Carolina Journal Radio No. 714: Familiar faces lead new N.C. General Assembly

North Carolinians will see some familiar faces leading both chambers of the General Assembly over the next two years. Republican Phil Berger starts his fourth two-year term as Senate leader, while Republican Tim Moore begins his second term as N.C. House speaker. Rick Henderson, Carolina Journal editor-in-chief, discusses Berger’s and Moore’s priorities. He also assesses the role of the leaders of the Democratic opposition in both chambers. As a 2013 state law forces North Carolina to sift through thousands of government rules, reviewers have designated roughly 12 percent of those rules to disappear. Another 26 percent will face a more thorough re-examination. Now the chairman of the Rules Review Commission wants to go even further. Garth Dunklin recently recommended that lawmakers scrap a third alternative that has allowed state agencies to keep current rules on the books, without a more thorough review, if they are deemed to be necessary and not controversial. Dunklin and his colleagues believe every rule should undergo a thorough review at least once every 10 years. Some state lawmakers want to take a closer look at the way North Carolina government plans for emergencies. Sen. Ronald Rabin, R-Harnett, recently reminded colleagues that a legislative oversight committee can help the state cope with natural disasters, riots, campus unrest, and large-scale protests. Before Gov. Roy Cooper designated him as the next secretary of the N.C. Department of Transportation, Jim Trogdon briefed state lawmakers on the state’s long-term transportation needs. Trogdon is a DOT veteran and has worked most recently as national transportation director at the SAS Institute. In that role, he assessed the current state of North Carolina’s transportation system and highlighted ongoing funding challenges. A dispute over a proposed operating room in Leland is shining light on the continuing debate over certificate-of-need restrictions in North Carolina. Katherine Restrepo, John Locke Foundation director of health care policy, explains how the state’s CON law blocks innovation in the health care industry.