ONLY ON 3: McCrory talks about issues affecting Cape Fear region

RALEIGH, NC (WWAY) — It’s been almost two years in office, and Gov. Pat McCrory said it’s been a roller-coaster ride he’s honored to be part of.

The governor touched on several topics during a sit-down interview at the Executive Mansion. Topics we covered with McCrory included the continued battles with both gay marriage and immigration. While the governor says he will uphold the constitution concerning gay marriage since the U.S. Supreme Court decided to not hear the appeal, upholding the appeals court decision, McCrory says he does support the fight on the new executive order on immigration.

“If we continue to let the President of the United States make the laws, as opposed to execute the laws, it is endangering our ability to govern,” McCrory said. “Of course I want to help solve the illegal immigration issue, but an executive — including the governor — can’t just make up their own laws and implement them. We ought to be at the table in ensuring there is not executive overreach. It is kind of ironic, because here at the state level I’m fighting legislative overreach.”

We also talked with McCrory about coal ash removal and his relationship with Duke Energy. He pointed out his being the only governor to ever sue Duke Energy and said he was proud of his work there.
On film incentives the Governor was frank. The move from tax credits for the film industry to a smaller grant-based program was the right one he said.

“It is the move. It’s the move that the state can afford. It’s the move which will encourage long-term infrastructure for the film industry,” said McCrory, “I think it will have more of a long term impact.”

Would he entertain looking at that issue again next year?

“I’m always looking, in fact I made proposals for a little bit more the legislature pulled a little bit of it back, but it all comes down to where the money is going to come from,” he said.

As for the future, the governor was asked his plans to run for a second term.

“I hope to run,” McCrory said. “That’s my goal to run.”