MOREHEAD CITY — The port, Medicaid reform and tourism were all named as top priorities for Carteret County state representatives Pat McElraft and Norman Sanderson as they return to the state’s capitol for the General Assembly long session, which convenes today.
Each legislator gave the News-Times a little taste of their plans for the year and how they intend to represent their constituents.
Norman Sanderson
Sen. Sanderson, R-Pamlico who also represents Carteret and Craven counties, who also spoke Friday with officials at the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce’s spring legislative luncheon, said he felt comfortable and confident with the work of the General Assembly last year and foresaw a productive long session awaiting him in Raleigh.
We asked him about his top initiatives for this year:
“What really jumps out is property insurance. We need to come up with a more data-driven way to determine rates along the coast,” Sen. Sanderson said Monday.
North Carolina property owners won a victory last month when Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin denied a filing by insurance companies seeking an average 25.6 percent increase following a months-long hearing. If approved, that filing would’ve raised costs in the county by 35 percent.
Coastal residents remain paying premiums that are too high for their claims, however, Sen. Sanderson said.
“(The insurance companies are) in business to make a profit and I get that, but we have looked at it a lot and we’ve got to set rates that are fair and equitable,” he said. “I just feel like there’s a better way.”
The port came up:
“We’ve got to stabilize funds for the ports,” Sen. Sanderson said. “(The North Carolina Port at Morehead City) is a valuable asset and there’s a lot of potential for revenue, but primarily there’s a problem with depth, dredging issues.”
The News-Times reported in December the port, authorized at a depth of 38 feet, dropped as low as 29 feet, causing the port to undergo emergency agitation dredging to alleviate some of the shoaling.
The state needs to actively look for ways to step in where federal spending has dried up for dredging, Sen. Sanderson said, noting he has assembled a meeting of “key players” set for the end of the month to get working on a plan.
“We’ve been playing defense for a long time, it’s time to get on the offensive (for our ports.)”
Boosting Crystal Coast tourism:
Sen. Sanderson said he would look toward state means to expand tourism along the coastline this year.
“We’ve got to fund a way to increase the amount of money we’re spending on tourism,” he said, noting that he was talking spending state dollars on targeted advertising.
“North Carolina is a prime destination and other states spend a lot more on tourism.”
Readers asked about ferry tolling:
The idea was good, he said – “We wanted to increase revenue so the ferries were at least paying a portion of what it costs to operate them.” But ultimately, it was probably not the best route.
“It’s a short-term fix. I’m not convinced it’s going to produce enough.”
The state budget:
“There’s always the budget,” Sen. Sanderson said. “This is the year we have to settle Medicaid once and for all.”
Medicaid shortfalls have annually caused upset to the state budget, causing legislators to seek means of reforming eligibility to fit state means.
“We have all the info we need, we just need to make a decision,” Sen. Sanderson said of the reforms.
The legislature will also explore options to bring minimum starting salaries for teachers up to $35,000 this budget year, according to Sen. Sanderson.
Important side note, that $190 million deficit in state tax revenues is nothing to worry about, he told officials at Friday’s legislative luncheon. He expects state coffers to have more than the projected amounts by Wednesday, April 15.
On introducing his own legislation:
Sen. Sanderson said he’s working on a few things to bring to the Senate floor this year, including establishing a new way to approach homeowners insurance rates and legislation to establish maintenance at state ports.
“We’ve got to have some dedicated funds for that.”
Leadership positions:
News roles for legislative members should be solidified this week, but unofficially, Mr. Sanderson said he expects to hold a couple unspecified co-chairman positions on committees, chairmanship of the prayer caucus, will serve as a liaison to the State House with House counterpart Rep. Pat Hurley, R-Randolph, and look into forming a coastal caucus for legislators of this area.
Pat McElraft
Rep. Pat McElraft returned to Raleigh Tuesday hot off a campaign victory and ready to spend more time working as a state representative, she told the News-Times. She said she is considering retirement from her position with Thermo Fisher Scientific this spring.
Her top priorities in the NCGA for this year:
“Making sure we get our fair share of transportation money for rural areas,” she said.
The state’s new scoring system to determine funding for transportation projects produced poor results for Carteret County and other low-density areas.
State leaders seem amenable to altering the formula so as to not punish rural projects, Ms. McElraft said, specifically in areas that have low populations but heavy tourism seasons.
“There’s some tweaks coming (to the scoring system,)” Rep. McElraft told the News-Times Tuesday. “(Transportation officials) knew there needed to be a change for that seasonalized traffic.”
“Straightening out” Medicaid also made her cut for top initiatives, as well as insurance reform.
“The property insurance, the wind pool, the Biggert-Waters legislation up in the federal (level), all that needs to be taken care of in a way that doesn’t affect us in a negative way,” she said.
The port is a concern, but for different reasons:
“We have to balance the needs of the port with tourism,” she said. “I’m worried it will harm tourism if we deepen the port and take away that sand that’s destined for our beaches.”
Moving sand out of channels and later paying to have sand brought to the beaches is wasteful, Rep. McElraft said.
She said officials have looked into potential ways to mitigate.
“A sand bypass system, in the long term that’s cost effective. We have to protect those jobs at the port, but do it in an appropriate way.”
Her legislation:
Rep. McElraft said this session she plans to continue work on last year’s hemp oil bill.
That legislation, allowing for the oil produced from marijuana plants to be used to treat intractable epilepsy, was signed in to law by Gov. Pat McCrory in June.
The process and treatments need some work, however, and Rep. McElraft said she plans to address it this session.
Additionally, she said she is working on a bill that would give Insurance Commissioner Goodwin the authority to lower homeowners’ insurance rates should officials determine that residents are currently paying too much.
On her pending leadership roles:
As of Tuesday, Rep. McElraft said she was unsure about whether she will return as deputy whip, but reported she was moving up and will now occupy House seat 10.
“I started all the way in the back and now I’m 10!” she said.
She noted she expects to serve as chairman of the Natural Economic Resources Committee and work on their budget, as well as chairman for environment.
Last session, she held a key appropriations chairmanship, but said she opted instead for the NER seat this year.
Contact Jackie Starkey at 726-7081, ext. 232; email jackie@thenewstimes.com; or follow on Twitter @jackieccnt.
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