The fiscal year for the state of North Carolina began on July 1, but as of Sept. 3 no budget has been passed by the General Assembly.
The legislature traditionally passes a two-year budget in odd years and in even years makes adjustments. However, in 2019 Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed the budget passed by the Republican legislature. The House overrode the veto, but the Senate did not and no compromise was ever reached.
Which means that the last two-year budget passed by the legislature and signed by the governor was in 2017 and then revisions were made in 2018.
In 2019, after it became evident that the legislature and the governor were not going to reach agreement on the entire budget bill, a number of “mini-budget” bills were passed giving raises to many state employees, but not teachers.
One result of that budget impasse is that the state is flush with money, since it is basically working from a 2017 spending plan, and the fact that the folks in Raleigh were unable to reach a budget agreement in 2019 has reportedly added impetus to come to an agreement in 2021.
The problem in 2019 was that the Republicans and Democrats couldn’t agree, so far in 2021 the problem is that the Republicans and the Republicans can’t agree. Both the state Senate and the state House are controlled by Republicans and both have passed a version of the state budget that spends about $25.7 billion.
The current issue is that the Republicans in the state House and the Republicans in the state Senate can’t reach an agreement how that $25.7 should be spent.
President Pro Tem of the state Senate Sen. Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) has been quoted as saying no agreement is likely to be reached before the end of September.
But even when the legislature finally passes a budget, Cooper can veto it. If the legislature can’t come up with some Democratic votes to override the veto, then it begins to look like 2019 all over again.
Please note teachers of NC, way back when we had a Female Democratic Governor there were NO raises for teachers .We got a Republican Governor and he basically got you caught up on raises.Then we,the stupid people,of NC voted in a Democratic Governor and all of a sudden raises go away again.If I were a teacher in NC today I would switch to the Republicans they do and will give you the money you deserve. What has the Democrats ever done for you????? The have had the black people brainwashed since the 1960’s .Trump proved that he could win a small group over to him because he lowered the unemployment rate to the lowest in history. The Republicans will work with you ,the teachers, if you had enough SPINE to kick the Democrats out .Look at how our Federal Government is doing as of today.They are so bent on staying in power they are doing everything to tear up the Constitution that we had had for over 200 years.This is the worst group of people to represent a party and deliberately running this nation into the ground.It’s not late you can make a change at midterm!!!!!!!!