Raleigh Roundup for April 30

Information gathered from official news releases from state agencies.

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  N.C. Chief Justice Paul Newby has announced his Commission on Professionalism awards for 2024. This award is presented annually to an individual or individuals whose contributions have demonstrated the highest commitment to genuine professionalism and the highest standards of legal ethics. The award is presented in cooperation with the N.C. State Bar and N.C. Bar Association.
  Among those recognized were former New Hanover County District Attorney Ben David; Judge Angelica McIntyre of Lumberton; former Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts Andrew Heath; Judge Regina Parker of Beaufort County; and Elizabeth Star of the HopeStar Foundation, a non-profit that assists families in the legal system.

  

• Gov. Josh Stein has appointed Paul Tine as the new Commissioner of the Division of Motor Vehicles. His first day is May 6. Tine owns an insurance agency, and previously served two terms in the state house, representing Dare, Hyde, Washington and half of Beaufort counties.
  During his time in the General Assembly, Tine served as co-chair of Transportation Appropriations and served on the Joint Transportation Oversight Committee. He also served on the Board of Trustees of Elizabeth City State University. Tine said he will work to improve North Carolinians’ experience with the DMV by addressing wait times, staffing challenges, and customer satisfaction.
• State Treasurer Brad Briner has nominated former N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Donald van der Vaart to the state Utilities Commission. Van der Vaart is an engineer and attorney, with a background in the energy and utilities sectors. He has served on the EPA’s Scientific Advisory Board and the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission.
  Van der Vaart is most recently the Chief Judge and Director of the Office of Administrative Hearings at the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings. Treasurer Briner was given the authority to appoint one person to the Commission with the passage of Senate Bill 382, which became law last December.
• Gov. Stein has asked President Donald Trump to overturn FEMA’s decision not to extend its 100 percent match for eligible Hurricane Helene relief costs.  Without the extension, FEMA’s match drops to 90 percent. Preliminary estimates have projected a cost to the state of up to $200 million.  In December, Congress appropriated disaster relief funds in the American Relief Act of 2025. In February, Stein requested North Carolina’s allocations be expedited. Most federal agencies still have yet to announce North Carolina’s allocations.
  The governor has also requested Congress and the Trump Administration to appropriate an additional $11.6 billion in federal disaster relief funds to support home rebuilding, restore critical infrastructure, keep businesses open, shore up local governments, and reduce impacts from future natural disasters.