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Budget
While North Carolina has a small budget surplus, Republican lawmakers say they hope to trim more spending from state government. STATUS: Gov. Pat McCrory has turned in his proposed budget to the General Assembly. The state Senate will now draft a spending plan. The current budget expires on June 30.
Rewriting the state budget is annual tax for state lawmakers. The $20.2 billion budget passed in 2012 expires June 30.
For the past four years, lawmakers have been dealing with deficits that required hundreds of millions of dollars worth of cuts to state spending. This year, tentative budget projects show the state's fiscal picture has improved and that North Carolina may be running a small surplus. The one area that's a possible exception, according to lawmakers, is the perennially problematic Medicaid health insurance program for the poor and disabled.
While lawmakers will not be forced to cut because of a crises this year, Senate leader Phil Berger said he believes Republicans will endeavor to further trim state spending. After the governor presents his budget, the state Senate will draft its spending plan. The House will then generate a budget and the three versions will be reconciled into a final compromise budget.
Bills and status:
No legislation may be filed until Jan. 30.
Update (3/25/2013): Gov. Pat McCrory has filed his proposed budget for the coming fiscal year. The Senate will now draft a tax and spending plan.
Related Stories:
Gov. Pat McCrory unveiled a $20.6 billion annual budget Wednesday that he says would hire more teachers, plow more money into early childhood education, give raises to state employees and tackle a number of items he has talked about for the past year.
Gov. Pat McCrory's budget presentation is only the first formal step in a long process. Lawmakers are expected to work on the state's tax and spending plan until June.
Medicaid spending is a "continuing, nagging problem" for North Carolina, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger said Wednesday, and the state Department of Health and Human Services will be challenged to get it under control.
A week after he was sworn in to office in a private ceremony, Gov. Pat McCrory took a public oath of office Saturday morning in North Carolina's traditional inauguration ceremonies.
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