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2019 Budget Passes First Vote in NC House

Posted on June 27, 2019 by admin in Appropriations, Budget, Disaster Relief, Education, Justice, Technology, Transportation

A $24 billion compromise state budget proposal that provides pay raises supported by the State Employees Association of North Carolina and injects billions of dollars into school construction passed the first of two votes in the state House of Representatives on Wednesday.

House Bill 966, the 2019 Appropriations Act, also provides pay raises for teachers, correctional officers, assistant district attorneys, community college and university faculty, clerks of court, and other public workers.

The budget authorizes $1.5 billion for capital expenditures on K-12 schools and $400 million for community colleges to fund repairs, renovations, and new buildings on public education campuses across North Carolina.

Rep. Craig Horn (R-Union), an education budget writer, called the spending plan a “student-centered budget.”

“I’m pleased to tell you this education budget for North Carolina totals $14.2 billion,” Rep. Horn said. “That’s 57% of our total budget and a near $500 million increase over the previous year. There can be no question about North Carolina’s commitment to public education. This is a student-centered budget.”

The proposal also invests over $25 million to fund 170 new salaried positions in the courts to implement North Carolina’s commitment to “Raise the Age” of juvenile jurisdiction.

Eleven counties would share another $26.1 million to assist with courthouse renovations and repairs across the state.

Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth), a Senior House Appropriations Committee co-chair, noted North Carolina’s strong economic growth under Republican-led budgets that spend responsibly and lower tax burdens.

“Our people are working and being productive, providing for their families,” Rep. Lambeth said. “North Carolina has passed 18 states in teacher pay rankings with the second highest teacher pay in the Southeast. We continue to invest in our families, in our parks, our ports, and our business infrastructure. We are being good stewards of taxpayer money.”

Rep. Lambeth noted that the State Employees Association of North Carolina is urging legislators to support the state budget.

“We are proud to stand with SEANC to recognize our state employees,” Rep. Lambeth said.

The legislature’s only active public school teacher and a House Education Committee co-chair, Rep. Jeffrey Elmore (R-Wilkes), said a consistent run of teacher pay raises have overcome pay freezes instituted last decade.

“We have a focus on our veteran teachers in this budget and teacher recruitment bonuses for smaller counties,” Rep. Elmore said.

Hurricane recovery needs are also addressed in several parts of the state budget proposal.

House Majority Leader John Bell (R-Wayne) noted the budget continues to fund critical disaster recovery needs, including repairs of education facilities.

“This package is about $112 million in disaster relief funding,” Majority Leader Bell said Wednesday. “Additional funding goes in for stream and debris removal, replacement of emergency response equipment, and additional search and rescue grants needed to respond to disasters. It also provides funds for flood mapping and monitoring for flood-prone areas. This is another big key in the mitigation process, identifying those areas and making sure we monitor them before, after, and during a storm.”

Rep. Jason Saine (R-Lincoln), a Senior House Appropriations Committee co-chair, noted the spending plan makes a major commitment to the state’s savings reserve after natural disasters required significant transfers from the Rainy Day Fund.

“We transfer an additional $710 million into the savings reserve account, replenishing all but $46 million of the $756 million transferred for the Hurricane Florence Recovery Fund, bringing the total anticipated balance of our savings to $1.96 billion by 2021,” Rep. Saine said. “We are preparing for the next rainy day.”

The General Assembly’s budget provides $75 million of additional grant funding to support commercial airports, $23 million for rail infrastructure, and another $11 million to the Port of Wilmington specifically to raise power lines across the Cape Fear River.

“The North Carolina Ports Authority is an exciting story,” Rep. John Torbett (R-Gaston), a transportation budget writer, said Wednesday. “We have invested heavily in our ports and they are doing things people said would never happen. Our investments in new cranes, deeper basins, and better resources will double the output of our ports, powering this economic engine for North Carolina.”

Another $15 million would support the Growing Rural Economies With Access to Technology (GREAT) broadband program, which has already awarded $10 million of grant funding to facilitate high-speed internet access in underserved regions.

Rep. Greg Murphy (R-Pitt), a physician serving eastern North Carolina, noted a massive investment in the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University was included in the budget plan.

“Funding for the new medical school in eastern North Carolina, which has been a priority of mine since coming here, will be included with $200 million for what is perceived to be the cost of that project,” said Rep. Murphy said.

The state budget also increases the standard deduction or ‘zero tax bracket’ for working families to increase their take-home pay, and reduces the franchise tax to continue attracting businesses to North Carolina’s rapidly growing economy.

“We worked with the senate to take a balanced approach to the finance package,” said Rep. Julia Howard (R-Davie), a House Finance Committee co-chair. “This will make a significant impact for the families of our state, for jobs and the economy, for big and small businesses around the state.”

Capital construction projects and investments in rural broadband are also a major focus of the state budget proposal.

Rep. Dean Arp (R-Union), a House Appropriations Committee co-chair, said the new State Capital Infrastructure Fund is a “commonsense” approach to construction projects.

