After Two Years Without a Budget, Stein Signs SB 257 Into Law
Governor Josh Stein signed the budget bill, SB 257, on July 7, completing the adoption of North Carolina’s first full budget in over two years. Passage followed seemingly endless months of standoff between leaders of the Senate and House (along with their refusal to include minority Democrats in the negotiation process in any way).
Stein praises major raises and funding boosts, but warns of deep cuts and overreach
“This budget delivers the largest starting teacher pay raise in nearly 50 years and overall teacher pay raise in fifteen years, fully funds Medicaid for the year, and provides historic salary increases to public safety officers who sacrifice to keep our communities and prisons safe. It reaffirms our commitment to western North Carolina’s full recovery and eliminates tax exemptions for data centers’ electricity use. The budget also makes meaningful investments in our community colleges, the DMV, child care, cybersecurity, a new veterans’ home, clean drinking water, and summer food programs for kids,” said Stein in a statement released by his office July 7. “This budget has real flaws, however. The legislature slashed more than 1,000 state government positions, making it harder for us to keep people safe and healthy. It also includes a number of unconstitutional and wrong-headed provisions like those shifting power from the executive branch or those that are hostile to local governments, especially Charlotte.”
Relief over the budget is tempered by environmental shortcomings
Public reaction was positive on the adoption of a budget—finally—but decidedly mixed on its contents.
NCLCV noted both negative and positive points about the budget’s contents, including some especially disappointing failures to act on key environmental and energy issues.
The General Assembly is scheduled to return to session later this month, when it is expected to consider multiple bills which have passed one chamber, or passed both chambers in different forms, as well as possible additional override votes on bills vetoed by Governor Josh Stein.
