Governor Clears Bills From Her Desk

Governor Bev Perdue has cleared her desk of the remaining bills from this summer's legislative session.

Jessica Jones: Governor Perdue has chosen to sign three of the last bills left: one delays stormwater-control standards in the Jordan Lake watershed, another loosens water-quality regulations in the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico river basins, and the last exempts some vehicles from emissions inspections. The bills are opposed by the Sierra Club, whose state director says the measures will primarily benefit developers. The governor chose not to sign another measure that will automatically become law: a controversial bill that places a four-year moratorium on state officials authorizing any sea level forecasts to be used as the basis for regulations. Local governments may also produce their own scientific studies on sea-level rise. The governor says she approves giving local governments more control, but she says the state should not ignore science when making public policy decisions.