Davis, Hamilton write Governor urging special session; AFP opposes idea

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - The conservative group Americans for Prosperity wants Governor Pat McCrory to avoid calling a special session of the North Carolina's General Assembly to increase funding for the state's Job Development Investment Grants (JDIG) program.

"We are asking Governor McCrory to ignore calls for a special session," Donald Bryson, State Director of Americans for Prosperity in North Carolina, said in an email news release. "Calling a special session of the General Assembly for the sole purpose of giving more of taxpayers hard-earned money to a corporate welfare program is something that North Carolinian's just won't stomach."

Rep. Ted Davis (R-New Hanover) and Rep. Susi Hamilton (D-New Hanover) wrote to Gov. McCrory, requesting a special session to deal solely with JDIG and several other economic development items. In their letters, Davis and Hamilton spell out six items they feel "must be included in a bi-partisan package of effective legislation."

They include:  the JDIG authorization, Crowd-Funding, the Closing Fund, Renewable Energy Tax Credit, Film Tax Credit, and the Historic Rehabilitation Investment Program. Several of these items were included in House Bill 1224 in the recent short session of the General Assembly, which contained a package of economic development programs but also limited local governments' ability to implement sales and use taxes. Lawmakers could never come to an agreement on the bill, and it failed in a House vote on August 19.

"The reason I voted against 1224 was because it was done in a very convoluted way," Davis said on Thursday. "What we're looking for is a stand-alone special session on economic development that is not tied to anything else."

Davis says the letters are also being sent to Economic Development groups across North Carolina, with the hope of gaining momentum and statewide support for a special session. He also believes that teaming with Hamilton shows this is a bi-partisan effort.

"You have to have a plan, and you've got to get it out there for people to see," Davis said about the proposal. "Hopefully this will get everything on the table. Without it, nothing will be done until the long session next year."

Davis says he received a letter from the Governor's office thanking him for his letter.

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