(The Center Square) – Adjustments to the state budget at the midpoint of its two-year life, as often happens, appear to be a longshot this year for North Carolina lawmakers.
Three-fifths majorities of Republicans are in each chamber, and they’ll need to either craft separate legislation or come together on very different plans to push $487 million toward school choice. Without it, it'll only be about $100 million as planned and the waiting list of some 55,000 students will not go away as lawmakers have intended.
That’s one thing the Senate and House of Representatives agreed on in spending plans for 2024-25 of $31.4 billion and $31.7 billion, respectively. And it is the one thing on Thursday drawing a social media remark by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.
He wrote, “Republican legislators have proposed two terrible budgets that steal billions in taxpayer money from public schools and child care to pay for private school vouchers millionaires will use. As we’ve seen in other states, this damages our budget, economy and workforce.”
For context, Cooper has made multiple overseas visits and courted several companies on his green agenda waiving taxpayer dollars at them to come to the state. For example, Toyota – with $311 billion in net revenue in the 12 months ending March 31 – is building a $13.9 billion plant in Liberty with the state providing up to $315 million in tax benefits over 39 years, plus $185 million in site development funds.
In another deal last month not involving a foreign company in the energy industry, California-headquartered Ross with $20.4 billion in 2023 revenue was lured to Randolph County with $7.6 million in taxpayer-funded subsidies. Economists question the effectiveness of publicly funded financial incentives to private businesses to expand or come to a new state.
The two GOP chamber leaders have talked with pride about those deals, too.
Headed to Friday, the House’s budget adjustment bill has been approved by the full chamber. The second of two votes needed came Thursday. The Senate’s spending plan went through the Appropriations Committee on Thursday and is likely to get a full floor vote Monday night.
House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, and Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, each talked to reporters at the end of the day. Both expressed optimism their chamber would do well if and when there is negotiation, but seemed resigned to a summer without a deal.
With some lawmakers already signaling personal plans after the Fourth of July, and based on conversations by Moore and Berger on Thursday, a deal before Labor Day – if ever – doesn't look promising.
State law dictates anytime a budget is not agreed upon by the two chambers and governor, the last plan – this one is $60.7 billion over the two years – remains in place. The two-year budget agreed to on Sept. 22 will begin its second year on July 1 unless there are adjustments.
Berger said senators are ready to go into the new fiscal year as is, saying the House has yet to be serious. Moore said his chamber had no plans to even hear the Senate bill.
In addition to Opportunity Scholarships that allow students and families to pick any school, whether public, public charter or private, the two chambers were also in agreement on about $135 million to close a federal gap for child center grants. It expires in July. That aid was supported and encouraged by Cooper in a social media post on Wednesday, though he said hundreds of millions were needed.
