Latest news with #NCGA
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NC Senate panel endorses van der Vaart for Utilities Commission slot
Donald van der Vaart addresses Senators during his confirmation hearing on May 14, 2025. (Photo: NCGA screengrab) The North Carolina Senate Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee voted Wednesday morning to confirm Donald van der Vaart as a member of the North Carolina Utilities Commission, forwarding the resolution to the Senate Select Committee on Nominations. Appointed by Republican Treasurer Brad Briner, van der Vaart previously served as North Carolina's environment secretary. He's a climate skeptic who was considered for EPA administrator during the first Trump administration. Van der Vaart began his state government career with two decades in the state's Division of Air Quality. Republican Gov. Pat McCrory promoted him to secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality in 2015, NC Newsline previously reported. His term on the Utilities Commission, if confirmed, would start July 1 of this year and expire on June 30, 2031. The Utilities Commission is an agency responsible for regulating the rates and services of all investor-owned public utilities in North Carolina. It's the oldest regulatory body in state government, according to its website. At Wednesday's meeting van der Vaart was asked a handful of mostly friendly questions. 'What specific strategies do you think you'll employ to ensure your decisions remain impartial, evidence-driven, and resistant to any undue influence from any of the stakeholder groups?' Sen. Buck Newton (R-Greene, Wayne, Wilson) asked. Van der Vaart said he would rely on the structure that's currently in place, which includes a 'capable' staff that works independently. 'I'm very much interested in using the transparency to the public to provide a forum where free discussions can be not only had, but also viewed,' he said. He's faced criticism in the past due to a potential conflict of interest with his wife's work. Van der Vaart served as the chief administrative judge on a DEQ dispute over the regulation of a toxic chemical in September. His wife Sandra is chair of the North Carolina Chamber Legal Institute, a prominent lobbying group opposed to PFAS regulation, the Port City Daily reported. Newton also asked Van der Vaart to share his thoughts on Senate Bill 261, which would eliminate the interim goal for Duke Energy to cut its carbon emissions by 2030. 'A lot of times, goals and mandates get conflated. Do you see this as a goal or some sort of a mandate?' asked Newton. Van der Vaart said the interim goal does provide the state with 'offramps' if things don't go as planned. 'I think if you look back a little bit into this, you'll see that some of the load predictions and the requirements that were anticipated in the past turned out to be somewhat inaccurate. Now the 2050 goal appears to be a mandate,' Van der Vaart responded. Critics of SB 261 have argued that not having an intermediate goal could make it harder to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. The bill was fast tracked through the Senate in March, but has yet to see action in the House this session. Sen. Jay Chaudhuri (D-Wake) joked that van der Vaart may hold the most degrees out of all nominees in front of the legislature: a bachelor's in chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University, a master's in chemical engineering from North Carolina State University, and a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Cambridge. Chaudhuri also asked what van der Vaart thought was the most important role for the utilities commission. 'The most important role, despite the fact that we regulate a number of utility functions, is to deliver reliable and affordable energy within the confines that are mandated,' van der Vaart said. 'We need to work very hard to maintain the affordability of our electricity… If we didn't have a consumer advocacy function in North Carolina, then we would be ill served.' Asked about the rising demand for natural gas and pipeline capacity to meet industrial growth, Van der Vaart said this was an issue of critical importance in sustaining the electric grid. 'I think that one of my interests will be to determine and to convince myself that we have the kind of physical capacity and redundancy from a national security standpoint to be able to continue to deliver manufacturing support electricity and various other residential uses of natural gas reliably in the future.' Environmental groups and clean energy advocates have raised concerns about the build out of natural gas pipelines, amid worries about the impacts on water, air and habitats, and greenhouse gas emissions. Along with voting to confirm van der Vaart, the committee heard a resolution to approve Reid Wilson as the DEQ secretary, following appointment from Democratic Gov. Josh Stein. This portion was 'discussion only' and the panel did not take a vote. Wilson formerly served as secretary for the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources from 2021 to 2024. Before that, he was DNCR's chief deputy secretary from 2017 to 2020. He's been serving as DEQ secretary on an interim basis while awaiting confirmation. Clayton Henkel contributed to this report.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hundreds of bills never stood a chance this legislative session. They had one thing in common.
