The House and Senate exchanged new budget offers on Thursday, but Gov, Pat McCrory remains dissatisfied with the Senate side of the debate, threatening to veto a final spending plan if it resembles what senators have put forward.
The Senate is sticking with its plans to give teachers an 11 percent raise but said it would free up $170 million for the House to use as it sees fit on its priorities of keeping teaching assistants and Medicaid funding.
Other WRAL Top Stories
The House shook enough money from the Department of Health and Human Services to up its teacher raise proposal from 5 to 6 percent.
McCrory said 6 percent is enough to provide a decent raise without sacrificing other budget needs and pinching local school districts, which would have to generate money to help finance any raises.
Outside of the budget, the Senate approved a conference committee deal to replace the Common Core academic standards in public schools with new standards that could include elements of Common Core.
The Senate postponed a vote to concur with House changes to a plan to clean up coal ash ponds statewide, and Sen. Tom Apodaca, R-Henderson, said the measure is likely headed to a conference committee to work out the House and Senate differences.