Wednesday wrap: Budget breakthroughs

Lawmakers appear to finally be making progress on a budget deal. They announced Wednesday they've come to an agreement on pay for teachers and state employees.

Under the deal agreed to Wednesday afternoon, all state employees and teachers would receive a $750 bonus later this year. However, that's instead of a 2 percent raise that House leaders proposed but Senate leaders would not agree to. They had previously agreed to raise starting teacher salary to $35,000. That's still in the deal, and so are teachers' modified step increases.

Senate budget chief Sen. Harry Brown, R-Onslow, says the deal will also include tens of millions of dollars that agency heads can use at their discretion for raises for workers whose salaries are far below market rates, as well as for correctional officers and magistrates.