N. Carolina governor’s big budget increase scoffed at by GOP
1 year, 9 months ago

N. Carolina governor’s big budget increase scoffed at by GOP

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s Democratic governor released his state government spending plan on Wednesday that would increase spending by 20% over the next two years, double the increase favored by Republican majorities in the House and Senate. Senate leader Phil Berger called Cooper’s budget “an irresponsible, unserious proposal from a lame-duck governor who wants future North Carolinians to pick up his tab.” Cooper is term-limited from seeking reelection in 2024. As announced last week, the governor’s budget also would set aside $1 billion from the federal government’s sweetener to the state for accepting Medicaid expansion to beef up the state’s mental health services. Cooper’s budget proposal also would increase spending on community-based services for people with disabilities, set aside more matching funds needed to access federal grants, and improve workforce development and apprenticeship programs.

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History of this topic

Extra private school voucher funding gets initial OK from North Carolina Senate
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Extra private school voucher funding gets initial OK from North Carolina Senate

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Senate took the first step in clearing the state’s waitlist for private school vouchers Monday after passing a supplemental spending plan that also includes more Medicaid money, rural broadband access and requirements for sheriffs to assist federal immigration agents. The Senate reconvened after Republican chamber leaders announced last week that they reached a spending …

North Carolina GOP leaders reach spending deal to clear private school voucher waitlist
3 months, 2 weeks ago

North Carolina GOP leaders reach spending deal to clear private school voucher waitlist

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s Republican House and Senate leaders said Friday that they have agreed with each other on a supplemental spending proposal that includes hundreds of millions of dollars to eliminate the state’s waitlist for private school vouchers. The proposal sets aside an additional $463 million for this school year and next for the state’s Opportunity Scholarship Program …

Tax cuts, teacher raises and a few social issues in South Carolina budget compromise
6 months ago

Tax cuts, teacher raises and a few social issues in South Carolina budget compromise

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A budget compromise reached by a small group of lawmakers Friday means South Carolina will accelerate a planned income tax cut, raise the salaries of all teachers and state employees and send more money to adult and juvenile prisons. A conference committee agreed to the more than $13 billion spending plan for next budget year, sending it …

North Carolina House budget gets initial OK as Senate unveils stripped-down plan
6 months ago

North Carolina House budget gets initial OK as Senate unveils stripped-down plan

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — A North Carolina budget-adjustment measure penned by House Republicans received initial approval Wednesday in the chamber, legislation that covers a massive increase in private-school voucher demand, locates money for child care centers and raises worker and teacher pay further than already scheduled. Four House Democrats joined all Republicans present to vote 73-36 for the bill, which makes …

Connecticut lawmakers debate spending remaining COVID-19 funds, forgoing changes to state budget
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Connecticut lawmakers debate spending remaining COVID-19 funds, forgoing changes to state budget

Associated Press  

HARTFORD, Conn. — Facing a Dec. 31 deadline, Connecticut lawmakers were on track Tuesday to approve a Democratic plan to spend at least $360 million in remaining federal COVID-19 pandemic funds on key areas, including higher education, not-for-profit social service agencies, municipal aid and children’s mental health. Republicans in the House and Senate argued the Democrats’ plan sets the state …

North Carolina Senate OKs $500 million for private school vouchers, student accounts
7 months, 3 weeks ago

North Carolina Senate OKs $500 million for private school vouchers, student accounts

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Senate Republicans pushed legislation through their chamber Thursday to set aside roughly $500 million more for now for programs that provide taxpayer money to help K-12 students attend private schools and eliminate their waiting lists. During Thursday’s hour-long floor debate on the issue, Senate Democrats argued it was unfair for the wealthiest families to receive …

North Carolina Republicans seek hundreds of millions of dollars more for school vouchers
7 months, 3 weeks ago

North Carolina Republicans seek hundreds of millions of dollars more for school vouchers

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — Addressing a sharp increase in private-school grant applications, North Carolina Republicans advanced legislation on Wednesday to spend hundreds of millions of dollars now to eliminate a large waiting list this fall for Opportunity Scholarships and to permanently meet expected higher demand. The Senate Appropriations Committee voted for legislation that would spend another $248 million in the coming …

North Carolina governor seeks to halt GOP’s favored policies as legislature resumes
7 months, 4 weeks ago

North Carolina governor seeks to halt GOP’s favored policies as legislature resumes

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina General Assembly returned Wednesday for its budget-adjustment session, receiving a spending plan from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper that seeks to halt Republicans’ premier policies in recent years on taxes and school choice — proposals that GOP lawmakers are likely to ignore. Cooper’s budget would spend $3.6 billion more for the fiscal year starting July …

