NC legislature finalizes commerce reorganization

RALEIGH — Lawmakers have finalized the requirements a new private nonprofit corporation must meet before it can take over business recruiting and marketing and tourism functions currently housed within North Carolina’s government.

The Senate unanimously approved on Wednesday a House bill that lays out the terms of the state Commerce Department’s contract with the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. The measure now goes to Gov. Pat McCrory’s desk.

McCrory has sought the transfer to the nonprofit for more than a year. Lawmakers authorized him last summer to develop a privatization strategy.

The Senate approved a competing version of the measure but decided to accept the House version without any changes. Senate Majority Leader Harry Brown says it was time to stop debating details and to make the transfer a reality.