The 2004 State Constititional Amendment Bites Again

News & Observer State officials gave 375 law enforcement agencies $2.4 million that should have gone to schools from North Carolina's tax on illegal drugs, and legislators are requiring that it be repaid. Revenue Department spokeswoman Kim Brooks said the error was an oversight. The department was uncertain about a 2005 ruling by the state Supreme Court on whether fines went to schools. "It's something that happened, and it's something that we're going to correct," Brooks said. The ruling said penalties on the drug tax should be paid to schools, and the tax and interest could be divided with the state and law enforcement agencies. Legislators voted to require that the department repay the schools with its own funds and that it must repay itself by withholding money from law enforcement agencies. "This is a way to correct a mistake that was made," said state Sen. Kay Hagan, a Democrat from Guilford County. The largest overpayment was $342,000 to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, and the smallest was 13 cents to the Andrews Police Department. My question is, how is APD going to raise 13 cents?