North Carolina sees slight surplus this year, $1B more next year
8 months ago

North Carolina sees slight surplus this year, $1B more next year

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s government should collect higher revenues during this fiscal year and next than what is projected in the current two-year state budget, according to a new forecast released Wednesday. Roy Cooper’s state budget office now predict collections will exceed revenue budgeted for the year ending June 30 by $413 million, or a 1.2% increase. The budget …

Arkansas governor proposes $6.3B budget as lawmakers prepare for session
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Arkansas governor proposes $6.3B budget as lawmakers prepare for session

Associated Press  

Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Wednesday proposed a $6.3 billion budget for the coming year, with most of the increase in spending going toward a school voucher program. Sanders’ budget proposal for the fiscal year that begins July 1 increases state spending by 1.76% over the previous year, with nearly all of the $109 million increase going toward education. “I am …

Tennessee governor’s budget plan funds more school vouchers, business tax break, new state parks
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Tennessee governor’s budget plan funds more school vouchers, business tax break, new state parks

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As Tennessee’s recent boom years fade with slower tax revenues, Gov. Bill Lee is forging ahead on some big-ticket items in his state budget proposal — among them, a dramatic expansion of taxpayer-funded vouchers to help kids attend private schools, a big tax break for businesses, and growth of state parks and natural areas. The Republican’s spending …

New Mexico governor proposes 10% spending increase amid windfall from oil production
11 months, 2 weeks ago

New Mexico governor proposes 10% spending increase amid windfall from oil production

Associated Press  

SANTA FE, N.M. — New Mexico’s governor is proposing a nearly 10% general fund spending increase for the coming fiscal year to shore up housing opportunities, childhood literacy and health care access, with additional payouts for electric vehicles purchases. 2 oil-producing state anticipates a multibillion-dollar surplus for the coming fiscal year, driven largely by oil and natural gas production in …

North Carolina Gov. Cooper says Medicaid expansion and other investments made 2023 a big year
1 year ago

North Carolina Gov. Cooper says Medicaid expansion and other investments made 2023 a big year

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — As Republicans used their legislative heft in 2023 to enact more rightward policies that he opposes, North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said Thursday that federal capital investments, Medicaid expansion and more jobs announcements are building historic momentum for the state. The 2024 legislative session won’t begin until late April, but Cooper said he plans to focus …

Medicaid expansion to begin soon in North Carolina as governor decides to let budget bill become law
1 year, 3 months ago

Medicaid expansion to begin soon in North Carolina as governor decides to let budget bill become law

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced Friday he would let the state budget bill that’s now reached his desk become law without his signature, opening the way for Medicaid coverage for 600,000 low-income adults, with some receiving the government health insurance soon. A Medicaid expansion law that Cooper signed in March said a state budget for this …

North Carolina’s governor visits rural areas to promote Medicaid expansion delayed by budget wait
1 year, 4 months ago

North Carolina’s governor visits rural areas to promote Medicaid expansion delayed by budget wait

Associated Press  

YADKINVILLE, N.C. — With a Medicaid expansion kickoff likely delayed further in North Carolina as General Assembly budget negotiations drag on, Democratic Gov. “It’s past time for Republican leaders to do their jobs, pass a budget and start Medicaid expansion now to give our rural areas resources to prevent hospital closures and combat the opioid crisis,” Cooper said in a …

With state budget talks extending, North Carolina Democrats criticize GOP for delay
1 year, 5 months ago

With state budget talks extending, North Carolina Democrats criticize GOP for delay

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — With a budget deal already a couple of weeks late, North Carolina Democrats complained on Wednesday that the absence of a state government spending deal by Republicans is delaying the expansion of Medicaid and setting up more obstacles to hire and retain teachers and law enforcement. “There’s nothing on our side to stop anything from going through …

South Carolina Senate and House reach budget deal 1 day after tense meeting
1 year, 6 months ago

South Carolina Senate and House reach budget deal 1 day after tense meeting

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina House members and senators reached an agreement on the state’s $13 billion budget Thursday, barely 24 hours after a tense meeting where both sides appeared to be out of patience. The key sticking point — how much money to give Clemson University to make significant progress on the state’s first veterinary school — went to …

North Carolina Senate votes on state government budget
1 year, 7 months ago

North Carolina Senate votes on state government budget

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — A state government budget proposal from North Carolina Senate Republicans received initial approval in their chamber on Wednesday, outlining a plan that spends the same amount as a competing House measure but differs on priorities, tax details and a host of policy prescriptions. “But that’s not to say at the end of the day we can’t pull …

North Carolina Senate unveils state budget with deeper tax cuts, lower raises than House proposal
1 year, 7 months ago

North Carolina Senate unveils state budget with deeper tax cuts, lower raises than House proposal

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Senate Republicans revealed their proposed two-year state government budget proposal Monday, one that would further reduce personal income taxes but offer less generous pay raises for workers compared to what their House counterparts sought. The Senate budget proposal would raise average teacher pay by just 4.5% over the next two years, compared to a 10.2% …

