Gov. Bev Perdue on Wednesday said she will let the controversial sea-level bill become law without her signature.
Also Wednesday, she signed the three remaining bills that she had not yet acted on: one delaying new stormwater-control standards in the Jordan Lake watershed, another loosening water-quality regulations for some projects in the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico river basins, and the third exempting vehicle emission test requirements for newer vehicles.
Perdue said the issues raised in the sea-level bill should be taken up by the legislature next year, including coming up with an approach to give state agencies more flexibility in how to deal with rising ocean levels when it comes to planning for coastal development.
Rep. Bill Cook, who was one of the key sponsors of the bill said: "I'm glad the Governor did not veto the bill. The impact of the proposal would have been devastating to Eastern North Carolina. What the bill does is delay any new regulations until a thorough study, based on valid science, can be completed and the issue re-considered by the General Assembly and the Coastal Resources Commission. That is the sensible way to deal with this issue."
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