Democratic leader Robert Reives notes that more than 700 Democratic-sponsored bills never received a hearing this session. (Photo: NCGA screengrab) North Carolina House and Senate Democrats held a funeral of sorts Tuesday, highlighting the hundreds of bills they introduced this session that were then directed to the Rules Committees of the two houses, the proverbial legislative graveyard. Senate Democratic Leader Sydney Batch (D-Wake) said Democrats introduced over 700 bills this session that were killed in committee. 'Common sense, community focused solutions to our state's biggest problems — and they went nowhere,' Batch said. 'Republicans didn't debate or defeat these ideas. They shoved them in drawers, locked them behind doors, and they prayed every single day that the public never finds out how little they're actually doing with their tax dollars that you will send to this state to run our government.' Batch said gerrymandering has allowed Republicans, who chair the committees, to completely control which bills advance and which never see the light of day. Sen. Woodson Bradley (D-Mecklenburg) said she came to Raleigh hoping to make communities safer, only to find her ideas silenced by the majority party. 'I may be a freshman senator, but I'm also a domestic violence survivor. I'm a responsible gun owner and concealed carry holder. I'm the daughter and wife of law enforcement. I know crime. I know cops. But more important than that, less than 5% of the people in this building know what it's like to be a victim. And that's who I came here to help,' said the Mecklenburg County Democrat. Bradley said the ideas she championed were basic protections and deserved to be fully debated. 'We hear a lot from the other side about protecting families and standing with law enforcement. But if you won't even bring a bill to the table that protects survivors of abuse or helps officers prevent gun violence, what are you standing for?' Sen. Lisa Grafstein (D-Wake) said that even ideas that had merit like allowing remote license renewals to ease the NC DMV backlog were dismissed, if the idea came from a Democrat. 'Democrats introduced real solutions for fixing what ails us in state government, hiring critical staff, investing in the infrastructure behind state services. But Republicans actually didn't want to fix it. They wanted to exploit the failings to support their talking-point that government doesn't work.' Senate Bill 611 would have taken an estimated one million North Carolinians out of lines at the DMV allowing them to complete their task online, said Grafstein. But Republicans kept the bill bottled up and allowed it to die rather than make the May 8 crossover deadline. 'The Republican majority would rather have people stand in line all day and get frustrated because it fits that narrative that we just need to slash more and privatize.' Rep. Lindsay Prather (D-Buncombe) said bills that would restore teacher longevity pay and establish a $17 an hour minimum salary for non-certified public school employees also failed to gain traction. Legislative leaders also dismissed both the Voucher School Accountability Act and the Voucher School Transparency Act. 'These are bills that would shine a light on private schools receiving public funds, giving more information to parents to make an informed decision, and more information to taxpayers on whether your money is actually going to provide a quality education to a North Carolina student.' Prather said decisions not to take up those bills shortchanged North Carolina's children and their parents. As a Captain in the US Army National Guard, Rep. Dante Pittman (D-Wilson) said he has learned not to surrender. He's still advocating this session for the Working Families Act (House Bill 786) that would raise the state's minimum wage, increase the stock of affordable housing and reenact the child tax credit. 'Not all hope is lost. And I would offer for them to take these good ideas and include them in the budget. Because what we're trying to do here in North Carolina is make sure that our children have the opportunity that they need and our families are secure.' The North Carolina House will begin the process of unveiling parts of its state spending plan on Thursday.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rocky Mount mayor announces candidacy in NC's 1st Congressional District
Configuration of the 1st Congressional District for the 2024 election (Source: NCGA) Republican Rocky Mount Mayor Sandy Roberson announced he is running for Congress in the 1st District where U.S. Rep. Don Davis is serving a second term. Laurie Buckhout, Davis's 2024 Republican opponent, has endorsed Roberson. Davis, a Democrat, narrowly defeated Buckhout in the eastern North Carolina district that Republicans in the state legislature redrew in 2023 to make it easier for a Republican to win. The mostly rural district is considered the state's only toss-up. Roberson's campaign announcement echoed the themes Buckhout emphasized in her own campaign: the border, fentanyl, and the economy. 'I'm running for Congress because North Carolinians deserve a representative who isn't afraid to take on the tough issues,' Roberson said in a statement. 'In Congress, I'll stand with President Trump to secure our border, stop the flow of deadly fentanyl into our region, and unleash the American economy to benefit the citizens of North Carolina's First District.' Roberson's announcement said he's committed to spending at least $2 million of his own money 'to help jumpstart his campaign.' Roberson lost a bitter primary for the 2022 Republican nomination to Sandy Smith. A super PAC linked to the U.S. House Republican leadership spent about $600,000 to support Roberson in that primary. Roberson loaned his 2022 primary campaign more than $1 million, according to FEC filings.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sen. Lisa Grafstein on the Senate budget, DEI, and the latest on the unresolved Supreme Court race
