NC Legislators Have Again Gone Home Without Approving a Full Year’s Budget
NC legislators have once again gone home without approving a full year’s budget. As usual, lawmakers added a pro-polluter item to the short-term budget.
Empowering Pro-Polluters
SB 449, “Continuing Budget Operations Part IV”, was adopted with little fanfare on October 21 and signed by Gov. Josh Stein on October 22. Lawmakers passed the bill to speed Helene recovery aid, but critics objected to a provision expanding EMC power. The EMC is North Carolina’s primary rulemaking administrative body dealing with air and water pollution and related environmental matters. An earlier law shifted most EMC appointments from the governor to legislators and Republican Council of State members.
New Budget Provision Shifts EMC Staffing Authority Away from DEQ
The new budget provision lets the EMC hire five staff members who report directly to its chair instead of the NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). DEQ is the state environmental law enforcement agency, and operates under a Secretary chosen by Gov. Josh Stein. In contrast, the pro-polluter NC House leadership appointed the current chair of the EMC. Assigning new staff positions to that individual’s direction empowers them to operate
independently of genuine scientific expertise within the DEQ.
Notably, the six House members who voted against SB 449 on final passage included that chamber’s long-serving leader on environmental issues, Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford).
Circumventing Science-Based Recommendations
“As usual, the pro-polluter legislative leadership couldn’t pass up a chance to make strong environmental rules even harder to adopt,” said NCLCV Senior Director of Public Affairs Dan Crawford. “Spending money on staff under the direction of a legislatively appointed EMC chair just sets up more end runs around the science-based recommendations from DEQ for stronger protections of public health from toxic pollutants in our water and air.”
It’s another example of the importance of electing more environmental champions to the General Assembly. We must stop the flow of pro-polluter changes to the boards and commissions charged with protecting our environment.
