Tuesday wrap: Senate budget moves forward

In meetings Tuesday of the Senate appropriations and finance committees, legislators sketched the outlines of the budget debate that will begin in the chamber Wednesday.

Republicans added a few amendments and tweaks, but hewed closely to the $20.6 billion proposal outlined earlier in the week. Democrats balked at the cost to teacher assistant positions.

Elsewhere Tuesday, Gov. Pat McCrory said he was comfortable with legislators' progress on tax reform and would not put forth his own plan.