NC Senate nixes environment chief, but Cooper rehires her

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A sharply divided North Carolina Senate on Thursday formally rejected Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's choice to lead his environmental department, with Republicans who insisted the nominee was ill-prepared for the post winning the vote.

The party-line 26-20 margin ousts Dionne Delli-Gatti as secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality and means Cooper must choose a replacement.

Within minutes, however, the governor named Delli-Gatti as his point person on promoting renewable energy in North Carolina, with negotiating legislation — presumably with the same senators who chose not to confirm her — in her job description.

Still, the refusal marks the first time a Cabinet appointment by a North Carolina governor has received a no-confirmation result since the advice-and-consent law for the Senate began as Cooper took office in early 2017. Cooper's other 16 nominees have been otherwise confirmed by the chamber, including new Administration Secretary Pamela Cashwell earlier Thursday.

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(Tacoma News Tribune)