Hello from Jones Street, and welcome back to the N.C. Sierra Club's legislative updates! If you'd like to receive these updates in email, use the subscription form on our webpage. We'll send a recap every Friday while the N.C. General Assembly is in session, with occasional legislative news as needed at other times during the year.
The General Assembly convened its 2024 "short session" on Wednesday. That morning, Gov. Roy Cooper released his budget recommendation, which focused on education priorities such as additional pay and retention bonuses for teachers and state employees, elimination of private school vouchers, and additional investments in pre-K and childcare funding.
Reliably, however, it includes an important environmental agenda that highlights the development of infrastructure and education around clean transportation. It also calls for the establishment of a $100 million fund to help communities clean "forever chemicals" from their drinking water, and sets aside grant money to improve flood controls and waterway upgrades.
The proposal also recommends reinstating the Conservation Tax Credit, and adds funds to the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and the North Carolina Land and Water Fund.
We expect the General Assembly to release its budget technical corrections bill next week, and we'll keep an eye open for any other legislation that would impact our air, land, water and communities.
The Senate Transportation Committee held a hearing this week to consider Cooper's appointment of Joey Hopkins as Secretary of Transportation. It went well, and we expect the committee to recommend confirmation at its next meeting. Hopkins has long appreciated DOT's highway beautification program and we'll be grateful to have him lead that agency.
CALL TO ACTION:
Keep an eye on our legislative advocacy page at sc.org/ncleg for ways you can help the N.C. Sierra Club advance strong environmental policies. Remember, you can contact your elected leaders at any time about issues that are important to you.