Minutes 03-21-2024 - Legislative Breakfast

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5 process that only considers State funding allocations based on students' attendance location on a single day during the school year; • Increase salary compensation for teachers and staff at all years of service; • Impose class size reductions commensurate with State funding for staffing; • Provide increased funding for school safety initiatives; and • Reduce funding and limit eligibility for/availability of private school vouchers, as vouchers constrain available funding for public education statewide, encourage students to leave public education, and limit services and educational opportunities for all remaining public school students. Chair Bedford reviewed the seventh item on the Board's list of priority legislative issues: Non-Partisan Redistricting Process for Elections — Support legislation to establish a process for an independent, non-partisan redistricting process after each United States Census for the election of representatives from North Carolina to the United States House of Representatives, the North Carolina House, and the North Carolina Senate. Chair Bedford reviewed the last item on the Board's list of priority legislative issues: Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Funding — Support legislation to remove the restriction on State funding for stand-alone bicycle and pedestrian projects imposed by the North Carolina Strategic Transportation Investment Law. The restriction limits the development of infrastructure for bicyclists, pedestrians, and users of personal mobility devices. Senator Meyer said he and Senator Murdock introduced legislation that would support everything the MPO has worked on and asked for. He said there are plenty of ideas that could be moved to another transportation bill if another one has more support. He said there is good support from both parties on this. He said there are good organizing efforts underway to show that it is good for people all over the state. Representative Price said she thinks multimodal is an easier sell. Senator Meyer said there are some changes in transportation proposals that can be added to any future legislation on housing affordability. Vice-Chair Greene said that is really important. Chair Bedford asked Vice-Chair Greene to discuss the Upper Neuse River Basin Association Consensus Principles II for Falls Lake Rules. Vice-Chair Greene said Falls Lake is under EPA water quality rules, but they are impossible to meet. She said the UNRBA has worked with the UNC Collaboratory and has come up with an alternative proposal. She said all local governments involved have passed resolutions of support and it's now gone to the EMC. She said it's really an administrative decision, but there could be a scenario that it would come to them for support. Senator Meyer said this is a big deal. Commissioner McKee and Vice-Chair Greene said there is no way to meet the requirements, unless half of developed Durham is gone. Senator Meyer said the most likely way for it to end up in the General Assembly's lap is if the EMC took action and there was objection filed. He said making sure all local bodies support it is critical. Chair Bedford asked Senator Meyer to discuss the UNC Go-generation Plant.