Senate
Passes Bill to Improve Internet Access in Rural
Areas
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Click on the link to read the text of the
bills summarized below
The Senate unanimously
approved a bill Tuesday to help rural communities
get high-speed Internet connections. The measure,
S.
1343 Rural Internet Access Authority,
sponsored by Sen. Eric Reeves (D-Wake), would
create a Rural Internet Access Authority that
would be part of the state Commerce Department
but largely funded with private money. Reeves
said the agency is needed to make sure rural
areas aren't left behind as the Internet
increasingly drives the economy. It is expected
to begin with a $30 million contribution from
Microelectronics Center of North Carolina, money
the company, which was started with state month
and largely funded by the state until it turned
profitable, gained from the spin-off of a
subsidiary. Helping rural communities gain
affordable high-speed Internet access was a major
proposal advanced by the Rural Prosperity Task
Force chaired by Erskine Bowles. NCCBI Chairman
Mac Everett of Charlotte, the First Union Bank
executive, said implementing the recommendations
of the task force is one of his major goals this
year.
Bill Gives Charlotte Permission to
Continue Conditional Zoning
The Senate
unanimously approved a bill giving Charlotte
permission to continue using conditional zoning
even though the a judge has ruled that the
process is illegal. The legislation, which must
also go through the House, would let the city end
a zoning freeze that began in April and has
delayed hundreds of millions of dollars in
construction. A similar bill would give
Mecklenburg County the same right and
theoretically protect the county from lawsuits
similar to the one against the city. Charlotte
and Mecklenburg County have used conditional
zoning for years to resolve up to 80 percent of
zoning cases in the city. The city contends that
conditional rezoning is a more flexible way to
control growth that also allows more room for
compromise. Critics say the system allows
developers too much power to influence decisions
behind the scenes, shutting neighborhood groups
out. The bill renewing conditional zoning would
expire in 2001 unless the city seeks an extension
or a permanent change in the law.
House Adopts Revisions to Bill Lee Act
The state House
voted 91-17 on Monday to revise the eligibility
criteria in the Bill Lee Act so Midway Airlines
will be able to claim an investment tax credit
for a airline maintenance and repair hanger it
plans to build at Raleigh-Durham International
Airport. Another change in the eligibility criteria included in the legislation will enable
Buckeye Technologies a $3 million tax credit for
expanding a manufacturing plant it recently
acquired in Gaston County. The legislation, H.
1560 Modify Bill Lee Act, also contains a
clause that would allow any unused portion of a
tax credit to be carried over into succeeding
years.
Senate Panel Approves Changes in Water,
Sewer Bonds to Help Small Towns
The Senate
Appropriations Committee on Wednesday favorably
reported a bill that would direct more of the $1
billion in water and sewer bonds approved by
voters in 1998 to small towns that are struggling
to upgrade their water and sewer systems. The
measure, S.
1381 Reallocate Water Bond Funds, sponsored
by Sen. John Kerry (D-Wayne) rewrites the
original enabling legislation for the bonds to
direct more of the money as grants to small
towns. For wastewater collection systems and
treatment works, the bill provides $3.5 million
for local government loans where the town has
bond rating of less than 75, and $90.6 million
for units with bond rating of 75 or more. For
water supply and distribution systems and
conservation projects, the bill directs $7.1
million for towns with bond rating under 75, and
$98.8 million for units with bond ratings of 75
or higher, for a total of $200 million. That $200
million is further allocated as follows: $146
million to be used by Department of Environment
and Natural Resources to provide grants to local
governments as follows: High-unit wastewater
account -- $37,960,000 to units with bond rating
under 75 and $35,040,000 for units with 75 or
more, and identical amounts for high-unit cost
water supply account. An additional $25,920,000
of the $200 million is to be used to provide
unsewered community grants to eligible units to
assist with wastewater treatment projects. The
remaining $28,080,000 of the $200 million is to
be used to provide supplemental and capacity
grants to eligible units to match federal, state
or other grant funds or to improve water and
sewer projects. Sen. Kerr's bill allows a maximum
of $12,000,000 for supplemental grants and
$3,000,000 of capacity grants to be issued upon
certification by Rural Economic Development
Center each fiscal year through June 30, 2005.
House Transportation Committee Approves
Toll Roads
Private developers could build up
to three toll roads in the state under a bill
favorably reported Wednesday by the House
Transportation Committee. The measure, H. 1630 Toll Roads, sponsored by Rep. Jim Crawford
(D-Granville) would allow the state DOT to issue
the first license for a private toll road by the
end of the year.
Senate Panel OKs Character Education Bill
The Senate Education Committee
favorably reported a bill Wednesday that directs
school systems that teach character education to
include respect for teachers in those programs.
The measure, S. 1177 Enhanced Character
Education,
sponsored by Education Committee Co-chair Howard
Lee (D-Orange) contains no penalty provisions.
The committee narrowly defeated a proposal by
Sen. Austin Allran (R-Catawba) that would have
required all school systems to teach character
education. The Senate
Transportation Committee on Wednesday favorably
reported a bill passed last year by the House
that would establish metropolitan planning boards
(MPBs) to help urban area of the state better
manage transportation issues. The measure, H.
1288 Establish Metropolitan Planning Boards,
sponsored by Rep. Paul Luebke (D-Durham), would
require the governor to appoint MPBs in every
region of at least 50,000 population.
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