Gov. Josh Stein is trying to rally support for his $1.4 billion spending plan while state lawmakers are deadlocked over a full state budget.
On Monday, Stein spoke at the North Carolina Education Innovation Lab’s annual meeting in Cary. He focused on education and boosting teachers’ pay.
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“Public education is not a Democratic policy,” Stein said. “Public education is not a Republican policy. It is a North Carolina policy.
“It affects every child in this state.”
Increasing teachers’ pay has long been a budget priority for state lawmakers, but the legislature has not been able to get this over the finish line in years.
North Carolina ranks 43rd in the country in teacher pay, according to the North Carolina Association of Educators. The average teacher salary in North Carolina is $58,292, nearly $14,000 less than the national average of $72,030. North Carolina ranks behind all neighboring states: Georgia (23rd), Virginia (26th), South Carolina (36th), and Tennessee (38th).
The legislature has not passed a full budget in more than two years, preventing teachers from getting pay increases.
A newly proposed budget plan from Stein, a Democrat, would give teachers nearly a 6% raise on average. It would also restore master's degree pay and would give more pay increases for more experienced teachers.
Stein said that's a problem for hiring and keeping the people who educate our kids.
“[There are] so many areas, like the cell phone ban, where we can, and we must work together, for the benefit of our public-school kids,” Stein said.
Stein’s request also includes raises for state employees and funding for Medicaid, which provides health insurance for about one-third of North Carolinians but is on the verge of running out of money.
The North Carolina Senate and House are run by Republicans, who decide the state’s $30 billion budget. It remains to be seen how much weight Sten’s proposal has when the legislature starts back in April.
There is no indication that Republican leaders are any closer to finalizing a budget than they were months ago when negotiations fell apart.