
Budget Outlook Mixed; Coastal Bills Filed
Economic uncertainty associated with the coronavirus pandemic clouds what would be a rosy budget outlook, as coastal legislators seek funding for state attractions.
Economic uncertainty associated with the coronavirus pandemic clouds what would be a rosy budget outlook, as coastal legislators seek funding for state attractions.
Legislation filed last week in the North Carolina General Assembly is aimed at getting federal help to extend jetties at Oregon Inlet and build a proposed terminal groin at North Topsail Beach.
With Gov. Roy Cooper now in his second term and the legislature convening Wednesday, budget and pandemic response agreements remain on the to-do list from last year.
Retirements, redistricting and possible shifts in voter preferences all stand to shift the balance of power in the legislature come Nov. 3.
Gov. Roy Cooper announced this week a state spending proposal, including plans for the state’s unspent coronavirus relief, which Senate budget writers were quick to dismiss.
The pandemic has increased funding pressures on the state’s already strained Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and trust funds for clean water projects and parks.
With staggering revenue shortfalls from the pandemic and the yearslong budget stalemate, slashed funding for state environmental programs and project delays are inevitable.
Along with coronavirus response measures, the North Carolina General Assembly passed bills with numerous environmental and coastal provisions before adjourning last week.
Democrats in the N.C. House have introduced a trio of bills they say are intended to demonstrate the range of steps the state could take in regulating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
Uncertainty over federal coronavirus relief and the state’s financial challenges loom large as the legislature resumes its 2020 short session next week with plans to take up another round of pandemic response measures.
Recently filed bills in the North Carolina General Assembly include measures to carry out planned changes at state ports and the Department of Environmental Quality, along with COVID-19 relief.
State lawmakers return Tuesday for what is expected to be a brief session to focus on response to the coronavirus and its ongoing damage to the state’s economy, including in tourism-dependent communities.