N. Carolina House state budget proposal gets initial OK
1 year, 8 months ago

N. Carolina House state budget proposal gets initial OK

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina House voted on Wednesday for a Republican-backed budget measure that would fund the state government for the next two years, including billions in spending for infrastructure and mental health and attempts to address inflation and job vacancies with pay raises. “This is not a spend-spend reckless plan but an opportunity to build on our …

Forecast: North Carolina expects $3B-plus surplus this year
1 year, 10 months ago

Forecast: North Carolina expects $3B-plus surplus this year

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina state government is on track to see a double-digit percentage increase in revenues by the end of the fiscal year compared to the total that legislators used in fashioning this year’s budget, according to a report released Wednesday. Roy Cooper’s state budget office projects that the state will take in $33.76 billion for the fiscal …

NC governor has little wiggle room with legislature in 2023
2 years ago

NC governor has little wiggle room with legislature in 2023

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper described on Wednesday jobs announcements, an emerging clean energy sector and his ability to block “culture-war, business-killing” laws on social issues from the General Assembly among his administration’s accomplishments during 2022. Moore told reporters on Tuesday that he’s “met with several Democrats who have made it very clear to me that …

Gov. Burgum unveils record $18.4B proposed state budget
2 years ago

Gov. Burgum unveils record $18.4B proposed state budget

Associated Press  

BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum on Wednesday unveiled a proposed $18.4 billion budget that increases state spending by more than 3% and includes $3 billion in infrastructure funding, and increases workforce development funding and public employee salaries. The state’s current $17.8 billion two-year budget — including federal aid — is its biggest ever and more than $2 …

Medicaid expansion breakthrough within reach in N. Carolina
2 years, 4 months ago

Medicaid expansion breakthrough within reach in N. Carolina

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — After a decade of vigorous opposition, most North Carolina Republicans have now embraced the idea of expanding the state’s Medicaid program to cover hundreds of thousands of additional low-income adults. “If there’s a person in the state of North Carolina that has spoken out against Medicaid expansion more than I have, I’d like to meet that person,” …

Cooper signs NC budget; COVID-19 emergency to end Aug. 15
2 years, 5 months ago

Cooper signs NC budget; COVID-19 emergency to end Aug. 15

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — Republican-backed adjustments to North Carolina’s budget were signed into law by Democratic Gov. The signing marks the second year in a row that Cooper has accepted the GOP’s comprehensive state government spending plan after vetoing budget bills in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Cooper said the measure included “critical investments in education, economic development, transportation and the state …

New Medicaid expansion pitch surfaces in N. Carolina House
2 years, 6 months ago

New Medicaid expansion pitch surfaces in N. Carolina House

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina House Republicans pitched a plan Thursday that could authorize expanding Medicaid to hundreds of thousands of additional low-income adults, which their leader argued would bring more certainty to ensuring rural hospitals and substance abusers get help. Although many House Republicans don’t like the Senate bill because it also contains too many controversial topics unrelated to …

Wolf’s final budget, like his first, features public schools
2 years, 10 months ago

Wolf’s final budget, like his first, features public schools

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Gov. Tom Wolf’s eighth and final budget proposal unveiled Tuesday would push state spending past $43 billion for the first time, with the Democratic governor asking lawmakers for the largest-ever increase in aid for public schools, plus more money for direct care workers, higher-education institutions and college scholarships. All told, Wolf’s plan would increase spending through the …

NY set to hike taxes on rich, boost spending in budget
3 years, 8 months ago

NY set to hike taxes on rich, boost spending in budget

Associated Press  

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York will spend billions of dollars of federal funds over the next year on schools and relief for struggling businesses, tenants and landlords under a spending plan that New York’s Legislature passed Wednesday. That increase is due in part to extra federal COVID-19 relief that New York won’t get again next year: including an expected $12 …

No extra SC worker pay in budget now; but leaders promise it
3 years, 9 months ago

No extra SC worker pay in budget now; but leaders promise it

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina House gave key approval to the state’s $9.8 billion budget Tuesday, which provides small raises for most teachers and some law enforcement officers, but not for other state employees. Republican leaders promised either a bonus or a raise for most lower-paid state employees if somewhat rosier predictions about the state’s economy recovering from the …

South Carolina revenues up, but no one knows if it will last
3 years, 10 months ago

South Carolina revenues up, but no one knows if it will last

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina economists decided Friday to make no changes to 3-month-old revenue estimates because COVID-19 is still causing so much uncertainty in the economy. We don’t want to be careless in this uncertain time,” Rainwater said at Friday’s meeting of the state Board of Economic Advisors. That means the official prediction for South Carolina remains unchanged from …

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