In a hastily called meeting of the House Public Utilities Committee, debate continues on the original takeover bill. Senate Bill 967, Yadkin River Trust.   There is yet another revision, a new PCS.

Rep Robert Grady, R Onslow, asks how much land is involved.  Hartsell says probably several hundred acres out of 7.000.  How much money are we looking at?  Hartsell says they will never ask for money.

Rep. Tim Moore, R Cleveland, asks who owns the dams? The land?  Hartsell says fee simple ownership is agreed in the license.  Property would revert to the federal government.  Moore asks whose name is on the deed of trust?  Alcoa.  But the government owns the water rights.  Can Alcoa sell the land and the dams?
Gene Ellis, Alcoa rep says Alcoa owns 23,000 acres.  A few hundred acres are not in the fee simple. They also own the water rights. Some of the property is underwater.  
Hartsell says the land goes with the license.  Ellis says it’s like a mortgage when you agree to terms when you buy real property.  

Rep Robert Grady believes that the General Assembly is going to take it and has an amendment that would prohibit the government from leasing the property or any part of it.  He doesn’t want it to go to anybody else, dividing it up without coming back to the General Assembly for permission.  Amendment passes by a voice vote.

Rep Pricey Harrison, D Guilford, says she doesn’t think this bill is going to get the hearing it deserves and the committee chair, Rep Lorene Coates, D agrees.  Harrison says this is unprecedented that the license would not be re-issued to the holder.  

Hartsell says it’s not a takeover if it’s something you’ve never had.
Hartsell continues to argue this only sets up an entity
Goforth says we keep hearing about the environmental problems.  Why would we want those problems?  Hartsell says Alcoa has to clean it up.  Why didn’t they try to agree on a settlement?  Both Ellis and Hartsell say efforts were stonewalled.

Rep Julia Howard, R Iredell amends the bill to allow the Board of Directors to serve two four-year terms rather than just one.  She says this will be a powerful board.  Amendment passes by a voice vote.

The bill passes by a 10-7 vote and has to go to Finance next.
Voting yes:
Harold Brubaker , R-Randolph
Bill Faison, D Orange
Angela Bryant D-Nash
Becky Carney, D Mecklenburg
Beverly Earle, D Mecklenburg
Hugh Holliman, D Davidson
Julia Howard, R Iredell
Linda Johnson R Cabarrus
Marvin Lucas D Cumberland
Wil Neumann R Gaston

Voting no:
Russell Tucker D Duplin
Hugh Blackwell, R Burke
Bruce Goforth D Buncombe
Robert Grady, R Onslow
Jim Gulley, R Mecklenburg
Pricey Harrison, D Guilford
Tim Moore, R Cleveland

Committee chair Lorene Coates does not vote except in case of a tie.