back using projected highway-building revenues.

LAURA LESLIE: Got milk? Answer in NC may soon be no if it's plant-based (WRAL-TV reports) -- A provision in the proposed 2018 Farm Bill would ban the marketing of soy milk, almond milk or any other plant-based drink in N.C. as "milk" by Jan 1, 2019.

JOHN DOWNEY: Compromise deal to curb Duke Energy's legislative push for $13B grid plan (Charlotte Business Journal reports) -- Duke Energy is prepared to ask N.C. legislators for a streamlined method for charging customers for grid upgrades if regulators balk, but the utility will hold off if regulators approve a pilot based on the plan.

MICHELLE WAGNER: Could Boswell run as Constitution Party candidate? (Outer Banks Sentinel reports) -- Leaders of the state’s Constitution Party say they expect to become a recognized political party in N.C. in time to have candidates on the 2018 General Election ballot – and there is speculation that State Rep. Beverly Boswell could potentially be one of them.

N.C. gets $147M grant for highway improvements (AP reports) – N.C.'s senators say the U.S. Department of Transportation will award nearly $150 million for infrastructure projects across highway corridors in eastern parts of the state.

RICK SMITH: Amazon HQ2, Apple projects would drive up already rising Triangle home prices, rents (WRAL-TV/TechWire reports) -- If Amazon picks the Triangle for HQ2, the influx of workers would drive up housing and rental prices due to the fact there already are very low vacancy rates, says a top executive with real estate analysis firm ATTOM Data Solutions. Add in a possible Apple campus – which is expected to be announced at any time – and housing will get even more pricey, adds ATTOM Senior Vice President Daren Blomquist.

RICHARD CRAVER: N.C. falls short measuring promised job creation, job quality, state auditors say (Winston-Salem Journal reports) -- A state audit released found that the N.C. Commerce Department needs to improve the way it tracks performance of companies that receive state economic incentives. The State Auditor’s Office determined that the department’s format for gauging performance “contains gaps in measurement” and “uses unreliable data to measure some performance.”

LIZ SCHLEMMER: Researchers Say NC Voucher Program Needs Closer Look Than They Can Give (WUNC-FM reports) -- A research team that studied the test results of students in the state’s largest voucher program say a far more rigorous evaluation of the program and its outcomes for students is needed.

What Budget Cuts Mean for Third Graders in a Rural School (New York Times reports) -- An elementary school in North Carolina illustrates some of the many challenges facing public schools across the country.

University needs innovation, but classics too (Fayetteville Observer) -- As UNC President Margaret Spellings is making her way around the university system’s campuses, delivering State of the University addresses that include specific ideas for specific campuses and demographic groups, she’s unveiling some intriguing ideas. She did that here in Fayetteville nearly two months ago as she pointed to the growth in Fayetteville State University programs that dovetail with efforts to jump-start upward mobility initiatives for city residents

MARK TOSCZAK: N.C. Organizations Worry, Hope as Feds Rewrite Association Health Plan Rules (N.C. Health News reports) -- The Trump administration hopes that a rewrite of federal association health plan rules spurs a new generation of less expensive health insurance products. But skeptics say such plans may not be all they’re cracked up to be.

JARED WEBER: Raising the Profile of Better Oral Health (N.C. Health News) -- Many of N.C.’s communities lack the recommended number of dentists. Oral health advocates gathered in Raleigh on Tuesday to raise awareness for this issue, which disproportionately affects rural communities and minorities.

Court restores lawsuit against N.C. "ag-gag" law (AP reports) -- A federal appeals court is resurrecting a lawsuit by animal-rights groups against a North Carolina law that discourages undercover investigations into conditions at farms and other workplaces.

TRISTA TALTON: Blueprint Employs Oysters’ Restorative Ability (Coastal Review reports) -- In the final installment of our special report on the Lower Cape Fear River Blueprint for restoring and protecting the river’s coastal area, oysters play an important role.