House Committee Uses Transportation Money to Buy SBI A Plane | Eastern NC Now

    Publisher's note: The author of this post is Carolina Journal, John Hood Publisher.

Critics troubled by use of dedicated transportation funds for general government purpose

    RALEIGH - The House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, after considerable debate, voted to provide $8.7 million for the State Bureau of Investigation to buy an airplane.

    The plane would replace one that is no longer certified for use. Lawmakers said the plane would be used to move agents from one point of the state to another, and could be used for surveillance.

    The debate and controversy weren't over whether the plane was needed, but instead how the purchase would be funded. The money would come from Highway Fund maintenance, and a number of House members expressed hesitation to use transportation revenues for what essentially is a general government function.

    Rep. Paul Tine, an unaffiliated House member from Dare County, said the budget leaders had worked hard to eliminate transfers from transportation funds - paid primarily from user fees on vehicle sales, fuel taxes, and vehicle registration fees - to the General Fund, which draws revenues from general tax sources, such as income taxes and sales taxes.

    "I can understand how some might see this as a slippery slope toward redoing those," said Tine, who sponsored the proposal. "However, we've identified in the last couple of days a critical need that needs to be met that is part of a core function of government, and that is the safety and security of the people of North Carolina."

    Tine said the plane was "technically transportation," although he admitted it was not transportation used by the general public. He said the appropriation would constitute "one-time, non-recurring" funding.

    Previously, the state has transferred money from the Highway Fund to the General Fund to pay for the operations of the State Highway Patrol and driver's education programs. In addition, previous legislatures made annual transfers from the Highway Trust Fund to the General Fund for general government functions.

    The General Assembly ended those transfers - amounting to $200 million annually - in the 2015-16 budget, which led several members to protest Tine's proposal.

    One opponent is Rep. Michael Speciale, R-Craven.

    "I fully want to see them get this aircraft," Speciale said. "But we cannot take the money from the Highway Fund when we made a commitment to the people of North Carolina that we were going to quit doing this."

    Rep. George Cleveland, R-Onslow, said the assertion that the plane was a transportation item was a bit of a stretch. "I'm surprised the rubber band didn't break," Cleveland said.

    "This is actually setting a terrible precedent," said Rep. Grier Martin, D-Wake.

    Rep. John Torbett, R-Gaston, said he did not agree with his colleagues that the move would be a slippery slope. Torbett said the move was for "one time, and one time only for a very crucial need."

    The committee approved the purchase on a voice vote. It will now go to the House floor.