“In 2017 we began this historic transformation in the way we invest responsibly in growing North Carolina and addressing our needs,” Rep. Arp said.

“The surpluses we’ve received have been used to infuse an additional $300 million into a K-12 building fund that will provide $1.5 billion for K-12 school needs, and an additional $400 million for community colleges.”

“This represents the full amount of the House budget proposal of $1.9 billion, but it does so with cash. This is truly a historic investment in our future.”

Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) said the budget’s balanced investments give North Carolinians confidence in the financial security of their state.

“This budget reflects the kitchen table priorities of families – to spend carefully, save wisely, balance essential needs, and focus on the future,” Speaker Moore said.

“This is a plan that is fiscally sound, lives within our means, and lays out a vision for an even brighter future in North Carolina.”

“Our revenue surpluses and record savings reserve were no accident. We plan ahead and prepare, like families and businesses. Our state is benefitting from the smart choices of strong budget leadership, and this is another spending plan all North Carolinians can be proud of.”

The North Carolina House is scheduled to vote again on the proposed budget Thursday.

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Tax collections could lead to $700 million windfall

Posted on May 8, 2019 by admin in Budget, Economy, Taxes

The following is a guest post by Dan Way of the John Locke Foundation:

A $470-million surge in April tax collections could push the state budget surplus to more than $700 million.

Barry Boardman, chief economist for the General Assembly’s nonpartisan Fiscal Research Division, in a Monday, May 6, email alerted legislative leaders of both parties, House, and Senate budget writers.

He called it extraordinary, unexpected revenue.

Final individual income tax payments exceeded projections by $395 million and were 46% higher than April of last year.

“This is the largest year-over-year increase in payments since 2005, when payments increased by 52%,” Boardman wrote.

Wage and salary income withholding have tracked close to forecast, so the growth in final income tax payments is almost entirely the result of higher non-withholding income such as capital gains and dividends, he said.

April’s corporate income tax collections grew 42% over last year and exceeded April’s projection by $75 million.

Combined with prior surplus revenue collections, the total is now close to $700 million. Other states are experiencing similar results, Boardman said.

The numbers are preliminary, Boardman said. Fiscal staff is awaiting a final accounting of April’s tax collections from the state Department of Revenue to determine how much of the money is a one-time collection, and how much of the tax growth can be expected to recur in future years.

That will be a key in revising the state’s consensus revenue forecast. That mechanism determines how much money is available for the current budget and guides spending decisions on programs and services. The revenue forecast also gauges how much money could be diverted to the state’s rainy day fund, a savings reserve created to buffer against economic downturns and the need to raise taxes.

The information also will play a role in the two-year budget now being debated in the General Assembly. The House has passed a $23.9 billion spending plan, and sent it to the Senate.

If the surprise revenue is a one-time event, lawmakers might be wise to plug it into savings, or reduce unfunded pension and State Health Plan liabilities rather than fund salary increases or expand programs and services in upcoming budgets, said Joe Coletti, senior fellow at the John Locke Foundation specializing in budget and fiscal policy.

If it is all recurring revenue, or a combination of recurring and one-time funds, budget writers may decide to split it between savings and programs, but could still consider plowing it all into savings.

The budget the House sent to the Senate contains $600 million in unappropriated funds. With the addition of $470 million in unanticipated revenue, senators now will have a decision on how to handle more than $1 billion that is not designated for a specific use.


The preceding article was written by Dan Way and was first published by the Carolina Journal on May 6, 2019 and reappears here with permission. Mr. Way is the Carolina Journal’s Associate Editor.

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NC House Members Urge Governor Cooper to Maintain Balance on State Supreme Court

Posted on January 31, 2019 by admin in Cooper, Courts, Szoka

Aerial View of the Legislative Office Building in Raleigh, home to the North Carolina Senate and House of Representatives

Today, N.C. House Majority Leader John Bell sent a letter, signed by over 50 members of the Republican Caucus, to Governor Roy Cooper urging him to respect the will of the voters by replacing Chief Justice Martin with someone who has a similar ideological background and pedigree. Martin, the longest-serving justice on the state’s Supreme Court, announced his plans last week to retire next month.

“It would be extremely troubling to ignore the voters’ wishes and unilaterally alter the balance and make-up of the court by appointing a liberal judge who does not share the same values that Chief Justice Martin was routinely re-elected to carry out,” the letter states. “We urge you to reject any effort to politicize the North Carolina Supreme Court in order to achieve partisan goals – something you have adamantly spoken out against in the past.”

The full letter can be read below.

Great Seal of the State of North CarolinaJanuary 31, 2019

Governor Roy Cooper
116 West Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27603-8001

Dear Governor Cooper,

We are writing in regard to the resignation and replacement of Chief Justice Mark Martin on the North Carolina Supreme Court. Chief Justice Martin served the people of North Carolina with great integrity for over 20 years.

As members of the North Carolina General Assembly, we are hopeful that you will honor his legacy and respect the will of the voters by appointing someone with a similar ideological background and pedigree.

