(The Center Square) – North Carolina’s State Infrastructure Bank Board would operate in the Department of Commerce for administrative purposes only and function independently of the department, a proposal in the House of Representatives says.
Voting members of the board would include, per the bill language, the secretaries of Commerce, Transportation and Environmental Quality, all of which are appointments of the governor; state treasurer and auditor, each elected by voters; and a state budget officer, another part of the gubernatorial administration. While Chatham County Democratic Rep. Robert Reives, the House minority party leader, authored the legislation there are three Republicans alongside as primary sponsors including the powerful Rules Committee Chairman John Bell of Wayne County.
The first stop for State Infrastructure Bank Board, known also as House Bill 909, is Tuesday in the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development in the House. Reps. Stephen Ross, R-Alamance, and John Sauls, R-Lee, are cochairmen. Six other proposals are on the agenda.
The board is to handle federal funds for a transportation infrastructure banking program, the bill says. It reads in part, “Through the state infrastructure bank, the board may also administer and receive state funds and private funds for transportation projects, water and sewer projects, and other infrastructure projects.”
Reives’ bill, filed April 10, is starting in a chamber where Republican majority is 71-49. Additionally, Grand Old Party efforts for the better part of 15 years have arguably sought to weaken gubernatorial controls and in particular appointments.
Only three men outside of the Democratic Party have gone into the governor’s office since the close of the 19th century. If this proposed board had been created in 1900, two-thirds of its makeup would have been chosen by Democrats for all but 16 of the last 124 years.
The bill, if it becomes law, would be enacted July 1. If those in position remain and the board makeup does not change, Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s administration would potentially be represented by Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley, Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins, Environmental Quality Secretary Mary Penny Kelley, and State Budget Director Kristin Walker; and Republican state Treasurer Brad Briner and Republican state Auditor Dave Boliek.
