News
Senate confirms Hopkins as head of NCDOT, other appointments
Senate Confirms Gillen, Hopkins and passes legislation.
News
Cooper appoints new NCDOT secretary as Boyette retires
After serving for twenty-seven years in state government, including the last three as secretary for the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), Eric Boyette is retiring.
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Lawmakers move appointment powers away from Cooper, future governors
On Wednesday, the North Carolina House passed a bill that would transfer some appointment powers from the governor to other members of the executive branch and the General Assembly.
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NC Senate wants more say in appointment power
On Monday, North Carolina Senate leaders introduced a bill that would “bring much-needed balance and accountability to unelected boards and commissions,” according to a press release from Senate Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham. Republicans have a supermajority in the state senate and what has been coined a “working supermajority” in the state House. House Republicans only...
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Commission recommends 40% funding increase for DOT months after an audit showed excess spending
Less than a year after an audit of the N.C. Department of Transportation found massive overspending, a blue-ribbon panel is recommending the department get a 40% budget hike. The N.C. First Commission, created by former Transportation Secretary Jim Trogdon to assess the state’s transportation priorities, recently suggested that state transportation should get an additional $2...
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NCGA oversight committee weighs using tougher audits to get DOT spending under control
Lawmakers are trying to fix the Department of Transportation’s spending problems that triggered mass layoffs, project delays, and chaos in the transportation industry. The department’s overspending exposed failures in oversight, both in the department itself and in the Council of Internal Auditing. The department’s internal oversight is so ineffective that it violates state law, according...
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Slush Funds Survive Party Change
RALEIGH — The practice has been characterized by various state officials as problematic, shrouded in secrecy, lacking accountability, and being an end run around the legislature. DOT records show former Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight, D-Dare, personally authorized at least $50 million for nearly 800 projects over his 18-year tenure as Senate leader.
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Perdue Targets Boards and Commissions
RALEIGH — Appointments to boards and commissions traditionally have been considered a major element of political patronage. Perdue is seeking to eliminate dozens of boards to which Republicans are poised to make significant appointments.
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N.C. in Middle of Mexican-Truck Issue
RALEIGH — It’s anything but a smooth passage as concerns over safety, illegal drug smuggling, and terrorism have caused bumps in the road between Mexico and the United States — with North Carolina caught in the middle.
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Friday Interview: Raiding the Trust Fund
RALEIGH —The State Supreme Court recently ruled that two taxpayers could move forward with a lawsuit challenging a shift of money out of North Carolina’s Highway Trust Fund. The John Locke Foundation’s Mitch Kokai recently spoke with attorney Gene Boyce, one of the main attorneys in the lawsuit.The interview aired on Carolina Journal Radio. (Go to http://carolinajournal.com/cjradio/ to find a station near you or to learn about the weekly CJ Radio podcast.)
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Global TransPark: Flying Erratically and Below the Radar
When Charles Edwards took over as the latest executive director of the Global TransPark, he told The Free Press of Kinston, “I’m overwhelmed and trying to figure out what I’ve gotten into.” Carolina Journal’s Don Carrington says his comments seem to reflect what so far has been a confusing year for the GTP. There have been conflicting studies, conflicting proposals for the use of the facility, and perhaps most confusing: conflicting and ever-changing leadership.