It would be extremely troubling to ignore the voters’ wishes and unilaterally alter the balance and make-up of the court by appointing a liberal judge who does not share the same values that Chief Justice Martin was routinely re-elected to carry out. We urge you to reject any effort to politicize the North Carolina Supreme Court in order to achieve partisan goals – something you have adamantly spoken out against in the past.

Sincerely,

Rep. John R. Bell, IV (District 10)
N.C. House Majority Leader

Speaker Tim Moore (District 111)

Rep. Jay Adams (District 96)

Rep. Dean Arp (District 69)

Rep. Lisa Stone Barnes (District 7)

Rep. Hugh Blackwell (District 86)

Rep. William Brisson (District 22)

Rep. Mark Brody (District 55)

Rep. Dana Bumgardner (District 109)

Rep. Jerry Carter (District 65)

Rep. George Cleveland (District 14)

Rep. Debra Conrad (District 74)

Rep. Kevin Corbin (District 120)

Rep. Ted Davis (District 19)

Rep. Jimmy Dixon (District 4)

Rep. Jeffrey Elmore (District 94)

Rep. John Faircloth (District 62)

Rep. Ed Goodwin (District 1)

Rep. Holly Grange (District 20)

Rep. Kyle Hall (District 91)

Rep. Bobby Hanig (District 6)

Rep. Jon Hardister (District 59)

Rep. Kelly Hastings (District 110)

Rep. Cody Henson (District 113)

Rep. Julia Howard (District 77)

Rep. Chris Humphrey (District 12)

Rep. Pat Hurley (District 70)

Rep. Frank Iler (District 17)

Rep. Steve Jarvis (District 80)

Rep. Brenden Jones (District 46)

Rep. Keith Kidwell (District 79)

Rep. David Lewis (District 53)

Rep. Pat McElraft (District 13)

Rep. Allen McNeill (District 78)

Rep. Greg Murphy (District 9)

Rep. Larry Pittman (District 83)

Rep. Larry Potts (District 81)

Rep. Michele Presnell (District 118)

Rep. Dennis Riddell (District 64)

Rep. David Rogers (District 112)

Rep. Stephen Ross (District 63)

Rep. Jason Saine (District 97)

Rep. Wayne Sasser (District 67)

Rep. Phil Shepard (District 15)

Rep. Michael Speciale (District 3)

Rep. Sarah Stevens (District 90)

Rep. Larry Strickland (District 28)

Rep. John Szoka (District 45)

Rep. John Torbett (District 108)

Rep. Rena Turner (District 84)

Rep. Larry Yarborough (District 2)

Rep. Lee Zachary (District 73)

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House Enacts Voter ID With Veto Override

Posted on December 19, 2018 by admin in Election Reform, Elections

The state House of Representatives enacted voter ID into North Carolina law on Wednesday, implementing a ballot referendum approved by voters in November with the legislature’s twenty-first veto override of Governor Roy Cooper.

The veto override by the state House is the General Assembly’s final legislative action enacting voter ID into North Carolina law. It follows approval by the people of a proposed constitutional amendment to require photo ID at the polls in the November midterm election.

Governor Roy Cooper nonetheless rejected Senate Bill 824 [Implementation of Voter ID Const. Amendment] and called voter ID supporters “cynical” and “sinister” in a late-Friday afternoon veto message.

Though Gov. Cooper’s veto message said the voter ID bill “fails to fix” absentee ballot fraud, in-fact the legislation directly addresses ballot harvesting with an amendment to require voter ID for mail-in ballots that was proposed by a House Democrat and approved by a vote of 106-1.

Gov. Cooper’s veto message also said SB824 was “designed to suppress the rights” of voters, even though the bill allows any voter to assert a “reasonable impediment” at the polls for why they don’t have a qualifying ID.

The legislation further accommodates religious objectors, provides for free state-issued IDs, and accepts a broad range of qualifying IDs including student IDs, drivers’ licenses, passports, military and veteran IDs, voter and state employee cards, and Native American tribal cards. SB824 even allows drivers’ licenses from other states to qualify in some circumstances.

Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) has filed legislation proposing voter ID in North Carolina in every legislative term since first taking office in 2002.

“Delivering a voter ID law to North Carolinians who supported this simple yet essential election integrity measure on the ballot in November was a constitutional imperative,” Moore said.

“I’m proud of the commitment House lawmakers made to finish this accomplishment and keep our promise to the people of North Carolina who approved voter ID in our state constitution.”

Thirty-four other states have some form of voter ID law. North Carolina is the last state in the Southeast not to require some form of voter ID.

Rep. David Lewis (R-Harnett), a chairman of the House Committee on Elections and Ethics Law, noted Gov. Cooper’s voter ID veto was issued at 4:00 p.m. on a Friday “to bury his defiance in a news dump with inflammatory language to keep his political base on his side.”

“My district is full of good, hard-working, well-intentioned people – there is nothing sinister or cynical about them,” Lewis said. “The governor does not have a problem with this legislature, he has a problem with his citizens.”

“This bill does exactly what the people of this state wanted us to do.”

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