Sen. Lisa Grafstein (Photo: NCGA) After several weeks of conducting business at a steady, manageable pace, the North Carolina General Assembly suddenly shifted into high gear. This past week, legislative committees rapidly considered and okayed scores of brand new, never before-heard bills on an array of topics, while at the same time Senate Republicans were unveiling and advancing their proposed version of a new two-year state budget. So, what is the average lawmaker to do at such a time – especially if you're not a member of the majority party? For Wake County state Senator Lisa Grafstein, the path has been obvious – read each proposed new law as quickly and thoroughly as possible and do your best ask questions, offer amendments and speak up on behalf of average North Carolinians whose interests are so often ignored. Last week Newsline's Rob Schofield caught up with Grafstein at her Legislative Building office for a special two-part conversation at which they discussed an array of issues starting with a review of the Senate's new budget proposal. Click here to listen to the full interview with state Senator Lisa Grafstein.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
House Dems, advocates for transparency blast NC Senate's ‘broken' budget
Rep. Deb Butler and advocates call for a more transparent budget process as the Senate prepares to pass its budget blueprint. (Screengrab from NCGA video stream) As the North Carolina Senate fast tracks a newly released two-year budget proposal through the chamber this week, members of the state's Progressive House Caucus held a press conference Tuesday to call out what they say is the lack of public input and accountability in the budgeting process. Rep. Deb Butler (D-New Hanover) said the Senate budget that earmarks $32.6 billion in 2025-26 and $33.3 billion the year after was crafted with no collaboration from Democrats or real public input. '[Billion of dollars] are rolled into a last-minute conference report, dumped on our desk, and shoved through with an up or down vote. That is not just a procedural complaint. It's a democratic crisis,' said Butler at a Tuesday legislative press conference. Butler is advocating for two bills she sponsored earlier in the session to improve the budget process. House Bill 178, the 'Budgeting Accountability and Transparency Act,' would require that any conference committee report (the document that spells out the final version of a bill that has been agreed to by House and Senate leaders) on the budget be publicly available for at least 72 hours before a vote can occur. It would give lawmakers, stakeholders and the public time to read the hundreds of pages that make up the budget bill. House Bill 180, 'Fiscally Responsible & Sustainable Budgeting,' would require a multi-year look back and look forward based on performance rather than relying on one-time money. HB 180 also requires that any tax cut or spending increase over a certain threshold include an offset so future legislatures are not saddled with obligations the state cannot afford. 'These bills do not favor Democrats or Republicans. They favor the people of North Carolina who deserve to see how their money is being spent,' said Butler. Rep. Marcia Morey (D-Durham) said legislative leaders would also be wise to embrace House Bill 303 ('Make Corporations Pay What They Owe') that would halt the ongoing gradual repeal of the corporate income tax. 'We don't need to cut the corporate income tax to zero by 2030. This state will lose $2 billion that can be used for our priorities of helping people, helping school children, the necessities we need to make the state stronger,' Morey urged. 'It must be reinstated so this state can be fiscally responsible.' Alexandra Sirota of the North Carolina Budget and Tax Center cautioned that North Carolina is experiencing the ripple effects of federal funding chaos, program freezes, and a looming congressional budget that threatens to push even more costs onto the states. 'Unless our legislative leaders change course, we know that North Carolina's future budget picture will get worse, not better. We cannot afford to trust empty promises,' Sirota warned. Charles Owens, a healthcare technician at Cherry Hospital in Goldsboro, said that with rising housing costs and living expenses, state workers deserve better than the meager increases being put forth in the budget proposal unveiled by Senate leaders Monday night. 'The workers at Cherry Hospital, along with all the other DHHS facilities, work with the most vulnerable, exploited, and sometimes the most dangerous people in North Carolina, meaning the mentally ill, the abused, and sometimes criminals shipped to us from the prisons,' Owens explained. 'We take care of them with some of the best treatment this state can offer. But yet, as public workers, we aren't being taken care of by our lawmakers.' Most state workers would see a 1.25% raise next year, as well as a $3,000 bonus over the next two years in the Senate proposal. Owens said that as budget writers advance another round of corporate tax cuts, state employees are being told to expect to pay higher costs for participating in the State Health Plan next year. 'Imagine public workers that provide health care, being told that the state can afford tax cuts, but they can't afford to continue making investments in our health.' Sam Stites, the living wage program coordinator with the group Just Economics, traveled to Raleigh from Transylvania County on Tuesday to urge lawmakers to craft a better budget. Stites said for western North Carolina it's been a year of rude awakenings since Helene, with relief dollars slow to materialize for many working-class individuals. 'Wealthy individuals and corporations should not be getting tax cuts when working western North Carolinians are being evicted and small businesses are shuttering. That is why I came here.' Stites said in addition to rebuilding infrastructure, lawmakers need to help the hundreds of Helene survivors who are facing eviction. 'I'm talking about the $10 million you were asked for in rental assistance and said 'no' to, and the small business grants that you were asked for and aid 'No' to,' said Stites. 'To me it is simple, if you do not have enough money for working people and small businesses, then you do not have enough money for tax cuts for wealthy individuals and corporations.' Abby Lublin, executive director of Carolina Jews for Justice, said the state budget is truly a statement about North Carolina's values. 'Cutting the corporate income tax does not fill a child's stomach. It doesn't raise teacher pay. It doesn't heal our rural hospitals or fix our crumbling roads.' Lublin said simply pausing the corporate tax rate at its current level would provide revenue for services that are desperately needed at a time of sweeping federal cuts. 'To the lawmakers who are enacting a budget process without transparency, I'm looking right at you,' said Lublin. 'A budget that pits people and communities against each other to fight for crumbs is only due to a lack of moral courage.' The Senate is expected to have floor votes on the budget Wednesday and Thursday.
