The Raleigh Report
From the Office of Cullie Tarleton
December 22, 2008
Even when the legislature is not in session, lawmakers continue to work for the well being of our state. One of the ways they do this is through study commissions and oversight committees. During this past session, we used our study commissions to address several issues, including improving North Carolina’s transportation infrastructure.
We are also continuing to evaluate the economic and environmental impacts of offshore drilling and working to better understand and reduce poverty, particularly in rural areas.
The following information outlines where we are now in our efforts and some of the recommendations and findings of our studies. I hope you will find them useful.
Thank you as always for taking an interest in North Carolina government and for supporting our efforts to make our state a better place.
Improving Transportation
The 21st Century Transportation Committee was established last year to look at ways to improve the state’s transportation by reducing congestion, improving efficiency and productivity, increasing safety, improving the environment and supporting economic development.
After meeting more than a year, the committee recently issued several recommendations.
One of the main findings of the committee was that the state’s continued growth presents great challenges to our infrastructure. North Carolina’s population is growing at the ninth-fastest rate in the nation and the state already maintains more miles of road than all but one other state.
Preparing the state’s roads for the anticipated growth will require funding sources that don’t depend on gasoline use, as the existing system does, the committee determined.
The committee recommended several alternate financing options, such as increasing the highway use tax; implementing a vehicle miles traveled fee; increasing vehicle registration fees; authorizing a bond referendum to accelerate construction on high traffic, high congestion roadways; and authorizing a local option sales tax for transportation for counties, cities, and metropolitan regions.
Other policy objectives are to reduce congestion; preserve our current transportation system, while making improvements; reduce fatal accidents and serious injuries on transportation facilities; restore public trust and confidence in the delivery of transportation services; and increase cooperation and collaboration at all levels of government.
I have received several emails and phone calls about the Vehicle Mileage Tax proposal. While I want to keep an open mind, this is not something I can support at this time. We must however find a way to level the playing field for all drivers.
Televised Sessions
The House Select Committee on Televising House Sessions which I was privileged to Chair had its final meeting last week. We recommended that the chamber begin offering live, gavel-to-gavel coverage of floor sessions. Our committee’s report also suggests that selected committee meetings – including those of the Appropriation and Finance committees – be televised.
Twenty-eight other states already have some form of over-the-air broadcasting of television coverage of the legislature. North Carolina broadcasts only audio coverage of the House and Senate floor sessions, but the committee agreed that the state’s residents should be able to see and understand how their government and their elected representatives work for them.
Broadcasts should begin with Internet broadcasts with the goal of eventually being able to broadcasts on television, the committee recommended.
Another one of our recommendations was for the Speaker of the House to consult with the leaders of both parties to govern the content, selection and editorial policies of the program. We also asked to be reauthorized for another year so that we can continue to review issues related to creating the live broadcasts.
Offshore Drilling
Speaker Joe Hackney and President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight have established a joint Senate-House committee to consider the financial and environmental implications of oil and natural gas exploration off our state’s coast. The study committee has not yet been appointed, but will be instructed to determine the relative costs and benefits of offshore drilling in North Carolina.
Notes
We were in Pinehurst early last week attending an education seminar for Legislators sponsored by Governor Hunt’s Institute for Educational Leadership. It was an outstanding seminar. Governor Hunt continues to be strong advocate for education in North Carolina. Afterwards we were in Raleigh for two days. As mentioned above, I had the final meeting of the Study Commission on Televising House Sessions plus we had a Caucus meeting at which time Speaker Joe Hackney was unanimously elected to be our candidate for another two year term as Speaker of the NC House. Speaker Hackney has done a terrific job for North Carolina and I’m pleased to have him for another term as our Speaker.
Fortunately, the price of kerosene has dropped considerably over the pass couple of weeks. It’s my hope that as supplies increase the price will come down a little more. A lot of folks here in the high country heat their homes with kerosene so the lower price is good news.
As we celebrate the birth of Christ this week, Sylvia joins me in extending to you and your family our very best wishes for Christmas and the holiday season. We all have lots to be thankful for even in the face of tough economic times. Please remember to pray for our men and women in the military, many of whom will not be able to be with their families to celebrate Christmas.
|
