A new Public Policy Polling survey echoes an Elon University poll that came out earlier this week showing a majority of North Carolinians oppose a state constitutional ban on gay marriage. PPP found 52 percent of those surveyed support greater rights for same-sex relationships. The new poll also carves out a couple of interesting slices: Senior citizens are the only age group with a majority (54 percent) that opposes any legal recognition for same-sex couples. Independent voters are even more supportive of the issue than Democrats, with 64 percent of them in favor. A bill is pending in the General Assembly to write a ban into the constitution.

Two Wake senators have filed legislation to block the N.C. Turnpike Authority from doing what it says it doesn't want to do anyway:  build a new turnpike through the town of Garner.

Senate Bill 165 proposes that the planned Triangle Expressway Southeast Extension "shall not be located north of an existing protected corridor established by the Department of Transportation circa 1995, except in the area of Interstate 40 East."

That means nothing north of a widely favored path known as the Orange Route, which would take TriEx well south of Garner to extend the turnpike across southern Wake County from Holly Springs to Interstate 40 near the Johnston County line. ... [MORE]

Two Wake County senators have filed legislation to block the N.C. Turnpike Authority from doing what it says it doesn't want to do anyway:  build a new turnpike through the town of Garner. [3/3/11 update: More in today's story.]

Senate Bill 165 proposes that the planned Triangle Expressway Southeast Extension "shall not be located north of an existing protected corridor established by the Department of Transportation circa 1995, except in the area of Interstate 40 East."

That means nothing north of a widely favored path known as the Orange Route, which would take TriEx well south of Garner to extend the turnpike across southern Wake County from Holly Springs to Interstate 40 near the Johnston County line. ... [MORE]

In their proposal today for LESS state spending -- more than $2 billion less than Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue's proposed budget -- Republican legislative leaders mention one area that deserves MORE spending: highway maintenance and repaving.

Instructions to the House and Senate transportation appropriation subcommittees (attached below) include this call for a $100 million maintenance boost:

Strengthen the maintenance of transportation infrastructure. For many years, North Carolina has inadequately funded the maintenance of pavement, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure. Please develop a plan to increase the budget for maintenance and contract resurfacing by at least $100 million through a combination of savings, efficiencies and the reallocation of resources.

Perdue also has recommended more maintenance spending this year. ... [more]

Market forces will push North Carolina's record-high gas tax even higher in July --  unless political forces decide otherwise. 

Democrats were in charge four years ago when drivers were unhappy about rising gas taxes, so they capped the tax for two years at 29.9 cents a gallon.  That ceiling was converted to a legislative floor in 2009, and our inflation-adjusting tax has risen since then to an all-time high of 32.5 cents.

The General Assembly’s new Republican leaders seem likely to put a lid on it again.

“They have not specifically talked about this in caucus,” says Ray Martin, press secretary for Republican Sen. Phil Berger, the Senate president pro tem. “But it’s likely they’d want to look at capping any increase in the tax.” ... [MORE]

The state Department of Transportation’s proposed budget shows that the Perdue administration is counting on the Republican-led legislature to allow gas taxes to keep rising this year.  But without lifting a finger, Republicans have the power to let gas tax rates fall sharply instead.

[2/18/11 correction:  Legislative action would be required to prevent gas tax rates from rising again in July. See below.]

The variable tax rate fluctuates as a portion of the average wholesale gas price, and in January it climbed to a record high level of 32.5 cents a gallon.  Perdue’s budget, released today (see below), projects an increase of another penny a gallon, to generate record-high gas tax collections of $1.74 billion in 2011-12.

[2/18/11 correction:  That assumes the Republican-led legislature will allow the tax to keep rising. A GOP legislative spokesman says that seems unlikely.] ... [MORE]

Susan Bryant, the Wake County GOP chair, says Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue's administration was attempting to stifle free speech when a senior DOT official accused a North Raleigh resident of practicing engineering without a license. [2/4/11 update: see today's story with reader comments.]

“The governor sets the tone for her administration, and I believe she should immediately take action to demonstrate the state welcomes input from its people," Bryant said today in a news release. "And just because the input is well researched and organized doesn’t mean the people are attempting to impersonate a professional.  Licensing professionals has nothing to do with the Constitutional rights of citizens to make their feelings known."

Bryant cited Kevin Lacy, chief traffic engineer at NCDOT, who complained that David N. Cox and members of his neighborhood group appeared to be practicing engineering without a license when they submitted a report to bolster their campaign to have traffic signals added at two intersections on Falls of Neuse Road (see today's story, with dozens of reader comments). ... [MORE]

About 35 people braved the morning drizzle to hear several speakers send state lawmakers a message: stick to conservative tea party principals that include cutting spending and less regulation or we will send you back home in the next election.

"The people of North Carolina have nothing to give you to spend and to waste," said Frank Ragsdale of Raleigh. "We must have a smaller and less intrusive government."

The rally was sponsored by the Moccasin Creek Minutemen, a two-year-old, 150 member group. While the turnout was small, it did draw support from folks as far away as Asheville, who held signs saying "TAXED ENOUGH ALREADY."

The crowd was in an optimistic mood with the General Assembly changing over from Democrat to Republican. When N.C. GOP Chairman Robin Hayes spoke, one asked him to comment on the "monumental change of power."

Hayes called it a "historical moment," and he told the crowd that new House Speaker Thom Tillis and new Senate leader Phil Berger have clearly laid out what they stand for, so it will be easy for conservatives to see if the two leaders practice what they preach.

Triangle Interstates were clear Tuesday afternoon, and DOT crews began working on state highways and some secondary roads with salt and sand.

“They’re worn out,” Gov. Bev Perdue told reporters at a DOT maintenance yard in Raleigh. “A lot of people have worked 24 hours, 36 hours. But the bottom line is we’ve done it and done it fairly well all over the state. There are still some back roads that are really icy.”

Perdue urged drivers to stay off the road tonight.

“If you’re out and about, be very careful.  We know it will refreeze tonight and the roads will be very dangerous. So if you can, go home early or stay home. And start again tomorrow when the weather looks a bit better.” ... [MORE]