House Passes 2012 / 2013 Fiscal Budget | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press release:

    Here is some information about the 2012 Budget we in the House passed last Wednesday night. I voted for this budget after enduring 9 or 10 hours of listening to the Democrats whine. This budget passed the NC House Wednesday night with 73 bipartisan votes. This is the second year in a row that Republicans in the House have passed budgets with bipartisan support. We passed this House budget with enough Democrats joining us to be veto proof. The Governor can't veto this budget. Now the Senate has to concur with our planned expenditures to put this budget in effect. However if they can't agree with us, the second year budget we passed last year will become effective. I think the Senate will make some changes and send it back to us.

    Here are some other aspects of the budget.

    The House budget is a fiscally responsible and economically sustainable spending plan that restores funding in key areas while continuing to right-size state government.

    Our budget restores over $300 million to the education system, protecting teachers, teachers' assistants, and education personnel. It reverses the increase in public school teaching days.

    It eliminates the increased ferry tolls this year.

    The budget includes a jobs plan called the "Strategic Investments in North Carolina Initiative," which focuses on two components: providing community-college based job training for unemployed citizens, and increasing small business access to job-creating loans.

    The House budget includes a one-time, $250 bonus to all state employees.

    We restore critical dollars in Health & Human Services and other areas of the budget.

    We do all of this WITHOUT raising taxes.

    We encourage government efficiency, building on the progress we made through last year's budget. We eliminate vacant positions, cut wasteful spending, and live within our means.

    The House budget continues to right-size state government while restoring funding in key areas and focusing on job creation. This budget is a bold, positive step for North Carolina.