Ex-House Finance Chair Defends Actions Over NC Tax Bill

The veteran North Carolina legislator removed as co-chair of the powerful House Finance Committee this week says she disagrees with top chamber leaders who accused her of improperly delaying a tax relief bill. Republican Rep. Julia Howard of Davie County defended her actions during an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday. She says she had been trying to refashion the bill so that Senate Republicans would accept it and give it a chance of becoming law. The measure in part would give additional state tax breaks to businesses that took federal Paycheck Protection Program loans.