05/20/2008

Associated Press

_ NC legislative panel backs Easley drought plan, but some have concerns

_ House member wants to expand plastic bag recycling

_ House panel affirms recommendation of 1-year pause on involuntary annexations

_ Cooper concerned about proposed reductions to SBI lab

THE BRIEF:

DROUGHT PLAN: A legislative environmental panel backed Gov. Mike Easley's plan to help North Carolina better respond to future droughts. But some members of the Environmental Management Commission suggested the proposal needs some work. The proposal would give governors more authority to act quickly in a drought, including the ability to order a water system to provide water to a nearby community. Rep. Pryor Gibson, D-Anson, a commission co-chairman, said he's concerned that many outside groups, including farmers, haven't had much say yet on the proposal. N.C. Farm Bureau senior public policy director Mitch Peele said the plan would be burdensome on farmers who would have to report water use above a lower threshold. But Peele said the group likes a proposed change that would allow water used to bathe or wash dishes could now be recycled to water flowers and trees. The commission's approval only means the proposal can be turned into a bill that can be considered this legislative session.

PLASTIC BAGS: Rep. Pricey Harrison plans to file a bill that would expand recycling by requiring retailers with at least 10,000 square feet of shopping space statewide to begin a bag collection program. Harrison, D-Guilford, said she had hoped to push a complete ban of the bags, but that wasn't feasible during the short session. Some environmentalists say the lightweight plastic is trashing trees or entering waterways, where they can be eaten by turtles or other creatures. Andy Ellen with the N.C. Retail Merchants Association said grocery stores already have voluntary recycling programs and said mandating them would add costs that could be passed on to consumers.

ANNEXATION PAUSE: A House committee that examined annexation laws for months agreed to recommend to colleagues a one-year ban on involuntary annexations. The moratorium would forbid towns and cities from annexing unincorporated areas through June 30, 2009. Rep. Bruce Goforth, D-Buncombe, co-chairman of the House Select Committee on Municipal Annexation, said the panel would use that time to review state law and propose changes. North Carolina doesn't require a referendum by the people being annexed before such an action can take place. The committee held public hearings earlier this year in which residents complained they were forced to pay higher taxes and fees for services they never received once. The moratorium still needs the approval of the full House and Senate before being sent to Gov. Mike Easley's desk.

COOPER COMMENT: Attorney General Roy Cooper is worried about proposals in Gov. Mike Easley's budget proposal that he said would make it more difficult to fight crime. Cooper spoke to the joint House-Senate appropriations subcommittee on justice and public safety. He urged legislators not to reduce money for equipment at the State Bureau of Investigation lab by $100,000, as Easley's budget recommends. In a news release, Cooper said extra cuts sought by lawmakers would make it harder to analyze evidence quickly to solve crimes.

SCORECARD:

Introduced in the House:

_ H2219, to direct the Department of Public Instruction to develop curriculum on the 1898 Wilmington race riot. Sponsor: Rep. Sandra Spaulding Hughes, D-New Hanover.

_ H2229, to establish a pilot program in western North Carolina to create affordable employer-based health insurance, possibly through a community-rated risk pool. Various sponsors.

Introduced in the Senate:

_ S1646, to create a trust fund for Swain County that would retain money received from a settlement with the federal government over the so-called "Road to Nowhere," a 30-mile road promised in 1943 but was blocked in 1972 due to high costs and environmental concerns. Sponsor: Sen. John Snow, D-Cherokee.

AROUND THE STATEHOUSE:

The Senate approved a resolution for the General Assembly to convene Thursday morning in Greensboro to celebrate the city's 200th anniversary. The session will be held on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University.

ON THE AGENDA:

A conservation coalition of local governments and historic and ecological groups planned a news conference Tuesday morning to push for state funding this year to protect stream buffers, watersheds and other sensitive areas. Land for Tomorrow also will announce how trust money for land conservation provided last year by the General Assembly have been used.

OVERHEARD:

"We're almost required by the oath of our office to do something on drought this time." — Rep. Pryor Gibson, D-Anson, before the Environmental Review Commission signed off on a proposal by Gov. Mike Easley to help North Carolina better prepare for drought.

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By Gary D. Robertson and Whitney Woodward.