Pardon Our Dust
We recently launched this new site and are still in the process of updating some of our archived content. Some details of this article may be incomplete, links may be broken, and other elements may not display properly yet. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
Last week, Gov. Pat McCrory (R-NC) announced that NorthCarolina had paid off the $2.8 billion debt it owed to the federalgovernment for unemployment insurance benefits and noted that the state haddone so three years ahead of schedule. Additionally, a joint report waspublished by the Office of State Budget and Management and the legislature’snon-partisan Fiscal Research Division which predicted that North Carolinawill collect $400 million more in revenue this year than the state expected.The House and the Senate returned to action today, Monday, May 11th.
Economy and Economic Development
WINSTON SALEM JOURNAL:Broad Cuts, Narrow Tax Breaks Boost NC Businesses
North Carolina legislators who say their decision to cut corporate and personal income taxes two years ago spurred job growth are again debating whether topreserve elective tax breaks Gov. Pat McCrory’s administration has wanted to expand for months. State leaders are under pressure because wages, incomegrowth and poverty are worse than the U.S. average even though 123,000 jobs were added between January 2014 and March.
NEWS & OBSERVER:Revenue Surplus Colors House Budget Talks
State House budget writers will have almost $1.1 billion more available as they craft the state’s next spending plan – a better-than-expected number thatwill provide more flexibility than in recent budget years. A new projection from the state budget office and the legislature’s fiscal research staff comesas the House appropriations chairmen held lengthy closed-door meetings this week preparing to write a spending plan for the state that’s expected to totalabout $22 billion.
Education
WILMINGTON STAR NEWS:UNC Medical School Considering Branch Campus in Wilmington
The University of North Carolina School of Medicine is exploring the possibility of establishing a branch campus in Wilmington in collaboration with NewHanover Regional Medical Center. The hospital has teaching faculty in place and has already been hosting medical students from UNC on a rotating basis fordecades.
Energy
GREENSBORO NEWS & RECORD:N.C.’s Renewable Energy Changes in Senate’s Hands
N.C. House members rejected an attempt by Rep. Pricey Harrison to undo recently adopted changes to renewable energy rules. In 2007, legislators — withHarrison, a Greensboro Democrat, as a leading proponent — adopted rules that require public utilities to provide part of their energy from such renewablesources as wind and solar power.
WRAL: Recycling Foes Stall House Bill
Sponsors of a House omnibus county bill had to pull the measure off the floor Thursday after a battle broke out over fees for recycling programs. Thedebate over House Bill 430 was not expected to be contentious. The county omnibus bill is a biennial tradition that addresses concerns county commissionersbring to the legislature.
In the Courts
NEWS & OBSERVER:NC Supreme Court Sets August Hearing in Challenge to Redistricting
The N.C. Supreme Court issued notice Thursday that it would hear arguments in August on challenges to the 2011 redistricting maps that outline legislativeand congressional districts across North Carolina. The notice comes nearly three weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court sent the case back to North Carolina’shighest court with instructions to reconsider a December decision that upheld the maps.
NEWS & OBSERVER:Feds Discontinue Civil Forfeiture, Keep $107K Seized from Store Owner
Under mounting pressure, the Internal Revenue Service and the Justice Department have announced in recent months that they will no longer use a lawdesigned to go after drug dealers and terrorists to seize the bank accounts of small business owners who are not suspected of criminal activity.
Transportation
CHARLOTTE OBSEERVER:4 State High Speed Rail Compact Being Discussed
The nation’s top transportation official says he’s more optimistic that high-speed rail will eventually become a reality in the Southeast after Georgia andSouth Carolina expressed interest in a joint agreement between North Carolina and Virginia to study, coordinate and advocate for the project.
NEWS & OBSERVER:Raleigh Beltline Backups to Get Serious in Coming Weeks
Beltline traffic has been less horrible – so far – than Triangle commuters expected when the state Department of Transportation began rebuildingInterstates 40 and 440 across South Raleigh last year. But our good fortune may soon end. Starting in a week or two, road crews will push three trafficlanes to the outside – with some drivers relegated to the freeway shoulders – so they can demolish the inside lanes along 4 miles of I-40 between LakeWheeler Road and U.S. 1 at Cary.
CONTACT US
HarryKaplan
Senior Vice President
hkaplan@mwcllc.com
JeffBarnhart
Senior Vice President
jbarnhart@mwcllc.com
Franklin Freeman
Senior Vice President
ffreeman@mwcllc.com
Bo Heath
Senior Vice President
dbheath@mwcllc.com
John Merritt
Senior Vice President
jmerritt@mwcllc.com
JohnnyTillett
Senior Vice President
jtillett@mwcllc.com
Kerri Burke
Vice President
kburke@mwcllc.com
JillianTotman
Assistant Vice President
jtotman@mwcllc.com
Sarah Wolfe
Assistant Vice President
swolfe@mwcllc.com
Philip Barefoot
Research Assistant
pbarefoot@mwcllc.com