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Wednesday Wrap: Waiting, waiting, waiting

Another day passed Wednesday without a budget document to determine what lawmakers are cutting to achieve their compromise spending plan.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Another day passed Wednesday without a budget document to determine what lawmakers are cutting to achieve their compromise spending plan.

WRAL News obtained a table breaking down what legislative leaders have called the largest teacher pay raise in state history. Although the raises average 7 percent, lawmakers are eliminating longevity pay for teachers with at least 10 years of experience. That means that the longest-tenured teachers will receive the smallest increases, while those who have been in the classroom for only a few years will get a sizable raise.

Lawmakers continue to work on issues aside from the budget.

The House voted 106-0 to reject the Senate's plan to reform Medicaid by shifting the program to a new state agency and putting insurers in charge of controlling costs. The measure now goes to a conference committee, and some lawmakers have said they plan to return later in the year for a special session to debate Medicaid reform.

The House Finance Committee also rejected a Senate proposal that caps local sales tax rates, but the move was taken primarily because of economic development provisions in the bill. House members objected to a special fund for the commerce secretary to land big industry expansions. Meanwhile, the committee voted to extend a tax credit for restoring old industrial buildings.

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