RALEIGH, N.C. (WGHP) – Republicans in the North Carolina Senate didn’t give much credence to dozens of ideas contributed by their Democratic counterparts on Wednesday, when they passed their version of the state’s biennial budget by the supermajority that they own.
The roughly-3-hour hearing was interminable in several ways: Democrats put forth about two dozen amendments – the actual number was difficult to count because of maneuverings – and Republicans shot down all of them with either strange and tedious replacement bills or their trusted usual weapon, the motion to table.
In the end, though, a 36-13 vote on second reading sent the bill – technically House Bill 259 – into a conference committee that could take a few weeks to sort out, so varied were the two chambers’ proposals.
Senate Leader Phil Berger, when introducing the bill about 48 hours before its final vote, said the whole thing could be wrapped up and sent to Gov. Roy Cooper by the end of June. One can only wonder how Cooper will react, especially given the GOP’s penchant to override his vetoes.
The Senate-updated biennial budget, as advertised on Monday, sets spending at $29.8 billion in fiscal year 2023-24 and $30.9 billion the next year. It also increases by more than $1 billion the state’s savings funds for rainy days, inflation and catastrophic events, and it includes tax cuts for both individuals and corporations, the latter of which Democrats tried to change.
The individual income tax rate is planned to...
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