The governor called Tuesday for a $7 increase in car registration fees as part of a plan to establish a fund for big statewide transportation projects.
Her budget proposal included $94.6 million to create the N.C. Mobility Fund. In a letter to the legislature, Perdue said the fund would "address critical congestion bottlenecks."
Durham Mayor Bill Bell praised the proposal.
"We believe infrastructure spending such as this will both create jobs and address the urgent congestion needs in our state," said Bell, chairman of the N.C. Metropolitan Mayors Coalition, an advocacy group for urban needs.
It wasn't clear how Mobility Fund projects would be selected or who would pick them.
Administration officials said most of the money for the first two years would be earmarked for a $150 million project to widen a four-lane section of Interstate 85 near the antiquated Yadkin River bridge at Salisbury.
To create the fund, Perdue would turn to two sources: She called for increases in Division of Motor Vehicles fees worth $72.6 million. Her budget would generate $48.9 million by adding 25 percent or $7 to car registration fees, now $28. An additional $17 million would come from a 25 percent increase in the fees insurance companies pay for copies of driver license records.
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The barely 2-week-old campaign for governor has gotten off to a raucous start, with a lawsuit, threats of “evisceration” and the two national parties wading in playing hard ball. 
70-year-old State Rep. Larry Womble, D-Winston-Salem, has been charged with one misdemeanor count of death by vehicle, according to the state attorney general’s office. The accident happened in December. 
Media sets up “Camp Edwards,” the defendant takes in another baseball game and the wait enters one week for a jury verdict in the trial of the former presidential candidate. 
The total budget, including the total the state House proposes to spend next year, is not available, but House members pushed major pieces through committees Thursday. The house budget doesn’t anticipate any fee increases, and the state courts would escape major reductions while federal election grants would be unfrozen. 
A campaign commercial funded by the Democratic Governors Association includes facts about Pat McCrory’s corporate ties but may lead viewers to distorted conclusions. 
Most modern U.S. presidents have played golf, but it's touchy, since many people view it as an expensive, elite sport. President Barack Obama plays golf a lot, but he won't let the news media see him do it. Keep up with the latest political stories with our free daily e-mail newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox!
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