Unsatisfactory
Published August 6, 2014
Editorial by Greensboro News-Record, August 6, 2014.
We’d like to say the best thing about the General Assembly’s 2014 “short session” is that it’s over. But it’s not over. The out-of-sync Senate and House couldn’t even agree on an adjournment resolution.
The record of this three-month gathering — what happened and what didn’t — is almost entirely unsatisfactory. If it had not been for granting pay raises to teachers and funding one important Greensboro project, legislators would have better served the people by staying home.
They didn’t finish work on coal ash regulation or Medicaid reform. They didn’t strengthen universities or community colleges, transportation or the courts. They often did the opposite.
Legislators pushed through a bill that introduces natural gas extraction into the state next year — before a commission studying safety and environmental impact completed its work.
The legislature dumped the Common Core standards that have already been implemented in our schools after several years of preparation. Fortunately, the change leaves open the chance that similar standards will be adopted under a different name. But this is a needless political exercise wasting resources that ought to support education.
Local business privilege licenses were repealed, which will cost cities millions of dollars. The move is another instance of the legislature dictating policy decisions to local governments. Similar restrictions on local-option sales taxes were not enacted but could be revived later.
The legislature eliminated tax credits for restoring historic properties, a setback for redevelopment efforts in large cities and small towns. It decided to let tax credits for movie and television productions expire, which may weaken the state’s film industry.
The legislature was a foe of public disclosure. It allowed for-profit, private companies that run charter schools with tax dollars to keep salary information private. Its fracking rules let companies use trade secret protections to keep the public in the dark about chemicals pumped underground. It privatized the state’s business recruiting efforts, which will shield more information from the public.
One positive note locally was a $2 million appropriation for Union Square Campus in downtown Greensboro. The project is a collaboration among colleges and universities, plus Cone Health. Initial plans include a facility to train nurses for a wide variety of practices. The effort will create jobs, contribute to improved public health and spur urban development.
Otherwise, the legislature made few strategic investments. Its claim of invigorating the economy through tax cuts and regulatory reform remains unproven. While the unemployment rate has fallen significantly over the past year, the pace of job creation has not been as impressive. Lagging tax revenues point to real problems ahead in maintaining quality K-12 schools and higher education.
The budget is “balanced” by drawing on reserves and gambling on higher lottery revenues. This is not turning the state in the right direction. And it’s not over yet.
