Today@NCCapitol (June 2): Budgeting after midnight

The state Senate is scheduled to take budget votes Thursday morning and just after midnight Friday. Meanwhile, the House will take up two controversial measures before heading home for the weekend.

Posted 10:00 a.m. Jun 2, 2016 — Updated 10:00 a.m. Jun 2, 2016

Mark Binker

RALEIGH, N.C. — Good morning and welcome to Today@NCCapitol for Thursday, June 2. Here's what's going on around state government:

BUDGET: The Senate is scheduled to take up its version of the state budget at 10 a.m. The $22.225 billion spending plan would make some big changes on clean water policy, but the sponsor of a controversial University of North Carolina tuition provision said Wednesday he would remove three HBCUs from a plan capping tuition for certain universities at $500 per semester.

WRAL.com will carry the morning Senate session live online.

Senators have scheduled a second required vote on the budget for just after midnight Friday. That second vote is required due to tax provisions in the bill. Senators opted for the early morning vote so members could get home for family members' weekend graduation ceremonies.

THE HOUSE (10 a.m.): The state House is scheduled to take up two controversial bills. One would allow charter school companies to take over failing schools. The other would pull the plug on a contract to build toll lanes on Interstate 77 in the Charlotte area.

GUNS: Advocates for gun control, including North Carolina Moms Rising and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, will hold a news conference at 12:30 p.m. in the legislative press room to mark National Gun Violence Awareness Day.

COMMITTEES: The General Assembly publishes a full committee calendar daily. Here's what we're keeping an eye on:

HOUSE RULES (15 minutes after session): The committee will take up Senate Bill 575, which helps settle the boundary between South Carolina and North Carolina. The two states would trade dozens of properties under the measure.

SENATE LOCAL GOVERNMENT (15 minutes after session): The committee is scheduled to take up a bill that would allow Wake County towns to donate retired service animals, such as police dogs, to their handlers or their families.

THE GOVERNOR: Gov. Pat McCrory will speak to the North Carolinians for Home Education annual conference in Winston-Salem at 7:30 p.m.

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