From Staff Reports

Rep. Brian Turner, a recently elected Asheville-area official, provided an update of new and pending legislation in the state General Assembly during the June 5 meeting of the Council of Independent Business Owners

About 60 people attended CIBO’s issues meeting at Chick-Fil-A in North Asheville. 

In addition, a presentation was made by Jerry VeHaun on the Metropolitan Sewerage District’s new incentive policy, along with a report on the status of the water system lawsuit Court of Appeals hearing. VeHaun is the MSD’s board chairman.

Also, Betsy Blose provided an update on UNC Asheville athletics. She is special assistant to the director of athletics for advancement and alumni engagement.

“It’s been a pretty busy session so far, down in Raleigh,” Turner told the CIBO crowd. “As you know, we went through ‘crossover’ back in April,” referring to any bill that does not have a financial component that involves spending money... The House passed the budget a couple of weeks ago ... and it’s sitting there.”

He added, “The budget has some good and some bad — that’s why I voted to support it.”

With a grin, he quipped, “ I understand now why legislators think roads are so important,” after  he himself spent so many hours driving “up and down I-40” back and forth between Asheville and Raleigh.

He spoke of a senate bill that “actually raises the gas tax,” adding that “Buncombe County is not doing so well in our infrastructure. We have about 150 bridges in need of major repairs. So this money will help with that.”

He also addressed a a broadband connectivity plan, which would result in a state roll-out of broadband service. “Broadband is critical to every aspect of life these days. When you get deep into Sandy Mush and Leicester, you’re lucky to get dial-up. That limits people’s ability to work from their homes, or for those going in there (that area) to work,” he noted.

Turner said the state plans “to allow Duke Energy to convert from coal to natural gas at its Lake Julian power plant. We expect that to be done (passed) in the next week or so. That’s something people from this region are trying to get passed through, so that the project is not held up.” (As Turner had predicted, General Assembly approval came later in June for the Lake Julian plant’s conversion to gas.)