Urgent Letters Request & Success, re. Ferry Rules | Eastern North Carolina Now

    For Immediate Release:

    Thank you to everyone who sent a signed letter to the NC Rules Review Commission. We appreciate your help. The process can be confusing, but we have now stopped the new ferry toll rules by submitting more than ten (10) signed letters requesting legislative review pursuant to NC General Statutes Chapter 150B. The ferry toll rules we have delayed may be viewed here .

    No more letters or emails to the NC Rules Review Commission are necessary as of this afternoon. Molly Masich emailed to tell me we have more than ten signed letter. Thanks to everyone who helped!
Ferry boat that crosses the Pamlico River from Gaylords Bay to near PCS.     photo by Stan Deatherage
    Tomorrow, the NC Rules Review Commission meets in Raleigh. To view the RRC agenda for tomorrow, click here . If ten letters had not been submitted within one day after this RRC meeting, the new ferry toll rules would automatically go into effect, and tolls would have to be collected starting 7/1/13, regardless of what the legislature is doing. For information on the NC Rules Review Commission, see http://www.ncoah.com/rules and http://www.ncoah.com/rules/RRC.html.

    This "Ten Letter Rule" is method for citizens to object to a specific rule and ask the legislature to review the rule before it goes into effect. We, as citizens, wrote ten letters, and we have triggered a legislative review of the proposed rules for the new ferry tolls. To see NC General Statute §150B-21.3 (b2) containing the "Ten Letter Rule" click here . Scroll down to paragraph (b2) entitled "Objections" to read the exact language.

    The writing of rules is a normal part of bureaucratic governance. These rules were written as required by law because the legislature imposed new ferry tolls. The statute imposing new ferry tolls is two sentences long. The rules are several pages of detailed statements of the amount of tolls and other detailed information. The writing and implementation of rules is an important, but little known, part of the process of how a bill passed in the legislature "comes home" to impact your life.

    Legislative Activities & Update on House Bill #475 "Ferry Tolling Alternatives"

    The NC House Transportation Committee did not hear our good ferry bill HB#475 because they ran out of time in their Tuesday committee meeting. We wanted them to pass the bill, and we appreciate all of your calls and emails to them for this purpose.

    The Chairman of the NC House Transportation Committee, Rep. William Brawley, was kind and positive. He said he likes our bill, and expects to hear it as soon after the Crossover deadline as possible. The regular meeting time of this Committee is Tuesday at 12:00 noon. We hope HB#475 will be on the committee calendar for hearing next Tuesday.

    The reason the bill was not heard was the pressure to consider bills that must meet the Crossover deadline or die. Our bill has provisions for money, though not tolls, and therefore it does not have to meet the Crossover deadline. The Crossover deadline is the day by which a bill filed in the House must "crossover" to the Senate or vice versa. It is a weeding out process for bills that will not pass.

    We expect to maintain our momentum for House Bill #475. The bill sponsors are strong and enthusiastic. We will let you know further progress as it happens next week. Thank you for your help and continuing support!

    Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions.

    Joe McClees & Henri McClees
      McClees Consulting, Inc.

      Post Office Box 430
      Oriental, NC 28571

      Office (252) 249-1097
      Fax (252) 249-3275
      www.mccleesconsulting.com
      Joe McClees's mobile (252) 671-1585
      Henri's mobile (252) 671-1559