Ocracoke Issues on Paul Tine's Agenda

Although education and Medicaid expansion will be the subject of much debate in the General Assembly, Tine has a series of goals to accomplish during the session for House District 6, which covers Dare, Hyde, Washington, and Beaufort Counties.

Property Insurance

Last session, Rep. Tine proposed legislation to improve the property insurance rate-setting process by bringing better information and more transparency to the homeowner’s insurance rate-making process. The bill passed the House with unanimous support last year, but it stalled in the Senate. Rep. Tine stated that he has been working to have the bill heard in that chamber and is encouraged by meetings he's had with the co-chairs of the Insurance Committee. “It’s becoming harder and harder to live in the East, and insurance costs are a big part of the challenge,” said Rep. Tine. “This bill will help us to fight the increases that the insurance companies continue to propose and will result in a better system for the whole state.

Ferry Tolls

Ferry tolls will continue to be debated in the short session, and there is the possibility of some positive movement. Rep. Tine said he is encouraged by signs of support in the House, while movement in the Senate remains sluggish. “The House Chair of Transportation Appropriation has been a huge advocate of removing all tolls from the system,” said Tine. “The Speaker has also supported us and even reached out to the Governor to build support. The problem, again, is on the Senate side.” Removing ferry tolls would cost a net of about $4 million dollars in a $4.2 billion transportation budget. “Our state's ferry system is vital to the coast's tourism industry and the people who rely on it to commute to work every day. We shouldn't be adding an additional tax on the people in the East." Tine said.

Oregon Inlet

Oregon Inlet has not been consistently open for years and continues to shore up on a regular basis. Last year, Rep. Tine was one of the primary sponsors of a bill that created the Oregon Inlet Commission to help develop short and long term solutions to the problem. “We have met over the past few months and there are some viable solutions,” said Tine. According to early discussions, it is likely that the Senate Pro Tem will push for $10 million in the budget to begin the necessary studies and be available for land acquisition. "The inlet is, and has been, at a critical point. We need to keep fighting for this funding,” stated Tine. "Our fishing and tourism industries depend on a safe and reliable inlet, and we cannot afford any more delays."

Small Schools Funding

In July, a change in the small schools funding is set to be enacted that would remove $1,000,000 over two years from Hyde County Schools. According to the Hyde County Superintendent, this cut could result in losing up to a third of their staff. The provision was originally set to begin last year, but Rep. Tine negotiated an amendment to the budget that postponed the change for a year so that a new formula could be worked out. "I've been meeting with Hyde County, Senators, Representatives, the Small Schools Consortium, and legislative staff,” said Tine. “Together we've developed a formula that will fix the issue while reinforcing the policy that smaller systems need some additional funding because they do not have the critical mass to provide the basics.” Rep. Tine stated that, based on meetings with the House and Senate Education Chairs, he is optimistic this issue will be resolved.

Cape Hatteras Electrical Cooperative

The Hatteras Electrical Co-op lost an exemption in the last session resulting in a 7% tax increase. The exemption existed because the co-op is the only provider that does not have a protected territory and was, therefore, treated as a public entity. "This increase will negatively impact the citizens and tourism economy of Hatteras Island. Unfortunately, there's opposition on the Senate side of the legislature, but I'm going to do everything I can to reverse this increase." Tine stated.

Rep. Tine encouraged citizens to reach out to him on any of these issues or if there are others that need additional attention. “I've been traveling the district a lot these past few months, and these issues consistently rank near the top of people’s local concerns,” he said. "Getting all these issues fixed is far from a foregone conclusion, but I will be working hard on them. If there are others you want me to focus on, then I want to hear from you."

Rep. Paul Tine can be reached by email at paul.tine@ncleg.net or on his cell at (252) 305-5133