Gov. Bev Perdue has been busy signing bills. By Tuesday afternoon, she had only nine bills left on her desk. She can either sign, veto or let them become law without her signature.
The most controversial of those awaiting her action is HB 819, the sea-level rise bill.
Environmentalists have been calling upon Perdue to veto the bill that says the state can’t define the rates of sea level change for regulatory purposes until July 1, 2016. It also calls for the science panel of the Coastal Resources Commission to update a 2010 report that said the state should plan for a 39-inch rise by 2100.
The Wilmington Star News reported Monday that Perdue’s office had received more than 3,400 letters and emails urging her to veto that legislation and two others dealing with environmental regulations.
She has until Aug. 2 to decide what to do.
Among those bills that received her signature this week are:
• SB 847, which extends the state’s film industry incentives package for a year.
HB 1181, which allows for a study of the local option sales taxes, including whether beach towns can levy an additional tax with revenues dedicated to beach nourishment.
SB 821, which tells state agencies to study the possibilities of raising fees for coastal fishing licenses and boat registrations to help pay for inlet dredging.
HB 153, which prohibits a person who has been convicted of a felony related to public employment or holding office from receiving state or municipal retirement benefits.
BofA stadium ‘gets’ new name
The national Democrats have begun referring to Bank of America stadium – where President Barack Obama will deliver his acceptance speech – as Panther Stadium.
Politico reports that the term Panther Stadium has showed up in at least two fundraising missives sent out by the party. That is where the Carolina Panthers play, but it has never been called Panther Stadium. It was once called Carolinas Stadium and Ericsson Stadium, but not Panthers Stadium.
When the acceptance night speech was moved to Bank of America stadium, it drew some criticism from those who saw the bank as a symbol for the controversy surrounding the financial crisis including foreclosures, bank fees and bailouts.
Tax returns link candidates
Democrats say Mitt Romney’s refusal to fully disclose his tax returns amid questions about his finances sounds like a certain Republican in North Carolina: Pat McCrory.
McCrory, the GOP’s candidate for governor, has repeatedly refused to release his taxes or his list of clients at a Charlotte law firm that does lobbying work.
McCrory’s “penchant for secrecy” is something he has in common with Romney, said Wayne Goodwin, the Democratic insurance commissioner, on a Democratic National Committee conference call Tuesday. “It’s hard to believe that Mitt Romney has been more transparent on this issue than Pat McCrory,” Goodwin added.
Romney has released two years of tax returns but critics want him to disclose more amid questions about his involvement at Bain Capital, his former venture capital firm.
Democrats similarly want McCrory to share more information about what he does for the law firm. State law doesn’t require him to release his tax returns but Democratic rival Walter Dalton voluntarily did so earlier this year. McCrory says he disclosed what is required by law. In a June debate, he told a reporter asking about his taxes: “Frankly, I don’t think that’s your business.”
Staff writers Lynn Bonner, John Frank and Rob Christensen
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