Raleigh, NC-- North Carolina state attorneys have written a letter questioning the legality of Gov. Beverly Perdue's executive order placing a one-year moratorium on new or increased ferry tolls that the Legislature ordered in the budget.

Chief Deputy Attorney General Grayson Kelley wrote a House transportation leader saying it is the opinion of the Attorney General's Office that a direct conflict between a law and an executive order must be resolved through implementing the law. The letter was released Friday in a transportation oversight committee meeting in Raleigh.

Perdue's office has said the law gave the agency discretion to collect tolls, but lawmakers say that's not true. Perdue said in February the higher tolls would have harmed coastal residents still recovering from Hurricane Irene.