RALEIGH, N.C. — Some North Carolina lawmakers are supporting efforts to cancel a much-criticized agreement with a private developer to build toll lanes along Interstate 77 north of Charlotte.
The House Transportation committee approved the proposal to pull out of a 50-year contract with Cintra on Wednesday.
Huntersville Republican Rep. Charles Jeter and other representatives from Mecklenburg County say Cintra has a history of poor business decisions and say the agreement would not properly address the congestion on I-77.
Transportation Secretary Nick Tennyson told the committee that canceling the contract could cost millions of dollars in fees and would leave the area without any way to fix traffic problems in the area.
The bill must pass through the Appropriations Committee before going to the full House.
Eyewitness News reporter Blake Hanson will be in Raleigh to cover the city council trip. Follow him on Twitter for the latest developments as they happen and tune into Eyewitness News at 5 p.m. for his live report.
North Carolina Senate budget now to work its way through chamber
The North Carolina Senate now is ready to consider its own budget proposal, with a goal to vote on it by the end of the week.
Senate Republicans scheduled an appropriations committee Wednesday to talk about their adjustments to the second year of the current two-year budget.
GOP leaders are emphasizing teacher and state employee pay raises and college tuition limits and reductions in the $22.2 billion plan. They're also setting aside another $580 million in rainy day reserves to handle the next economic downturn, whenever that comes.
Senate chief budget-writer Harry Brown of Jacksonville anticipates more committee work before two recorded votes Thursday and Friday. Then the House and Senate will try to work out their differences by July 1. The House passed its own plan two weeks ago.
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