Teachers, NC employees could see raises under Gov. Josh Stein's budget proposal
VERY BUSY DAY HERE. THANK YOU
FOR JOINING US. I'M ASHLEY ROW
AND I'M DAN HAGGERTY. ALSO
THERE AT THE LEGISLATIVE
BUILDING TODAY, TEACHER RACES,
CHILDCARE, TAX A SALES TAX
HOLIDAY. THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF
THE ITEMS THAT COULD BENEFIT
FAMILIES IN GOVERNOR STEIN'S
TWO-YEAR SPENDING BUDGET, WHICH
IS KIND OF WISH LIST THAT HAS A
PRICE TAG OF 33.7 BILLION
DOLLARS, THOUGH. IT'S UNLIKELY
TO BECOME LAW. THAT IS WHERE
WE FIND WRAL'S CAPITOL BUREAU
CHIEF TO WALK US THROUGH THAT
PART OF IT. A LOT GOING ON
THERE THIS EVENING ARE.
DAN. THAT'S RIGHT. YOU KNOW,
REPUBLICAN STATE LAWMAKERS HERE
WILL MAKE THE DECISION THE
FINAL DECISION ABOUT WHAT GOES
INTO THE BUDGET.
>> BUT STEIN WILL HAVE SOME
SAY BECAUSE HE CAN STILL VETO
IT. AND DEMOCRATS, NO
REPUBLICANS RATHER NO LONGER
HAVE A VETO PROOF MAJORITY
HERE. SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO
FIND A LITTLE BIT A MIDDLE
GROUND. I WILL SAY REACTIONS
TO THIS EARLY PROPOSAL. MORE
MIXED.
>> DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR JOSH
STEIN WANTS TO MAKE STARTING
TEACHER SALARIES IN NORTH
CAROLINA. THE HIGHEST IN THE
SOUTHEAST. HE'S CALLING FOR AN
AVERAGE 10.6% RAISE FOR
TEACHERS. IT WOULD BE PAID FOR
IN PART BY ENDING SCHOOL
VOUCHERS FOR HIGHER INCOME
FAMILIES AND FACING OUT
VOUCHERS COMPLETELY IN COMING
YEARS. WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH
MONEY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE
PUBLIC AND PUBLIC DOLLARS
SHOULD GO TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT PARTICULAR
PROVISION, THE GOVERNOR'S
BUDGET NONSTARTER WITH U.S.,
HOUSE SPEAKER DESTIN HALL SAID
REPUBLICAN LEADERS ALSO WANT
TO RAISE TEACHER SALARIES, BUT
NOT AT THE COST OF SCHOOL
VOUCHERS.
>> HE ALSO THREW COLD WATER
ON ANOTHER STEIN PROPOSAL.
WE NEED SAFER, HEALTHIER AND
MORE MODERN SCHOOLS. SO I'M
PROPOSING A 4 MILLION DOLLAR
BOND FOR NORTH CAROLINA'S
PUBLIC SCHOOLS. NOT WITH 7 AND
A HALF PERCENT INTEREST RATES.
HAAS SAID REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS
WOULD RATHER PAY AS THEY GO
THEN BORROW MONEY FOR REPAIRS
AND RENOVATIONS. WHAT AREA THEY
MIGHT AGREE ON FREEZING
ADDITIONAL CORPORATE AND
INDIVIDUAL INCOME TAX CUTS
SCHEDULED TO TAKE EFFECT IN THE
NEXT FEW YEARS.
>> STEIN SAID ECONOMIC
FORECASTS SHOW THE NEXT ROUND
OF TAX CUTS WILL LEAD TO A
BUDGET SHORTFALL. BUT 2028.
>> SO I'M SIMPLY CALLING ON THE
GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO FREEZE THEM
NOT TO JUST FREEZING THEM.
JUST MAINTAINING THE CURRENT
LEVEL OF INDIVIDUAL AND
CORPORATE TAX RATE HALL SAID
THE FORECAST COULD BE WRONG,
BUT HE ALSO SAID INFLATION HAS
BEEN HIGHER THAN THEY PREDICTED
WHEN THEY PASSED THOSE TAX
CUTS. HE DIDN'T RULE OUT THE
IDEA AS WE ALWAYS DO
PERIODICALLY, LOOK AT THE TAX
PICTURE TO SEE IF WE NEED TO
ESSENTIALLY DIAL THE SOME WAY.
YOU KNOW, WE KNOW.
>> WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF
INFLATION AND THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION THAT IT SORT OF